I don't always agree with Joe Williams at The Chalkboard, but I never miss it. The point on which I disagree with him the most is this one--he thinks it's a bad idea for people who administer school systems to be required to send their kids there.
I'm particularly surprised because his reference is to Edspresso, a pro-voucher site that makes the point very well. I'm not a big fan of vouchers, and I'm amazed at how much I agree with them here.
I first heard the notion of compelling pols to patronize the schools they administer from a decidedly right-wing teacher with whom I work. He says if the pols had to send their kids, you'd see instant improvement, and I tend to agree.
Really, if the school is so bad you feel it's unfit for your kid, how on earth do you muster the audacity to tell me it's good enough for mine? And what motivation have you got to improve it, or get those who've left to come back?
By sending your own kid to a public school, you're sending a message that it's workable, and that you care. If you don't feel you can fix the school, you shouldn't have taken the job in the first place.
Mayor Michael Bloomberg and Chancellor Joel Klein wouldn't let their kids touch public schools with ten-foot poles.
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