EDITORIAL CARTOON: The La Cañada shakedown +smf’s 2¢

by Ted Rall/LA Times | http://bit.ly/eT1Tqq

smf: At a candidates' debate last light, I took offence at Mayor Tony + The Downtown Developer’s  chosen favorite  Luis Sanchez’ suggestion that it is the role of private partners to fund arts and music education. How is relying upon outside special interests to fund interests they find special all that different from asking parents to cough up money to pay for programs the schools should be providing to all kids as part of a free public education?

Of course public education isn’t free –we taxpayers invest billions, children invest thirteen years of their young lives – everyone has a right to expect a return on those investments. And that return includes a well-rounded in-depth quality education that include not just language arts and mathematics – but science and health and arts and music – and the ability to think critically.

Otherwise we should forgo the diploma and ad just award seniors a printout of their test scores.