A Penny For Your Thoughts

When President George W. Bush came to J.E.B. Stuart High School last week to present a No Child Left Behind initiative for secondary education, I was in the second row, immediately in front of the podium. It was a good spot to observe the president and his speaking style. Although he probably didn’t notice, it also was a good spot to frown at him!

The fact that the White House selected Stuart High School for the president’s speech should be celebrated. Stuart has a lot to be proud of – broad diversity, rising test scores, students graduate and go on to college, and a supportive community. Stuart faculty, staff, students, and parents have worked diligently during the past decade to build support for public education, get the school renovated, improve test scores, and develop respect. In all these efforts, they have succeeded brilliantly. Stuart is acknowledged across the region and across the country as an excellent school that delivers for its students, who come from all over the globe.

What was disappointing was the students on whom the president heaped praise in his speech were not present in the gymnasium. Nor, in most cases, were their parents or their teachers. The president’s visit to Stuart seemed more like a campaign appearance than a policy discussion. Hundreds of seats were occupied by his political supporters from as far away as Prince William County, and who probably hadn’t been in a public school classroom in decades. One older woman was wearing a sparkly rhinestone pin that caught the light and read “God Bless Bush.” A number of other people were sporting similar, though less sparkly, campaign paraphernalia.

President Bush seemed to be well briefed about J.E.B. Stuart High School, and principal Mel Riddile obviously was very proud to welcome the President of the United States to his school. Interestingly, the president began his speech, not about education, but with a litany of comments on medical lawsuits and reforming Social Security. The education part of his prepared speech focused on measurements and testing. Several times he noted that students needed to be able to “read and write, add and subtract.” Perhaps it was just a simplified message, but those comments seemed more suited for an elementary school audience. Nowhere in his speech did the president mention learning to think. Perhaps thinking is harder to fit into those little circles on a machine-graded test!

The president made one comment that may not have been in his prepared text. Referring to concerns about unfunded mandates, he told the audience to “forget about it. It will be funded,” he said of his proposed $1.5 billion initiative for secondary schools. One can only hope. Supervisor Penny Gross may be emailed at mason@fairfaxcounty.gov

Supervisor Penny Gross may be emailed at mason@fairfaxcounty.gov