EDUCATION

IS NOT A

"BUSINESS"

I have to disagree with Jay Mathews' argument that schools are businesses going through tough times like the newspaper industry.

Mathews made this assertion in a Washington Post column on the situation at Baltimore's KIPP Ujima Village Academy. Ujima Village is one of the highest performing schools in Baltimore, and is a majority-black charter school. Now of course, there are all kinds of arguments about the KIPP program nationwide. Some believe that those scores are inflated by keeping the school's population limited to the best students.

But right now, I'm just talking about his offhand comment regarding schools as businesses. Especially when we have an education crisis, and a minority achievement gap nationwide.

In education, a product is not being produced for profit. Instead, human beings are being given the tools and opportunities to advance themselves in life. We all know that success in America also involves luck, who you know, etc. But a good education gives everyone a chance if they have the determination and are willing to work. We have to control costs and have a fiscally responsible budget. But we can't take the position that schools are a place to cut big when our politicians have mismanaged the county budget. There is plenty of other wasteful spending to eliminate elsewhere. Yet our county council took $80 million away from schools this year, in defiance of state law.

Often today, the scope of education goes beyond the classroom. The Montgomery County Public Schools program to provide free meals to disadvantaged children this summer is an example. Many students in the county are not even receiving the nutrition they need to be successful in school. This and other early childhood education programs will reduce the number of those living in poverty, the number of juveniles in our criminal justice system, and increase the number of Americans attending college.

Proper nutrition, free access to internet resources from home, more assistance to parents who wish to home school their children and other initiatives will help to close the gap. Searching for profits, or charging kids for the budgetary failures of the county council, will not.