Throughout the recent Brouhaha over Ahmed the Inventor (sic), a casual perusal of the reportage and its concomitant outrage via the Commentariat illustrates one indisputable fact regarding the American population – despite having an expansive and largely successful public school system, few comprehend the manner in which it functions.
This simple but true fact is astounding to outsiders in the sense that “public schools” in America are actually overseen by the public. (Note to casual American citizens: That means you.) To be sure, there are myriad Federal and State regulations which must be adhered to and an often perplexing array of outside standards which must be met. However, that does not detract from the reality that in every community of any size in the United States, a School Board meets, for which ordinary Americans can sit for election.
This simple but true fact is astounding to outsiders in the sense that “public schools” in America are actually overseen by the public. (Note to casual American citizens: That means you.) To be sure, there are myriad Federal and State regulations which must be adhered to and an often perplexing array of outside standards which must be met. However, that does not detract from the reality that in every community of any size in the United States, a School Board meets, for which ordinary Americans can sit for election.
