If the public is grading Barnes based on the results of his reforms, he could be in trouble. Accountability, testing, and ending tenure are all viable steps toward improving education in our state, as are vouchers, charters, and home schooling. But because of a larger cultural problem, many of Georgia s public education problems will not disappear. The cultural problem, familiar to many readers of this newsletter, is that families are decaying. Frustrating as Alchemy Without strengthening Georgia s families, today s public educators may end up as frustrated as the ancient alchemists who tried to transform common elements into gold.
Families perform countless unseen tasks that prepare children to sit still and learn.
And when families crumble, when they fail to nurture, new school policies cannot make up the difference. Even when parents and teachers are on the same page, educating children is extremely difficult. But when education and discipline aren t valued in the home, they are nearly impossible to attain in the classroom. Some private schools, recognizing the severity of the problem, have taken serious steps to counter family breakdown. The report may be the tool that the governor needs to persuade parents to spend more time with their children.