Despite the sad economic state of education in California, at least one bureaucrat is making news for giving more to the state than taking.
School Superintendent Larry Powell is giving back $800,000 to his employer, the Fresno County Office of Education.
Yet his philanthropic move is more than altruistic, as he wishes to secure the funding for pet projects which he initiated.
Sadly, pet projects are part of the reason why there is so much waste in public education to begin with. Then there is the Anti-bullying initiative Powell champions, a state-mandated program which does not attack the political correctness preventing school site administrators and teachers from stopping student harassment and disruption of pupil instruction.
In spite of the heart-warming context for this philanthropic act, Powell's desire to rekindle "faith in the government" is misguided. The last thing that we should be seeking to reinstate in our body politic is "faith in the government", nor should we inculcate it in our youth.
It was faith in government which overwhelmed the state with exorbitant, expensive, and overburdening social programs, all of which have impoverished the core mission of the state of California: protect our rights and secure our borders. As for education, public schooling is the proper domain of local communities, which are better positioned to evaluate the efficacy and efficiency of local schools.
The state capitol will never be in the best position to supervise and reform education, nor can far-removed superintendents who pursue a lofty, progressive vision for their constituents without according greater oversight to parents, teachers, and local school leaders.