May 06, 2010 11:55 PM UTC

The liberal argument for SB-191

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• by: DavidThi808

Like everyone else, I first viewed this bill with some preconceived biases. But I think it’s fair to say that I have put a lot of time in, listening to both the arguments for the bill and the arguments against the bill. And my view of the bill evolved as I learned more, especially talking to Beverly Ingle.

First off, I understand the CEA’s worry that this bill will be underfunded and ineptly managed. Those are both very real worries, based on past (and present) history. And I agree 100% with every teacher on this site that if this bill is poorly implemented, it will make things worse.

On the flip side, we face the clear fact that our K-12 schools are a disaster for the poor, have been so for decades, and we have seen no improvement – none, nada, zilch. And pretty much everyone agrees that the goals in SB-191, if well implemented, are necessary for success and can effect great improvement.

Every piece of legislation has a million reasons to vote no. Meanwhile a yes vote is always accepting a set of compromises. But at the end of the day, legislating is not about saying no (no matter how much Republicans in Washington think it is). Legislating is crafting a compromise that enough people find acceptable and is a step forward.

This is the key point. The liberal advances in civilization have not been big glorious changes, they have been a succession of small compromises, each one of which moved us forward a bit. But over time, oh what a glorious road it has been when you take all those steps together.

Here’s the bottom line – if SB-191 is defeated, we do not move forward. If it is passed, we have the ability to take another step forward. An imperfect step that requires follow-through, but a step forward. A belief in liberalism means a vote for that chance to improve things. A vote against SB-191 is fundamentally a conservative choice to huddle in failure afraid of what might happen if we try to move forward.

With that said, upon passing this bill, every legislator that votes for it, every single one, needs to insure that this effort is well funded and staffed by competent motivated people. And if you pass it and don’t follow through – I will be all over you – big time.