Within your means.

This topic could really put me on a soapbox. I'll keep it fairly short and to the point, though. In our state, the superintendent recently (in the past month or so) laid out a plan to overhaul the state education system. Resulting... in a huge backlash from teachers, students and parents alike. Let me first say that I am not terribly impressed by the proposal, and admit it has several(if not many) flaws. However, there's something I simply don't get about the dialogue that has ensued from this "scandalous" education overhaul. And why everyone seems hell bent on exposing its flaws without seriously addressing the main reason the bill has been initiated: to live within the state education budget allowance.

Yes, I'm irritated that some teachers who, in most cases, work tirelessly for very little monetary compensation are going to be eliminated. Yes, I think there are limits to the effectiveness of requiring online courses in place of those with an actual instructor. Yes, classroom size is a major concern for me and there's no doubt that increasing it over the next few years may have dire consequences. But, if we want to live within our means, we cannot have our cake and eat it too. Seems pretty cut and dry to me.

Abiding by a budget takes sacrifice, and while, admittedly, I'm completely open to the fact that there are probably a number of better ways to solve the problem, every single one is going to hurt. There aren't enough people in politics who are willing to create real solutions to the budget crises we face because they don't want to take the heat from a public who neither wants its taxes raised nor the kids' education compromised in any way. I admire our superintendent's willingness to do something hard, even if I may not agree wholeheartedly with his methods. I'll say it again, we can't have our cake and eat it too.