Who Owns Your Schools? In Lee County, Florida They Belong to Parents and Children
For years now, I’ve wondered who owns school boards. Venture philanthropists come into cash-strapped districts and suddenly parents and citizens find their voices no longer matter. Anyone with the right amount of money, well-meaning or not, can take over how schools in that district will be run and what students will learn. Is that about to change?
With a vote of 3 to 2 the Lee County School Board stunned a lot of people Wednesday night by voting to discontinue state standardized testing.
Political activists were out in force including Libertarians.
Parents with young children sat tight awaiting the vote. A seven-year-old spoke about a test where the computer told her she couldn’t read. I couldn’t help but notice that she seemed to be reading notes on what she was supposed to say. She did a superb job. But she was so tiny her mother had to hold her up to the microphone. I think that alone spoke volumes.
Then there was the mother whose ill child had to take the test though his condition was terminal. I don’t know about you, but I’ve heard enough of that kind of testing ridiculousness and cruelty to last me forever.
The superintendent, who seems like a nice woman, disagreed with the vote along with another board member. I actually sort of understand her predicament. Testing, in and of itself, is rather important, but Florida and most other states have just gone so far with it that there was bound to be a backlash someday. For small children, children with Who Owns Your Schools? In Lee County, Florida They Belong to Parents and Children: