Don you are getting so close!

I really enjoyed this one, and found that I only disagree with one point, well actually a few points though only one worth mentioning: Small school districts.

You correctly bring up the real difficult task of breaking up a district. I really appreciate that you actually believe in the oft forgotten notion of intelligence being glory; so many people have no idea what a life=time learner is.

On the small school districts, putting aside the most difficult task of equitable funding issues, research has shown a coreelation between not only school size and performance, but school district size and performance. School district size is right up their with class size, curriculum and staffing. It is important.

The reason it is important is due to the inherent flexibility of smaller districts. They are small enough that they can respond to the needs, changing environment, strengths, weaknesses and research in educational leaders.

So much of anything in life really boils down to the strength of leaders. America had many US Army units during World War Two, all of them almost identical. And yet, we had only one Patton. Why? Leadership.

In a school system, one Principal will be as different in style from another as Patton was from another. And by having a small enough school district to allow for the real strength of an educational leader to shine through; that is success. This is one reason I am a strong support of charter schools and vouchers. These two allow for rapid change and support. With districts as large as Jordan and Granite, it is almost impossible to respond to the needs of individual schools and leaders as small districts, charter schools or voucher driven private schools can. Hence my support. Smaller disricts can solve this.

Well said, Don. Excellent column!

Don,
Until one has spent quality time with the individuals and groups behind smaller districts, until one has been on the receiving end of an arrogant administration, until one has read and studied the empirical data on large school districts vs. smaller districts with an open mind and heart, one has not qualified to enter the debate. Being unprepared causes one to resort to name calling, something reserved for college freshmen who have yet to learn how to support a thesis.

Thank you!

You have always been a voice for education!

Your words reflect how many of us think.

Keep up the great work!

Dennis said it best. You obviously haven't looked thoroughly at both sides of the issue with an open mind.

If only you were Speaker of the House or President of the Senate and bring sanity and wisdom back to our Legislature instead of retaliation and strong arm politics that we have today. Thank you for saying it like it is. The Bard would be proud.

Great article. I appreciate someone stating how things really are. Finally, a "true voice of reason." I'm sure the people on the east side won't agree with you, however.

The voice of reason. I miss your TV editorials. You are able to see history as well as current issues and put it all together. Stay with us.

I'm so sick of everyone blaming the "east side". It's so overly simplistic to say that east-siders think they are better than everyone else. I believe neighborhood money and influence should stay in a neighborhood, so WE can decide what is best for OUR schools and OUR children. The bottom line is that the west portion of Granite District is not my neighborhood. Their needs are very different than ours and equally as important. This gi-normous school district system simply does allow for any local control. If you are going to perpetuate the east-west discrepancy, I take you back to very recent actions of Granite School District to close several east side schools when a very loud contigency from the west side stood up and cheered that our neighborhood schools were being closed. I would never cheer for anyone's neighborhood school to be closed, east side, west side or on the moon.