Red Clay voted for the MOU… Christina is still debating.   Red Clay caved to power…

I’ve been thinking over how Christina should handle this… And I believe it is well on its way to doing just that.

And power has a lot to do with it.  The billion dollar question is this:  whether it is better to “go along to get along” and always be the slave to whatever gets passed down, or to fight for the freedom to do what’s best for children, and make the other side have to listen to what you say for a change….

And the crux of that argument comes down to this: (which as is usual in a democracy) boils down to how its effects parry across those people who are directly affected by this decision.

The question: is whatever action soon to be taken by Christina in the future, the best option for all the children who will pass through its doors, as well as the best option for all the residents who fork over half their property taxes to fund these schools?….

History shows that what is best, is decentralization… Especially letting those involved who have to deal with the consequences of life-or-death decisions be the ones to determine those decisions in the first place. Things usually work out better that way.

In all cases where centralization has occurred, when poor policy gets decided at the top, it gets forced downward through intimidation or stealth…

Let us examine the state’s record over these past 6 years.   The extra $119 million given by the Feds for education, was squandered…  Where are the new books?  Where are the new classrooms?  Where are the new supplies?  They are not there…. Instead all Delaware has to show for the money, is a $119 million dollar test, one that the entire nation is now up in arms over…  This one little test is all we have to show for $119 million…

Not a proper track record to be given for taking over public schools… I and most Delawareans think someone else should be in control.

The University of Delaware’s report shows 2 priority schools are doing extremely well. This report is a very good case to highlight exactly what is going on here.  These schools were put on probation several years ago, and under the Christina District board, they appear to have tackled the problems so well that according to experts of the University of Delaware inspection team, they have made excellent progress….

It is like firing the coach of the University of Delaware team after they’ve won the championship… (like that would ever happen). But that is exactly what Penny Schwinn implied… That since they happened to be the “coaches” who were hired back when the teams were rebuilding, they can’t possibly remain the head coach now that after all taht hard work, they are in a winning season….

Everyone knows the reason they are being fired, is that like K. C. Keeler, they have a new coach already picked and have already promised her the job.

If the University of Delaware football team can be used as a good example, firing a really good coach and replacing them with a close personal friend, is not the best thing for either a competitive team, or for a school district…

But that is exactly what is being done… This year’s Delaware’s Fighting Blue Hen record was  a dismal 7–5 (4–4 CAA) btw…   yet after the 86 wins and the 2003 National Championship, a good coach was canned to be replaced by this at best mediocre 7-5 coach.  Likewise, after bringing two schools back, those principals are being sacked to make room for someone who doesn’t have a similar track record of success….

If the Christina board succumbs and says to the state DOE, “we will do it your way”, then mediocre must be the best one can ever expect out these students.  It appears the best option is to now stand by those who have done well, and work to better those who can improve…

So if the Christina Board says no to the MOU and puts the ball into the state’s hands, there are two further alternatives. One is a legal injunction; the other is legislation negating the authority of the DOE.  Both bring outside eyes to the entire takeover and make them highly public affairs….

Like sacking K.C. Keeler, if the DOE does override the district and fire principals, teachers, and bring in someone else, the entire world will be micromanaging that person to see if she succeeds or fails… With the entire world looking at her down the wrong end of the telescope, fail she will.

As every mis-step is broadcast across the blogs, WDEL, WDDE, thereby forcing the News Journal to tell the truth for once as well, there is no way the DOE wins… They fired a winning coach and put in a loser. In fact, their very visible missteps here could remove all future DOE interference in public schools for years to come….

Christina District has two options.  Accept the terms being forced upon it and lose all, or, take arms against a sea of troubles, and by opposing, end them…

Only the latter choice creates any resolution. It may not go your way, that is possible, but you can never be blamed for the corporate selling of the children in your charge, back into slavery. They were taken from you.