By Harold L. “Bud” Cothern, Ed.D
Retired Superintendent of Goochland County Public Schools and former specialist at the Virginia Department of Education.
Today (April 20, 2017), the Goochland Tea Party is hosting a “Grassroots Republican Debate” with ‘special guest’ 7th District Representative Dave Brat at Goochland High School. Candidates for Governor of Virginia include Ed Gillespie, Corey Stewart and Frank Wagner and for Lt. Governor: Bryce Reeves, Jill Vogel and Glenn Davis.
I find it ironic that Goochland Republicans would host this event at Goochland High School, the building that I, as school superintendent, built. Not physically, of course, but my name is on the plaque along with the names of a progressive school board I had the pleasure of serving with at that time. It is interesting, I think, to tell the story now as to how much resistance we faced in getting that school built then with a mostly Republican Board of Supervisors.
They were opposed to building a new building for either the middle or high school students. They thought we could continue to use the same 1934 era building just by doing some renovations. The high school building had already undergone three renovations over the years. Our position was that it no longer served the needs of students or teachers for the 21st Century. The middle school building had served as the high school for blacks prior to integration. Like many such schools during the “Jim Crow” era the materials and construction were not of the highest quality. Truth told, the middle school was in worse condition than the high school and needed replacement.
To this day I remember the conversation I had with one intractable Republican Supervisor at their board meeting. I told him it was time for the County to step up and finally build the community a high school. He replied that they had already done that. I said: “Respectfully sir, FDR built the last one; it is now time for the County to build one.” The audience cheered.
Our plan was to build a middle-high school complex with a shared office area, library, cafeteria and oversized HVAC system and build it out in phases. The Board of Supervisors initially rejected the plan as too costly for the County. We were able to persuade them to go to referendum vote to give them political cover. The referendum passed by 68%, showing them there was community support for public education and for the project.
They agreed to only to move forward with the high school portion, still leaving the problem of overcrowding at the middle school. We began construction on a building that was the first phase of a high school with a middle school addition to be added later. Of course, that was the most expensive way to build. The next year, 2001-2002, I was able to convince them to add the initial portion of the middle school side to house 8th grade students and to relieve overcrowding at the middle school. We completed that portion prior to my retirement in 2002. Fortunately for the students and teachers, my successor was able to convince them to complete the project and finish building out the complex to house all of the additional middle school grades.
Republicans always talk about using tax dollars wisely. Had the Goochland Board of Supervisors initially approved the project as presented they could have saved millions of dollars. The current building is definitely a monument to great architecture and technology and is a tribute to those citizens who pushed for its construction. No wonder the Republican Tea Party of Goochland wants to show off in this great venue. However, I would ask the question if these same Republicans would think it was a waste of money if the proposal was on the table today. I would wonder also if the Tea Party would think wasting millions of tax dollars because of a sloth-like spending plan was a good fiscal idea.
Republicans in both houses of the Virginia General Assembly almost achieved success with a voucher plan called the Virginia Parental Choice Education Savings Accounts (HB1605), passing the Senate 21-19 with all Republicans voting yes. The proposed law would have permitted “the parent of a public preschool, elementary, or secondary school student to apply to the school division in which the student resides for a one-year, renewable Parental Choice Education Savings Account that consists of an amount that is equivalent to a certain percentage of all applicable annual Standards of Quality per pupil state funds appropriated for public school purposes and apportioned to the resident school division in which the student resides, including the per pupil share of state sales tax funding in basic aid and any state per pupil share of special education funding to which the student is eligible. The bill permits the parent to use the moneys in such account for certain education-related expenses of the student, including tuition, deposits, fees, and required textbooks at a private sectarian, or nonsectarian elementary or secondary school or preschool that is located in the Commonwealth and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, or national origin. The bill also contains provisions relating to auditing, rescinding, and reviewing expenses made from such accounts.” (Richmond Sunlight).
In addition, Republicans in the U.S. House of Representatives are now pushing a “choice” plan supported by Congressman Brat: HB 610, the School Choice Act of 2017, a plan that will destroy public education as we know it. This $20 billion bill eliminates the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, replacing it with vouchers to be distributed to the states through block grants (Congress.gov). Federal funds that now go to public schools will be given to parents who choose to put their children in private schools or to homeschool them. States will not be allowed to opt out without losing federal funds. Moreover, the programs so funded (private schools and home schooling) will not be required to provide equal opportunity to disadvantaged students by way of transportation, meals, and so forth. The legislation, moreover, will give money to parents to send their children to religious schools. Betsy DeVos, the U.S. Secretary of Education, after all, has noted that education reform is a way to “advance God’s purpose.” (NPR, January 31, 2017) In addition, the legislation repeals ESSA (Every Student Succeeds Act), a program that encompasses aid to programs for Native Americans, ESL students, the homeless, struggling learners, advanced learners, and a host of other special learning situations. Moreover, in another heartless act, the bill abolishes nutritional standards for school breakfast and lunch (No Hungry Kids Act).
7th District progressives today protested this event for all the Republican hypocrisy. Ironic, isn’t it that Republicans are conducting such high profile meetings and simultaneously planning the destruction of public education while using venues planned and built by progressive citizens and leaders? By the way, the Goochland Board of Supervisors still has a conservative Republican majority. Some things never change. So I ask you, how do you spell hypocrisy ? GOP.