Wednesday, June 20, 2001

I've known Ms. Amy Riley since Fayette's 'Great Chicago Math Controversy.'

At a Fayette County Board of Education meeting three years ago Amy presented a phenomenal analysis of Chicago math that left me both amazed and appalled. I was amazed at Ms. Riley's scholarship; but, I was appalled at her academic tunnel vision. Ms. Riley's analysis reminded me of a learned medieval Christian theologian proving how many angels could dance on the head of a pin; or, using pure, flawless logic, prove that our Earth was flat and the center of the known universe.

Chicago math was like geo-centrism, deeply flawed; and the only reason it worked as well as it did was due to the demographics of the parents; and the parents' efforts to teach their kids math fundamentals.

Now to particulars: During last year's Fayette County Board of Education race, Ms. Riley and candidates Smola, Apking, Gatlin and Key seemed to have developed an election strategy straight out of the Clintonista playbook:

1. Don't answer direct questions with direct answers. Say: "Good question. I need to study the situation (ad nauseum) more before I can give you an intelligent answer."

2. Impugn the questioner's motives: "Oh, you don't have any kids in Fayette County schools. Why run for the school board?" ("you got land you'd like to sell to the school board, Mr. Bryan?")

3. Obfuscate: "I already answered that question." (When he or she never answered in the first place."

4. Threaten: "If you use any of our e-mail or verbal conversations to assert that I have an opinion one way or the other, I'll sue."

5. Condescension: "That question suggests a simplistic answer to an enormously complex problem."

6. Paranoia: "Why'd you ask that question?" (Because I wanted an answer!)

7. Cast aspersions: "Why do you want to destroy Fayette's great (government) public schools?" (I think saving kids is more important.)

What question could cause these Clintonistas so much grief? Answer?

The Education Litmus Test

If you, as an elected education bureaucrat (using taxpayer money) could provide a $10,000/year grant or voucher for a child to attend an academically inferior (government) public school or $5,000/year to attend an academically superior private or parochial school, to which school would you send that child?

I've asked Riley, Smola, Apking, Gatlin and Key this question a number of times and I still don't know. Would some courageous media person ask these people at a public forum? Pretty please?

The only BOE candidate forum I was at last year at Starr's Mill reminded me of a Clinton town hall meeting where only selected individuals could ask only approved questions. I, as a BOE candidate, could not ask my fellow candidates that question and I couldn't get anyone in the audience (including Ms. Riley) to ask because they'd been given questions by their teachers to ask and could only ask that assigned question and nothingmore.

At the national level the GOP advocates choice in education and the Democratic Party opposes it; but, of all the private and public choice initiatives which have been created and funded, about two-thirds were created and funded by politicians and individuals who identify themselves as Democrat.

Here in Fayette County the only BOE member who clearly supports choice in education is Terri Smith. Ms. Smith powerfully answered the Education Litmus Test by stating she'd send the child to the educationally superior school for $5,000/year. Powers and Littlefield are openly and courageously opposed to choice in education; and while I respect them much more than Ms. Riley, et al, we need to get them out of office and replace them with BOE members who put children first and bureaucracy a distant fourth or fifth.

Finally, I found it most ironic that Ms. Riley wrote about Fayette County's RiNO because Riley, Smola, Apking, Gatlin and Key seem so cozy and seem to be marching to orders from the same NEA, AFT, Clintonista playbook, I suggest we call them "Riley's RiNos."

Bill Bryan

Peachtree City

Back to Opinion Home Page | Back to the top of the page