Saturday, October 11, 2008

Another round of James Wigderson and his critics

From the Waukesha Freeman Sound Off section today:
State superintendent of public instruction

The Freeman’s James Wigderson continues to get it wrong. His last column on the next state superintendent of public instruction election was full of his partisan ramblings. When will Wisconsin figure out that partisan politics and progress are a world apart? What we need right now are leaders who will do the right thing for our children and our taxpayers. This is not mutually exclusive to Republicans or Democrats. Yes, the Wisconsin Manufacturers and Commerce group owns the Republicans and teachers unions own the Democrats on education issues. How will one be better for our state than the other?

Mr. Wigderson, either run for the office yourself (if you have all the answers), or advocate not for political parties, but for cost-effective progress in our educational systems. We need champions to govern and lead this state who reach across the political divide to do what works and what is right for our state’s children.
If nominated, I will not run. If elected, I will not serve. Although the thought is tempting. Just think of all I could accomplish, starting with a Shakespeare reading program in the 4th grade. Aristotle and Aquinas in the middle schools. Solzhenitsyn and Orwell. Latin for everybody!

I'm not sure how my last column could be considered "partisan" since I specifically suggested not getting someone from the legislature to run. I also suggested the name of someone who has an appeal across party lines and even to members of the teachers unions.

But thanks for reading my column which appears every Thursday in the Waukesha Freeman. For 50 cents, you can't beat the bargain.

Now class, if you would please open your books to the "Song of Hiawatha"...