What in hell is the matter with the Republicans these days? It’s like they have been throwing away the Presidential race since the Shrub made it into office on Pappy’s reputation.

Newt Gingrich wants to “save” poor schools and poor students (the poverty kind) by having them work as janitors, thus saving the school districts money. He says they need to learn the dignity of work.

Now – I am not totally opposed to kids doing chores at school. In our neighborhood school the kids take the paper trash down to the recycling bin, put their chairs up on the desk after class, and take their class’ compost to the compost station after lunch. This is all part of the curriculum and it does cut down on some possible janitorial tasks, while teaching the kids responsibility. Here’s a difference – ALL the kids do it in ALL of the schools. 

Mr. Gingrich, I would bet that a good share of rich kids have never pushed a broom, and could use a chance to learn to clean up after themselves. It wouldn’t hurt for those kids headed to a job in Daddy’s bank. or political office to learn the value of manual labor. Maybe then they’d have enough respect for it, to pay those of us who do it a fair wage.

And Newt? What are they really going to learn about how work is valued if their neighbor loses a good job with benefits to a bunch of 12 year olds with mops?

I think there is room in schools to teach ALL CHILDREN about such things as parenting skills, perhaps in conjunction with a school day care center; real home ec skills by doing a school fund raiser with student made meals; or real shop skills that also repairs some of the things the school needs. My kids school had a school store where kids could buy school supplies, and learn how to run a cash register, make change etc.

The REAL thing we need to do is to fund schools more equitably. It’s not right that the school in the hoity toity neck of the woods is a K-12 school within walking distance of home, with all the latest technology, while across town there aren’t enough books for all the students and the toilets don’t flush.

If you want to impress on students the value of an education, and the sanctity of work – then value it enough yourself to fund good schools for ALL students, and to pay fair wages and benefits for ALL work.