Opening the Schoolhouse Door for Patrons

Support your public schools even if you don’t have children there.

With voting in the next couple days, do citizens still support their local public schools?

I found this article and like the ideas in it. I am a supporter of public schools, and I am a supporter of school choice. After I finished my doctoral work, I applied to be a school principal and had four final interviews. One of the things I promoted was doing more with the district’s patrons. Basically, get “buy-in” from those who have the ability to not only vote for school referendums, but those who could make a financial difference themselves. The parents on the hiring committee were not on board with that idea, although the district’s superintendent supported me as a candidate because of some of my unique (perhaps) ideas. I didn’t get any of the jobs and saw that maybe I didn’t want to be a principal at the point. My true interests lay elsewhere. Writing, explaining, and working more directly with groups whose needs were more up my alley.

One of the things I have yet to make clear to my readers is why I am also for School Choice. I will do that soon.

So, with that introduction, enjoy this article from a retired superintendent who is on the board of the Horace Mann…