[NOTE: Nothing in this post is intended to disparage the many fine people who struggle to educate America's children, other than to perhaps chide them into taking actions to loosen the chains of bureaucracy that shackle them as they attempt to do their jobs.]

This nation fought a War of Independence because it knew that British Rule was “illegitimate.” Abraham Lincoln brought an unwilling nation to war because he knew that slavery was “illegitimate.” What if America’s current public education monopoly is “illegitimate?” Would we be willing to do what was necessary to restore its “legitimacy.”

A few weeks ago, I read an article titled “Reagan the Astute.” It detailed Reagan’s unerring belief in his ideals and the ideas that flowed from them. For example, rather than “negotiate” and/or “peacefully coexist” with the Soviet Union, Reagan merely decided that a “superpower” that enslaved its people didn’t deserve to be a superpower. When confronted with such ideological views, the striped pants set at the State Department recoiled. Rather than listen to their appeals for diplomacy, Reagan stated, “How about we win.” And we did.

There is something very powerful in questioning the legitimacy of illegitimate people, institutions, and governments. At first people think you strange, then rude, then they start to ask themselves whether you just might not be correct. I think it is time we questioned the legitimacy of America’s Public Education Monopoly. It is an illegitimate force in America - from both a political and educational viewpoint.

As proof (and I have plenty), let me start with the illegitimate monopoly’s denial of basic rights regarding America’s disadvantaged students. In the last few days, we have read stories about KIPP Charters success in Helena, Arkansas. We know that it works, and it works well. But we have also read about Georgia’s education bureaucracy denying Charters to independent schools while rubber-stamping “unionized” charters. Across the nation, charter school advocates have experienced the backlash of the resurgent power of the illegitimate lobbyists curtailing charter school growth. In Illinois, charters are severely limited, as the illegitimate school districts have veto power over their creation.

Leaving aside (for the moment) all the abuses and corruption in public education, the denial of charters alone mercilessly exposes the education monopoly for the greedy interest group that they are. Whatever their goals are, a child’s education is not one of them. In short, if you deny a charter in a borderline district, you deserve to have your motives, and your legitimacy, called into question.

As a resident of Illinois, I could detail numerous abuses that take place at the district level. Hundreds of districts across the state have engaged in all or some of the schemes below;

· Health, life, safety schemes to circumvent bond referenda
· Tort Immunity and Working Cash Fund abuses to circumvent tax caps
· Fund transfers and “phase-ins” to circumvent tax caps
· “No-Bid” contracts for energy from the IEC, which is demonstrably more expensive than other alternatives.

One becomes so jaundiced by the over-weaning sense of entitlement exhibited by these folks that they don’t even blink at the naked abuse of “taxpayer owned” resources in the promotion of Local tax Increases. They have become so brazen that they even purchased their very own legislation to get rid of the few barriers remaining.

It is my view that the financial and educational continuation of this nation can not peacefully co-exist with an unsustainable and essentially corrupt bureaucracy - especially one that actively retards learning to enhance their growth an power. Reagan’s insight was that you don’t “compromise” with illegitimate forces - you defeat them.

I’m told they are too powerful to defeat. I’m told that no one has the numbers, the time, the money, or the inclination to do the work. And after all, why become a pariah in your community? I’m told that radical reforms are impossible, and you just have to live with this system. They said the same thing about the Soviet Union.

I say “No, I choose not to.” Just call me the William Lloyd Garrison of this issue.

In the very first issue of his anti-slavery newspaper, the Liberator, William Lloyd Garrison stated, “I do not wish to think, or speak, or write, with moderation. . . . I am in earnest — I will not equivocate — I will not excuse — I will not retreat a single inch — AND I WILL BE HEARD.” And Garrison was heard. For more than three decades, from the first issue of his weekly paper in 1831, until after the end of the Civil War in 1865 when the last issue was published, Garrison spoke out eloquently and passionately against slavery and for the rights of America’s black inhabitants.

No, school corruption and purposefully imposed substandard curricula do not sink to the level of slavery. However, every person who refuses to consider newer models and reforms that offer the disadvantaged (and the taxpayer) a better education system deserve to be have their legitimacy called into question.

This entry was posted on Wednesday, August 15th, 2007 at 7:06 am and is filed under Education, Education Debates. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.