After reading "A Troubling Attitude About Low-Income Parents,"T. Willard Fair's guest column in Wednesday's Sunshine State News, saying Sen. David Simmons had said essentially "poor people make poor parents," I was initially outraged and ready to take the senator to task.
But then I read the whole article and I realized it was Mr. Fair that has lost all sense of reason.
This is what the senator said: "Let's face it, the parents are the very people who haven't been involved in their own childrens lives so as to cause the school to improve. What kind of credibility do you give to the parents in those kinds of circumstances?"
I dont disagree with the senator one bit. By hook or by crook, too many parents have abdicated their responsibilities and that has led to many of our school problems, especially those in our poorer neighborhoods. This is not to say all poor parents are bad. Far from it. What Mr. Fair doesnt realize, probably because he was too busy being outraged, is that there are wonderful things going on, even at our so-called struggling schools. The thing is, the vast majority of these successes are occurring with the students of parents who act like parents. Successes are far and few between for the kids of parents who dont care.
Mr. Fair then goes on to complain about the historic neglect of these schools and insinuates that school districts and unions have used them as out-of-sight, out-of-mind depositories for ineffective personnel. Now, I dont doubt that in the past there was neglect and some districts did staff them with questionable personnel, not that the union has ever staffed anyone anywhere. But this is 2013. Title I makes sure our poorer schools get more resources and it is Mr. Fair's own school choice crowd that makes sure those schools are staffed with an ever-revolving door of novice teachers. It is Gary Chartrand, Jeb Bush and Fair himself who set up those policies.
Yes, parents do deserve some of the blame -- perhaps even the lion's share. But dont discount the role that Tallahassee has played. They have had a devastating effect on the schools in our poorer, predominately minority neighborhoods.
His (Fair's) righteous indignation hits a fever pitch when he talks sarcastically about how parents cant be trusted with improving their childrens schools. He suggests they will get bamboozled into turning their school over to some nefarious profiteer. And during the process, they will squabble amongst themselves and create discord in the community.
Well, the history of the parent trigger says he is right, but the bigger point is parents already have tremendous options. They can join the PTA, every school has a SAC committee, they can volunteer in their childrens schools, petition their school boards for change and even get involved in local politics themselves. Their options are legion!
Giving away public assets to for-profit companies more concerned with the bottom line -- which have a terrible track record -- should not be one of them. Disregarding democracy, something you dont get with a corporation, should not be one of them. Furthermore, public schools, whether they are in our personal neighborhood, whether we have a child attending one, belong to all of us.
His final point after some more union bashing is, the reason there are a growing number of charter schools, the reason for the long waiting lists, the reason why vouchers are so coveted, is because parents want them." And of course the only intellectually honest rebuttal to that demand is that these parents dont know what is best for their children.
To which I reply, lies, big lies and damn lies. Two hundred and 26 charter schools have closed in Florida alone over the last 12 years. Vouchers often take kids to schools without qualified staffs or effective curriculums and the long waiting list argument has been thoroughly debunked. Those are some things Mr. Fair obviously doesnt want you to know.
Mr. Fair has jumped the shark and any pretense that he cares about the poor kids he laments about is just that, pretense. He has thoroughly joined the corporate reform movement, taking his 30 pieces of silver all the way to the bank.
For shame, Mr. Fair, for shame.
Chris Guerrieri is a schoolteacher in Jacksonville.
