Lingua Translations

A civilized student revolution is the place to start.  

As the quality of our public schools and Universities plunge, the academic morons chant endlessly the three big lies; that the problem is the government doesn’t provide enough money, classes are too large and, of course, the really big problem is the parents! They say if lazy parents would just teach their unruly children a little respect and discipline they would behave in school – riiiiiiiiiiiiight.

 Most of you will probably agree that you can get away with a lot more at school than you can at home. If the blame can be laid at the feet of the parents it is only because they have allowed the schools to usurp their parental responsibility. Mychal Massie agreed that parents need to step up and take a larger role in managing their children’s education when he said, “Not every public school is bad, and not every private school is good. I agree that, thanks to Jimmy Carter’s creation of the Department of Education, we now have commissioned centers of agitprop, i.e., government schools that have taught state-sponsored liberalism and misinformation for nearly four decades. I still argue that this only takes place because parents have abdicated their responsibility for the education of their children.” Amen.

The Principal’s Role in Rural Schools

“Leadership is influence…[and] the ability to obtain followers.” (Cruzeiro & Morgan, 2006, p. 569)

Principals of rural schools spend a large percentage of their time teaching cross-age, multi-grade students (Starr & White, 2008). As recent legislation and litigation continue to place more responsibility on the principal, site level responsibilities challenge the constant, increasing role of the administrator (Cruzeiro & Morgan, 2006).

Most principals in rural schools get little in the way of administrative support, ancillary personnel, and ground staff (Starr & White, 2008). While principals in larger schools are able to delegate and share in management tasks, this is not a luxury afforded to their small rural counterparts (Starr & White, 2008). Regardless of the size of the school, principals still have a moral obligation to comply with federal and state standards. The ethical behavior of educators, write Rude & Whetstone (2008), is a driving force that ensures balance.

Statement of the Problem

  

Introduction:

              Due to the decline in the quality of public education in Texas, state lawmakers passed legislation in 1995. The new law permitted the opening and implementation of charter schools. These new charters schools encourage and support innovative teaching for a variety of learning styles, improve the achievement of students, and provide options within the public school system (Terry and Alexander 2008, 4). Prior to the new legislation, there was no opportunity for choice within the public school system with regard to a child’s education, and children attended school according to their zip code. That deficiency began to change when the first charter school in Texas opened in the fall of 1996.