I may disagree with Governor Greitens’ apparent ideas on education, but I will certainly concede and defend his right to have those views, and even to try to convince others of them.
At the same time, there are (at least) two things that are deeply troubling about what is going on in Jefferson City with respect to his attempts to replace the current Commissioner of Education.
First, the Governor seems to be unwilling to share, let along discuss, his ideas with current educational policy-makers to work together to reach the common goal of what’s best for Missouri’s children.
Second, and much more troubling, he is blatantly working to circumvent checks and balances that are in place to separate educational decisions from political whims. Such separations are in place precisely to avoid these politically motivated power plays. Yet he proceeds, apparently uncaring about either the appearances of impropriety or the results of such machinations.
I am aware that I may be guilty of being an educator running amok in an unfamiliar field of politics. But I do so with a grin of irony, fully aware that such a practice exactly mirrors the Governor’s actions, in reverse.
Let’s pause, then, and look at the educational elephant in the room. All the rumors suggest that the Governor’s not-so-hidden goal in all this is to bring in an out-of-state Commissioner who is an avowed advocate of charter schools.
I will not bash charter schools, per se. I have stated before that good charter schools can conceivably achieve some things that public schools cannot. (The reverse is also true, of course.) Instead, let’s look at just one cautionary snapshot, among many.
In the early 2000s, the state of Michigan opted for a complete ‘choice’ model, with charter schools and no district lines. This change was due, in large part, to the prodigious efforts (and enormous financial backing) of Betsy DeVos, current Secretary of Education, and her husband Richard.
In the decade that followed, Michigan’s standing on national tests dropped from the middle of the pack to near the bottom. In 2003, Michigan ranked 28th among the states in fourth-grade reading and 27th in fourth-grade math (as measured by the National Assessment of Educational Progress). In the 2015 results, Michigan had dropped to 41st in reading and 42nd in math.
To be sure, this is just one example, but it is noteworthy and pertinent. It should serve as an indicator of caution for two reasons. It shows that charters frequently do not live up to whatever potential they may have. And it also warns us to beware of hell-bent efforts to put them in place without careful examination.
Let’s learn from Michigan. Let’s not rush into an action that may not be good for Missouri or its students. And let’s certainly not rush into it with brute force. Discussion, of course! Debate, sure! Both are called for. And both are far better than unilateral attack, based on individual prejudices, in direct defiance of existing State structures.
We should not ask Governor Greitens to abandon his opinions. But we should all call on him to slow down, and abandon his current questionable and disappointing approach. (Can he convince others of his ideas, rather than bulldoze them?) And, we should ask the governor to respect and work within existing structures. We expect our school children (and our citizens) to do this; surely, as Governor, he can lead the way.
