☆ Former CSD board candidate: Viable schools are run like businesses
This Opp Now exclusive features Monte Dauer, who ran for Cambrian School Board in November. Dauer argues that rather than regularly being bailed out with additional funds, local schools must be evaluated and compensated based on performance—how it works in the business world. His 2023 hopes and apprehensions for the CSD below.
I have several concerns as the Cambrian School Board moves forward in 2023:
We have a school district held up as one of the best in the state, but it has a 65% proficiency level. I’ve sat on the board of directors of a major corporation; if someone on our team had a 65% proficiency level, we’d fire them. With that said, the CSD keeps asking for and getting given more money—yet isn’t producing anything worthwhile for students. It’s nonsensical. As a businessman, I can say that nobody in business does that. Nobody in business continues throwing money at something that doesn’t produce.
Another concern I have is how much control teachers unions have over the CSD. All three board candidates running against me were paid for by the local teachers union. The union promoted them (including handing out flyers) on school property, as well as during union/teacher meetings. It was an amazing and rather shocking thing to watch. In our lowly school district, I couldn’t believe the aggressiveness of the other side.
Furthermore, a lot of parents aren’t aware of how their kids are being indoctrinated and destroyed mentally through subversive public school instruction. Most are out working all day and have no idea what type of books are in the library, what teachers are professing in class, what statements are being said against certain people in the community because of their religious or political standing. What’s more, what I learned during my campaign is that many parents are aware—but don’t care. I knocked on a lot of doors and would explain the dangerous, inappropriate, immoral teachings going on in local schools. I was often met with, “Oh, I want my kids to know these things.”
Finally, something I’m apprehensive about in the CSD is this pervasive progressive mindset that students are being taught. We’ve educated almost four generations now of young people to believe that America isn’t a great place, and that we need a socialist society to make things better. We observe this phenomenon all across the country, even in conservative states—and it’s been devastating to our society.
My hope for 2023? Regarding the public school system, I believe it needs radical change: including disbanding NEA, abolishing a cabinet member for education, removing collective bargaining from the public servant realm, and running schools more like businesses (which includes compensating high-quality teachers well and being able to get rid of the bad ones). There are a lot of hopes to observe—but not in this system.
What gives me optimism, then, is seeing more families choosing private and home education options. I’m also hopeful when local parents become more aware of what’s going on, what’s being taught. Currently, we’re working on gathering a group to attend every board meeting and get parents brought up to speed on what’s going on in schools.
I’m a grandfather of 15, and I have three great grandchildren. All of my five children were educated at home to be virtuous and effective members of society. I believe the CSD’s children deserve a chance in our 21st century highly technical society.
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Image by BeGlad