BCT Editorial – 7/9/07

This page was last updated on July 9, 2007.

No laughing matter; Editorial; Beaver County Times; July 9, 2007.

The previous Times editorial on this topic was “No reason for hope.”

Below is a detailed critique of the subject editorial.

“If the educational future of Duquesne’s children was not such an important matter, the farce that is being played out in Harrisburg might well stand as the most ridiculous episode in recent memory of the comedy of errors that is state government.

“And that’s saying something.

“In many ways, the Duquesne City School District is a school district in name only. Its enrollment is small and dwindling. Its test scores are abysmal. Its academic offerings don’t extend beyond the basics. The only extracurricular activities it offers are high school football and basketball. It does not have the resources - financial and human - to pull itself out of this tailspin.”

[RWC] As I’ve noted before, if the test scores on the basics (math & reading) “are abysmal,” what would be the purpose of offerings “beyond the basics?” FYI, my high school had no advanced placement courses and I did pretty well in college.

Regarding extracurricular activities, my grade school had no – meaning zero – extracurricular activities and that was when the school at or over capacity. I don’t believe the lack of extracurricular activities scarred my fellow classmates or me. Doesn’t it tell us something about Duquesne’s priorities when it chooses to field baseball and football teams instead of funding scholastic clubs? For the cost of baseball and football teams, a district could fund a bunch of academically oriented activities.

“Although state law allows students to attend the nearest high school, state Education Secretary Gerald Zahorchak is seeking legislative approval to reassign 200 Duquesne High School students to at last two school districts within three miles of the city’s borders. (According to one published report, those districts would be West Mifflin Area and East Allegheny.)

“This proposal was included in the omnibus version of the education bill that passed the Senate on a 48-2 vote.

“But the House voted 198-0 to reject that legislation, with the Duquesne transfer proposal being a significant but not sole factor.

“The matter now goes to a conference committee to iron out differences. But with votes of 48-2 and 198-0, reconciling differences won’t be easy.

“Mind you, school starts in less than two months. It’s hard to imagine the uncertainty and apprehension that students, parents and the Duquesne community are going through.

“This would not be happening if state lawmakers and governors, past and present, had been doing their jobs. What’s taking place in Duquesne is being replicated in Aliquippa, Clairton, Farrell, Monessen and Wilkinsburg - and that’s in our region alone.

“And it’s not just these districts. Pennsylvania has too many small school districts. In our region, Cornell, Midland, Monaca, Rochester and Western Beaver are slowly ebbing away.”

[RWC] Remember the editorials that purported to support local control? Never mind. Apparently the Times believes in local control when the locals do what the Times thinks is right. FYI, that’s a fundamental principle of liberalism/progressivism/socialism.

“Rep. Mark Gergely, D-Allegheny, who represents the Duquesne district, touched on what needs to be done. ‘We need to revisit the issue of school mergers across the state,’ he said. ‘What we do in Duquesne will set a precedent over and over again as schools lose population and they get smaller and it gets more costly to run them.’

“Being a leader means telling people what they don’t want to hear and doing what is unpopular but right.”

[RWC] To be clear, “right” in this sentence really means doing what the Times wants. Otherwise, previous editorials indicate a leader “telling people what they don’t want to hear and doing what is unpopular” is arrogant, fear mongering, et cetera.

“Unfortunately, Pennsylvania does not have such leaders, especially in the General Assembly. Instead, it has a small number of power brokers who call the shots and a large number of well-paid, well-perked constituent-service providers who pose as lawmakers.

“That’s why the farce that is taking place regarding Duquesne is not the final act. It’s just one more episode in a long-running comedy of errors.

“The problem is that, in the end, it’s not really very funny. Just ask the folks who live in Duquesne.”

[RWC] Did you note the editorial placed no responsibility for Duquesne’s plight on Duquesne residents? That was true in the previous editorial as well. In true liberal fashion, the Times portrays Duquesne as a victim that needs rescued by the state.