Yipee my LTTE was finally printed this Saturday

[SCDem]

http://www.heraldonline.com/opinions/letters/story/4617310p-4289185c.html

Sanford's solutions would solve nothing

I find it highly ironic that Mr. Daniels in his letter to the editor on Feb. 9 says that Gov. Sanford's Put Parents in Charge bill needs support because as he says schools are currently wasting money on bureaucratic compliance. Mr. Daniels thinks taking money ($4,000 per pupil) out of the public education system will make the system less bureaucratic?

The No Child Left Behind Act has made the public education system more bureaucratic than ever, but its policies, guidelines and bureaucracy will remain in place and not be changed by Put Parents in Charge. So, the bureaucracy will remain for the children left behind in the public education system ($2,500 per pupil).

Public middle school teachers are now required to have a master's degree. Will the parent who is homeschooling his or her child be required to attend classes at night and spend time away from his or her family to get the equivalent qualifications? Will the parent homeschooling be told exactly what to teach and for how long and when to give tests?

Legislators (bureaucrats) are increasingly demanding more from our talented, bright and eager public school teachers. Will homes that have homeschooled children who do not meet national standards be labeled (humiliatingly so) as failing homes, tracked and mapped on the Internet? Will such children be given notice that they may choose to homeschool at a neighbor's home?

If the answers to the above questions are no, then Sanford is not attempting to solve anything with Put Parents in Charge. Rather he is adding to the problem by reinforcing the bureaucratic structure and at the same time underfunding public education, the backbone of our democracy and our enlightened middle class.