Children are losers in Common Core fightA mind is a terrible thing to waste.
It is also something that should not be put on hold, either.
Yet as a new school year gets underway, that is exactly what the leaders of Louisiana are doing.
As the battle over Common Core continues to rage, teachers and students find themselves stuck in the middle, pawns in a political struggle with no end in sight.
Meanwhile, it is the kids who are the real losers in all this.
Those who have been entrusted with the power to make their lives better remain locked in a bitter battle over what should and what should not be taught in our schools.
There is no question that there is a need to improve the state’s educational system. Louisiana remains ranked down near the national bottom when it comes to education.
Our kids deserve better.
But instead of coming up with ways to change those statistics our leaders are spending more time racing in and out of courtrooms rather than fixing our classrooms.
Both sides of this fight have filed lawsuits on the subject Common Core with no results. At a time when fresh ideas are needed all we seem to be getting out of our leaders is finger pointing.
“We say, they say” doesn’t cut it when all thoughts in the conversation should be focused on the students and how best to teach them. What we have gotten both sides retreating to their corners in an effort to reload instead of rethink.
During the recent summer of our educational discontent, we have heard just about everybody speak on the subject or about it. We know where the lines have been drawn and what the fight is over.
However, there is one thing we have yet to hear from either side. It’s the simple question and only one that matters: What is in the best interest of the students?
Nothing, repeat nothing else is important.
It is time for our leaders to get themselves out of those courtrooms and into meetings where they can figure this out. It is what they are paid to do and what we voted for them to do.
Granted it is not an easy subject with easy answers. Maybe that’s why our own governor, Bobby Jindal, has flipped on the subject.
At least we hope that is the reason. We don’t want to consider that our governor would play politics with our children’s futures.
We have to believe he is bigger than that.
The issue is not what is best for parents, teachers or even unions, but what is best for our kids.
Nobody can tell for sure just what the youngest of our generations will need to know in the coming years to face the problems of a world that is always changing.
It would be nice to go back to the simpler days when we did math by long division and most people we came across spoke the same language. But that is no longer the case.
What we all can agree on is that we need to give our children the best educational foundation we can to ensure their chances at success in years to come.
Enough time has been wasted with all the bickering. It’s time to come up with a solution so are children compete in a changing world.
They deserve that.(MGNonline)
