As columnist Sen. David Dutremble writes: “School grades don’t paint a complete picture.” But then, neither does Mr. Dutremble. Of the “many components that contribute to a school,” he very conveniently fails to mention government.
It couldn’t possibly be government that has caused the terrible nosedive of American public education, now could it? Engineer that I am, I rely on facts, logic and analysis in the problem-solving process. Ever since the creation of the Department of Education, the quality of public education has degenerated. It is now so bad, we are 13th out of 14 developed countries.
Yes, there is a cause and and effect. His final words are prophetic: “we owe it to them to focus on what works.” What works is parents controlling schools completely at the local level.
What works is getting big government out of the school-controlling business altogether. Can Dutremble handle the private enterprise/local control method or does he want more big government interference?
Frank Novotny, Biddeford
Comments are not available on this story. Read more about why we allow commenting on some stories and not on others.
We believe it's important to offer commenting on certain stories as a benefit to our readers. At its best, our comments sections can be a productive platform for readers to engage with our journalism, offer thoughts on coverage and issues, and drive conversation in a respectful, solutions-based way. It's a form of open discourse that can be useful to our community, public officials, journalists and others.
We do not enable comments on everything — exceptions include most crime stories, and coverage involving personal tragedy or sensitive issues that invite personal attacks instead of thoughtful discussion.
You can read more here about our commenting policy and terms of use. More information is also found on our FAQs.
Show less