Jim Rex's Red Herring Four-Day School Week

Great consternation abounds in the local news! State Education Superintendent Jim Rex has proposed a four-day school week to deal with cuts to his budget from state funding. Doing her best imitation of taking the proposal seriously, CCSD Superintendent McGinley responds that she will. . . not consider it lightly. No one will who has half a brain, at least not until everyone goes on a four-day work week. Not going to happen.

My, what a charmer Rex is. It worked. No one is giving air time to his other "budget-cutting" measures--except the Newsless Courier, of course. At least the P & C did publish his entire list in Wednesday's edition. See 4-day Week Proposed for Schools.

A "red herring" is meant to throw taxpayers off the scent, get them going down the wrong path so that the real culprit is ignored, in this case proposed measures that have nothing to do with cutting expenditures! Let's look at the record:

Rex proposes

1. Limiting testing this year to only what is required by federal law, which would mean a one-year exemption from end-of-course tests and social studies tests.
2. Eliminating 2009 ratings for schools and districts on the state report card.
3. Giving districts flexibility to use state money as they see fit instead of how lawmakers mandate.
4. Enabling districts to eliminate programs that lawmakers demand.

Okay, I'll grant that testing does cost money, but if we can do without "end-of-course tests and social studies tests" for one year, why do we have them in the first place?

The other three proposals will not save money! How disingenuous is that? Oh, yes, I'm sure that Rex would like to see 2009 state report cards eliminated. What educrat wouldn't?

If state legislators fall for the last two, they must be dumber than dirt. They would be voting to negate their own legislation.

Get real, Jim. Start with cutting staff and salaries in the state office of education. In fact, start by cutting your own. Then we'll take you seriously!