The editorial in Thursday's paper that criticized Jeb Bush's policies to improve public education relied on some severely unconventional wisdom. It asserted, "anyone can teach a fourth-grader how to mechanically bubble in the right answers." Well, that might be true if all the right answers were listed in front of the student, but to imply that anyone can achieve what many teachers are failing to do - teach students to find the correct answer in the first place - underestimates the obstacles our teachers face in the classroom.
Is it the assumption of the editorial board that students who answer questions correctly haven't learned something? This sad position of many reactionaries in the realm of education is the reason so little force is behind the progressive attempts by Florida Republicans to improve public education for all of citizens.
Clearly, public schools need more money, but distributing extra pay based on merit is a step in the right direction. The sooner more Floridians realize that, the better it will be for good teachers and for the future of Florida.
