CONCORD- Following the vote of the Joint Legislative Committee on Administrative Rules to issue a preliminary objection to rules implementing the Learn Everywhere program, Education Commissioner Frank Edelblut gave the following statement:
“Today’s action was disappointing, but not unexpected. Unfortunately, any attempt to change the status quo in our schools is met with resistance. Giving parents and students more options will create more paths to bright futures. The Department will listen to the objections that members of the committee raised today and respond within 45 days.”
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What can be Local Control better than the Parents who want their kids to learn the best way possible?
The fix was in?
Status Quo – just WHO could that be? For starters, teachers unions (NEA AFT)and professional Administrators (Superintendents, Principals). I’m also willing to bet a lot of School Boards (and their Puppet Master, the NHSBA). Why?
Power. Who gets to decide? And in some cases, “follow the money“. Those groups, with Learning Everywhere, lose it. Remember, as with ANYTHING involved with politics (and trust me, education is ALL about politics – the old time picture of a teacher’s wood desk and an apple on it is long, LONG gone) means a lot of catfighting about Power. Education is no different than any other issue – money and power.
Power. If one side loses, who gains?
In this case, Parents. Parental responsibility and parental notification. Parents being able to better direct their own childrens’ education. For the Educational-Industrial Complex (remember, this is BILLIONS of dollars at stake in programs like this), this is a first torpedo against the century+ industrial warehouse model that was brought to America back in the 1880s era. Power, money – that trail of torpedo bubbles we remember from WWII sea battle movies is coming their way. All hands on deck to keep the Status Quo!
They’re rambling, blithering, screaming and scrambling about “local control” to make you think they actually have some. Well, that hasn’t been true for decades at the Federal level as States and towns take all that money – with LOTS of strings attached which must be obeyed. Same thing with State money. That “free money” ain’t and if you doubt me, try spending it on things other than what they tell you it is for. I dare you!
Plus, towns and cities here in NH are legally ONLY subdivisions of the State of NH – they cannot do anything unless there is authorizing legislation OR (in this case) Dept of Ed rules allowing such. Local control really exists in very small portions now no matter how much yammering goes on to the contrary. And it’s not like local School Boards have covered themselves with glory – heck, during the Public Sessions at my town’s School Board, you can ask our elected representatives anything you want – and they won’t answer. They don’t have to, you see – they passed their own regulations that allow you to speak at them, they don’t have to listen or reply back. It’s useless trying to get their attention or an answer back or something important or controversial. So in my eyes, cutting them out of the middle (along with the teachers and Admin) is a step forward to reforming the whole dang system. Sure, Unintended Consequences abound but have you checked your town’s standardized testing results and see how few students are attaining “Proficient” or better rankings?
What the hell are you spending your tax monies on???
So now comes along Learn Everywhere in which Parents can go to the NHDOE and get credits for what their kids are learning in other than the Edu-industrial warehouse buildings. This is, you realize, not the 18oos or 1900s, right? This puts YOU in charge and the rest of the Ed Complex may start to go back to what they should be – our employees and not our Masters.
Besides, anything has to be better than the Common Core nonsense, right?
