In my initial blog here several weeks ago, I asked for you to share those examples of “outside the box” ideas taking place in local government around the state.  That invitation stands, by the way.

Case in point.  Although it hit this morning’s Union-Tribune and was noted by a couple of local TV stations, the story was far more deserving of even broader attention:

One of the state’s largest high school districts is looking at a proposal to go ALL charter, by adding 10 charter campuses to the one already in place.  The nearly 25,000-student Grossmont Union High School District is studying Board Member Ron Nehring’s proposal to put 10 more high schools in the hands of the parents of students at each of the schools.

Imagine that.  A large public school district with decision making at the most local of levels.  You’d think next someone would be suggesting parents know more than the government what’s best for their kids.  Or, even more than the unions.  But, I digress. 

Grossmont would be the largest all-charter school district in the state.  The conservative trustees at the Grossmont District represent an equally conservative East San Diego County constituency (read: much of Jay La Suer’s, Dennis Hollingsworth’s and Duncan Hunter’s respective districts, not to mention some pretty rockin’ cities like La Mesa … some like to call the area God’s Country).  Meaning, the idea may have some legs.

The current lone charter high school in the district, Helix, has been largely successful in mapping much of its own course in the last few years.  (As an aside to academic success for a sec, for you gridiron fans, Helix is the home of a football team that not-so-long-ago sported a backfield including both this year’s first round NFL draft pick in Alex Smith and this upcoming Saturday’s Heisman Trophy Winner in Reggie Bush.  Double Helix.  I know, I digress again, but the school is also my alma mater, so deal with it.)

With that all said, Nehring told me today that the local boards at each of these newly-proposed charter highs “should be elected solely by the parents with children in the schools.”  This, apparently, is in contrast to a single-school charter proposal being floated by Steele Canyon High School, one of the campuses in the district, which would guarantee half the board seats to labor representatives.

As Nehring said in the U-T this morning, his proposal “is an education reform plan to improve the quality of education at every school, not just one school.”

Nehring, as chairman of the Republican Party of San Diego County and vice chairman of the California Republican Party, has been instrumental in turning the local GOP around in recent years.  Upon his appointment to the school board in 2004, some alleged he would use the position as a vehicle for Republican ideals.

As if a little school choice were a bad thing.

This entry was posted on Tuesday, December 6th, 2005 at 12:00 am and is filed under Blog Posts.