When the school superintendent begins hearing from the people tomorrow, what he will hear is fairly easy to predict.
Superintendent Christopher Bernier should be commended for even trying to find out what is on people’s minds. His predecessor didn’t seem to be as interested.
But Bernier plans on holding seven town hall meetings to find out what the people want.
One thing he probably will hear is, let the parents have a say. Don’t allow powerful teacher union bosses to run the show.
In the past, some of those in charge of the government schools have acted as if parents were interlopers.
But with a new School Board and a new superintendent, there is hope for change.
Most parents will want the school district to police its libraries and prevent children from being exposed to pornography.
They can take a cue from the Clay County district, which has purged hundreds of books that are unsuitable for children.
Liberal parents who want their children to read pornography can obtain it at their own expense and make it available to their children – at the risk of being charged with contributing to the delinquency of a minor.
Parents also may aid the superintendent in his quest to cut spending so that it matches revenue. He has said that as much as $100 million may need to be trimmed from the budget.
The district is losing customers because parents now are afforded more choice in how their children are educated, and not all of them are choosing the traditional way.
For more than a century, government schools have had a near monopoly on schooling and the results have not been impressive. Higher costs and relatively poor outcomes have become the norm.
The easiest way to cut expenses is to close schools. In the campaign for a new tax to build new schools, the district emphasized that many Jacksonville schools are old and outdated.
Therefore, it seems obvious they should close older schools and shift children into the newer schools.
Three school closings are planned, but more are needed.
Also, they can drop education fads such as diversity, inclusion and equity (DIE), along with critical race theory and other divisive and needlessly expensive programs.
Discipline in the schools should be enforced. Parents don’t send their children to school to be bullied, robbed and beaten.
Bernier should consider cameras in the schools. If they are good for the police, they are good for the schools so that parents can see what is happening in the classrooms and school grounds.
Parents may ask that the schools end social promotions and grades and instead ensure that all students learn to read and write, at a minimum. Far too many are graduating without the basic knowledge needed to enter college or the workforce.
Given the number of criminal incidents involving teachers, and their seriousness, Bernier probably will hear from parents that there should be greater scrutiny of teachers in recruiting and performance.
There is much to discuss.
