Some school employees are more important than others

ACHTUNG: The following is a not a “fair and balanced” story. It is an editorial by the editor.

At first glance, it was welcome news this week that the Wayland school district can bring in an added $28,000 a year by farming out some of its business services expertise. A second glance, however, reveals a continuing disturbing trend of privilege in public education, as opposed to the egalitarian ideal.

Egalitarian means “believing in the principle that all people are equal and deserve equal rights and opportunities.” It’s like the last six words of the Preamble to the U.S. Constitution: “With liberty and justice for all.” But they’re just words.

When officials run public schools like businesses, which has been the standard operating procedure over the past 35 years, they don’t treat all employees equally and fairly. And when they don’t, they permit some employees to enjoy privileges others don’t.

Finance Director Bill Melching told the Board of Education he’s had a hard time finding enough work for those who work in the business office, so he’s allowed one to work the equivalent of one day a week elsewhere and another the equivalent of three days every two weeks. And he personally stands to gain a little extra money as well.

I don’t begrudge farming out business services to other public education institutions if they want them. My gripe comes in the form of a lack of fairness — lack of egalitarianism.

It wasn’t long ago that a number of classroom and playground aides were denied enough hours of work to make them eligible for health care. Now, with the Affordable Care Act finally kicking in, all aides will get health care, but their numbers have been reduced.

It’s almost as if there’s an attitude here that lowly classroom and playground aides don’t deserve to pick up additional work, but business office employees do. I smell the odor of class warfare.

To be sure, the moves in the business office actually have swelled the school district’s fund balance, but I have grown exceedingly weary of always making decisions based on the bottom line. We’ve been doing that in these United States for the past 35 years and education hasn’t improved; in fact, I contend it has suffered.

Our public schools are not manufacturing facilities churning out widgets. They are supposed to be places to provide all children the opportunity to learn critical thinking and decision making skills. Instead, they have become institutions more interested in getting kids to pass standardized tests, and, as George Carlin told us, create “obedient workers.”

Carlin also rightly suggested that encouraging critical thinkers is not in the best interests of corporate CEOs and state legislators. The reason is money.

The landmark book “A Nation at Risk” was discussed at great length in 1982 and into that decade. Though it was compelling and identified problems, our education system has not improved since. One of the biggest reasons is that schools are run like businesses, teachers are treated like foot soldiers and children like widgets.

It would behoove administrators to carefully examine how the Scandinavian countries handle public education so successfully, particularly Finland. I think these foreigners have a much healthier respect for egalitarianism, doing a lot more than just mouth platitudes that all kids and workers are important.

It’s a lot like calling up your cable provider and getting a recorded message that tells us “Your call is important to us.” If it was, you wouldn’t be placed on hold.