It is the corporate and cultural duty of responsible members of a community to rally behind youth who are most in need.
Gates and Buffett through their foundation funded such a school in South Omaha, the private Cristo Rey, where students attend high school four days a week and work for business partners on the fifth. Nebraska's laws do not allow truly independent schools within the public system.
We know bottom up solutions, like Cristo Rey, enjoy a high level of parental involvement as their voices are heard. Large districts and Learning Communities hire public relations staff to defuse disagreement. Political bodies tend to act, well, politically. Its only natural.
Can DC and the Unicameral replace 'community' by passing laws? Did Jesus tell his disciples: Send your money to Rome so the Romans may meet society's needs? Private foundations enrich the community and avoid capital gains taxes. DC lost 15% and Lincoln lost 7% capital gains taxes on the money Buffett put into the foundation. Is he acknowledging private spending offers more benefit to the community?
My editorial on school choice was published when Class One district schools were in limbo. The teachers, the buildings, and enthusiasm of their community still existed. Why did the Unicameral not allow parents to choose their local school or the consolidated school? The need and the desire were there but the lack of legislation held them back even as it denies us Federal grants today. The farther removed the decisions on education are from the parents, the less parents get involved. Why bother?
Recently, a public school teacher told me she was concerned about unfair competition from charters as much of her freedom of instructions has been lost. Wouldn't it be better to restore public school choices then destroy choice altogether?
The teachers and staff in OPS, as in all districts, are dedicated and hard working but as layers between parents, teachers and decision makers keep growing, parents give up. Lobbyists and executives in the district offices and in Lincoln have only to wait out the resolve of citizens. Several times during my years in OPS, revolts have spontaneously erupted as parents and taxpayers questioned the education lobby.
The Unicameral could limit district size. That might help. Parental advisory boards rather than bureaucrats should be making the decisions. Of course, my preference would be a free marketplace of educational opportunities from which parents could choose. The Learning Community pretends to give us school choice while it actually added yet another layer to the bureaucracy.
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