Common sense tells us that 40 school districts is more than
we need in SonomaCounty (population 486,000).
Practical experience tells us one school district isn't enough for Los Angeles and several
surrounding cities (population about 4.5 million).
But who would have guessed there's an even goofier model out
there?
Well, leave it to New
Jersey, which has two dozen school districts that don't
have any schools at all.
According to an Associated Press report, efforts to
eliminate the school-less school districts began in 1969. A law finally passed in
2007. Since then, three more districts closed all their schools. Yet another law
passed last week to eliminate the no-school districts prior to the 2010 school
year.
Perhaps the extra year was granted to allow time for one last
reunion ...
In fairness to New Jersey,
the U.S. Department of Education says there are almost 300 school districts across
the country - including more than 50 each in Maine,
Massachusetts and Vermont - that don't bother with schools. (It
would be too easy to make a wisecrack here about classes only siphoning money from
big-time prep sports machines.)
Perhaps we can take inspiration from the GardenState
and root up some of SonomaCounty's myriad school districts,
then plant them in a more streamlined education system.
And maybe we can take less than 40 years to do it.
Marin has:
State Department of Education
Marin County Department of Education
Roughly 20 school districts
Each one of these has a hierarchy, I bet the education expenses would be far less if we consolidated these districts to County and bring the payroll back down to the educator levels where it should be.
Too bad the Press Democrat can't read any of the school studies paid for by Dr. Wong and Bill Gates which show that small schools outperform big school districts. Perhaps if Santa Rosa, Rohnert Park, and Petaluma were broken up into smaller districts, their students would learn better. Look at the test scores- Rincon Valley and the small Sebastopol districts lead the way.
You don't suppose the results in those smaller districts could be a function of demographics, i.e. almost universally middle- and upper-income families and next to no English-learners?
Mr. Sweeney should take a look at the academic results coming from the Wright and Roseland School Districts. Two small school districts with very similar demographics to the most challenged Santa Rosa District schools. The key variable in small districts is accountability, not parental income or language skills.
Marin has:
State Department of Education
Marin County Department of Education
Roughly 20 school districts
Each one of these has a hierarchy, I bet the education expenses would be far less if we consolidated these districts to County and bring the payroll back down to the educator levels where it should be.
Too bad the Press Democrat can't read any of the school studies paid for by Dr. Wong and Bill Gates which show that small schools outperform big school districts. Perhaps if Santa Rosa, Rohnert Park, and Petaluma were broken up into smaller districts, their students would learn better. Look at the test scores- Rincon Valley and the small Sebastopol districts lead the way.
You don't suppose the results in those smaller districts could be a function of demographics, i.e. almost universally middle- and upper-income families and next to no English-learners?
Mr. Sweeney should take a look at the academic results coming from the Wright and Roseland School Districts. Two small school districts with very similar demographics to the most challenged Santa Rosa District schools. The key variable in small districts is accountability, not parental income or language skills.