Oxy and Other Morons

Consider the following fictional headlines:

“Jane Fonda named Chair of the Joint Chiefs of Staff”

“Sierra Club gains major share of American timber companies.”

“Greenpeace President named CEO of BP”

“Michael Williams named Commissioner of Education in Texas”

Oops.

The last headline is real. If you want to know why Texas educators are angry about Governor Perry’s pick for commissioner, perhaps the fictional headlines will help. Mr. Williams is not pro public education. He is in favor of vouchers, charters, reduction in funding, and higher accountability. Mr. Williams is philosophically diametrically opposed to the notion of public education. Naming him as commissioner is a huge slap in the face to the hundreds of thousands of public school educators in this state, and sadly, some of them, some of the good folks who show up every day to do all that they can to educate all kids, will support Governor Perry and his ilk.

Under the banners of “transparency”, “accountability” and “choice” those forces hostile to the notion of collecting taxes from everyone to promote the education of everyone have been in control in Texas for some time now. Each of the above banners sound great, sound reasonable, sound supportable. However, each of them is a buzz word for the slow process of making public schools look bad, finding ways to shift tax dollars to options other than public schools, and promoting the notion that public schools are too expensive to support as they currently exist. Frankly my dears, it is poppycock and balderdash.

We already know Mr. Williams’ ethical structure. If I were asked by Shell Oil to serve as head of their petroleum engineer division, I would decline. I am not qualified for such a position. If I were asked by NASA to begin training as an astronaut for the first human trip to Mars (notice I did not say “manned”) I would decline. I am not qualified nor will I likely live long enough to see it happen. (Besides, there are those who already accuse me of simply taking up space.) If I were asked to serve as interim superintendent in a neighboring district I would likely accept. I am qualified, I have such experience. Anyone who accepts a position for which they are not qualified and are hostile to the nature of the organization lacks ethical fortitude.

So, what should we (professional educators past and present and parents and communities who support public education) do about this philosophy and the kind of crazy policies and practices that we are seeing out of state government? How do we reveal to the general public what is really going on? I have a few suggestions and it is my hope that members of Texas media find an opportunity to ask such questions and print the answers:

“Mr. Williams: Once named Commissioner of Education let’s assume you do a stint as a high school building principal. Given state and federal funding formulas and accountability requirements, what would you start doing that has not been done, and what would you stop doing that is being done?’

“Mr. Williams: Same question, but this time you are a school superintendent?”

“Mr. Williams: It appears that you support charter schools, vouchers, school choice, etc. Those strategies only make sense in the context of compulsory attendance, the law that requires kids to go to school. If choice is so important to you, would you promote giving public schools the same choice that charters and private schools have by eliminating the compulsory attendance law?”

Three simple questions. He will not know the answer to the first two because he does not want to know and because he is not interested in public schools being successful. The most telling question for me will be the third. That will reveal what he really thinks and believes.

And, of course, we should vote in November.

Yes, Jane Fonda, Sierra Club, Greenpeace and Michael Williams. All oxymoronic appointments, only one is real. Please help us save public education from the oxy and other morons.