POLITICAL DUMBING DOWN?<

I have decided to turn over a new leaf. I am going to post every week in order to share with you my observations of events that seem worthy, in my opinion, of a dissertation.

This week the California State Assembly passed legislation that will give the Mayor of Los Angeles greater control over the Los Angeles Unified School District. In short, the Mayor has been empowered to wield greater weight to the decision making that is customarily reserved to the Schools staff and the School board. Governor Schwazenegger is on record as supporting this transfer of power and it is a foregone conclusion that if he has not, he will sign this new “manifesto” for management of the Los Angeles Unified School District.

There is no doubt in my mind that school management needs to be reviewed in every city, county and State nationwide and that there are many opportunities for improvement in every area of education. It just does not seem to me that adding another level of political muscle is the answer. But then, I have been amazed at how few people want to correct problems – local, State or Federal. This is, indeed, the age of selfishness. There seems to be no vision – no broad brush of potential for the future. Indeed, it is impossible to grasp the possibility that our politicians even know what they stand for – or believe in – let alone possess a vision for our country.

Increasingly we hear only the special interest of the day, week, month or year. What the Republicans are for, the Democrats are against and vice versa, The people must not know that the opposing party could have a good idea. To dare exercise vision, hope or a plan would turn the debate from politics to the candidate’s competence and that would be a risky endeavor. We Americans are only interested in the polished, well coiffed and glibe candidate that will successfully skirt the issues of truth and make us believe that his or her speech writers have caught the substance of the man or woman.

For the truly dedicated public servant to bring up the realistic needs that must be confronted, is tantamount to “political suicide”. An example of the reluctance of the American public to willingly grasp the facts and act in our long term interests is clearly illustrated in President Bushs’ polls. Few of our citizens want to deal with the world as it is – only as THEY want it to be. Add this “mix” to our educational guidelines and what have we gained? The last time I looked, school boards were elected by the people whom they serve. They do not run as politicians, though we all know they are political or they would not be there. Nevertheless, we try to choose them on the basis of their vision for our schools and in the best interests of educating our children. What can be gained by adding another layer of political “muscle”?

It seems that we can be assured of one thing. Education in California will take second place to politics. Maybe we can call it the “dumbing down of education”? Why not? Education and politics have "dumbed down" Our children for years. Now it is time to “dumb down the system? California, as always, leads the way. .

For those of you who wonder what I mean by “dumb down”, it is lowering the standards. I believe that we in California excel in “dumb” but fail in applied “smart”.