The guest commentary, “Weak Charter vote dilutes real mandate” in the Saturday Herald is critical of the voters who supported I-1240 for charter schools. Where will the money for them come from, the writers ask?
Where did the $440,000 come from for the golden parachute paid to the Darrington School District Superintendent to buy him out of his over $100,000 contract? He screwed up; we paid. (May 16 article, “Darrington schools to OK $440K to superintendent.”) Which brings up a question: Why is there a school district for only 550 kids?
Results show that the schools in Washington are not very good. Why is this in a state with one of the highest level of college graduates per capita?
Our schools would work much better if we got rid of the useless paperwork required of the teachers to support 295 school district superintendents and their staffs, which total well over 1,500 employees and cost over a billion dollars annually. Does this thick layer of bureaucracy do anything toward the children’s education? According to four teachers I know they spend way too much time on paperwork that they could use preparing for classes.
Modern technology will allow one private corporation owned by the teachers and staff members with business management-type personnel running it and with the principals responsible for their school’s results. Refusing federal DOE money will reduce the paperwork by 50 percent or more. There are successful programs in schools back East that create an atmosphere to make the kids want to go to school. Why don’t we use them?
Richard Jauch
Camano Island
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