Manchester's Parade of Oppression

Joe Briggs – June 3, 2009

I abhor oppression. The helplessness and isolation that people experience when they are being squeezed out of their home, their job, or their country. Not for their own personal failures, but for the crime of being who they are or are not. All this for the political and economic benefit of their oppressors, made worse as the world turns its head leaving the sufferers nowhere to go but the bullies themselves.

No, I am not talking about the Palestinians, but I think it's just as complicated. I am talking about the annual blue-slipping of educators for the apparent theater of watching them plead three times before a decision is rendered to determine their fate. The pleas, like the stages of death, follow a predictable pattern of denial, anger, and acceptance.

The mayor rings the starting bell by announcing his 'tax-fighting' budget. The first plea of denial occurs before the Board of School Committee upon their epiphany that the budget cuts almost one-hundred educators. Surely, the mayor didn't intend this.

Next comes anger before the entire city in a televised event - an actual theater where the Board of Mayor and Alderman perch upon their thrones aligned across the stage high above as the supplicants are called one-by-one. As each teacher, coach, or administrator approaches they look up and express their individual indignation at the suggestion that their profession, their performance, their very industry of converting the progeny of Manchester into productive citizens, is of uncertain value.

Penultimance signals finality as the reluctant educators now accept that most of those deciding their fate have more interest with fire, police, and service unions than the education of our youth. These disheartened educators are now reduced to shameless pleas for their livelihood as they bring their own children to the aldermanic chambers, hoping to remind city elders of the human side of their decision.

The wheel spins, bargains are struck and considerations given before the final budget number is tallied. Arriving with it is relief as the administrators take what they are given, scramble to fill the holes, and get about their job of molding our future.

The one good thing we can say about this process is that it is bathed in sunlight. But it must be improved.

If the superintendent is so incompetent or deceptive that he can't be trusted to arrive at a budget that can be taken seriously, then throw the bum out and get someone else who knows how to provide a first-rate education without the fat. But the fact that our class sizes are some of the highest in the state, while both our test scores and our budget are near the bottom, while discipline and safety concerns are chasing our own leaders to private schools or neighboring towns, suggests that he might be on to something.

We all want to keep taxes low. We are sensitive to those who have lost their jobs or taken pay cuts in this challenged economy. Education outcome is not linear with spending, and we do appreciate the alderman who have challenged the school's budget and underlying assumptions. We elect them to do just that. But this theater has to stop.

When the oxygen masks drops the stewardess tells us to place it on ourselves before helping others. The masks are down in Manchester, and we need to act.

If the cost of educating refugees is interfering with our ability to educate, then do something to stop the relocations. If the unions are preventing the administrators from achieving performance and cost objectives through targeted staffing decisions, then lets find a way to deal with that head-on. If the cost of health-care is breaking the bank, then officially tell our congressional delegation that single-payer health-care is needed now. If the cost of atheletics puts too much pressure on retired homeowners, then lets do pay-to-play. If a decision has to be made between a new elementary school or a new firestation, it must be the school. And if leaders just don't like the fact that educators have a longer summer vacation than they do, then lets consider year-round school, but stop this ridiculous parade of oppression.

Leadership does mean making the hard choices to hold the line on spending. It also means transcending political boundaries to achieve targeted solutions. We need both, and we need them today.

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Joe Briggs is co-host of MCAM-TV23's '2 Joe's Live Show' seen Wednesday 7-10 PM. joebriggs@comcast.net