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Aunt Becky



What kind of a school parent are you? What kinds of parents do we have here in our Columbia/Howard County Schools?

Well known school principal and motivational speaker Gerry Brooks released his most recent “driver’s seat” video addressing the Varsity Blues college admissions scandal. Instead of simply vilifying the transgressors, he holds a mirror up to everyone who decides that the rules are not for them.

As he goes on you realize that could be you. Or me. Or any of us. Most of his videos just plain make me laugh but this one...well, you’ll just have to watch it.

As for school rules, I admit that I have challenged some (think sexist dress code and too much high stakes standardized testing.) But Brooks is looking specifically at rule breaking that benefits the one child while hurting others. “You know who thinks that’s okay?” He asks. “Aunt Becky.”

It strikes me that folks who want to control school boundaries with an eye to protecting property values and ensuring their child’s opportunity to go to a “high performing” school are friends of Aunt Becky, too. This is not a victimless crime. This is promoting one’s own children at the expense of others.

We can all point and gawk and look aghast at a major college scandal. But good old HoCo opportunity hoarding? Do we even see it for what it is?

I’m pretty sure Gerry Brooks would. He sounds like he has seen it all.




Post Script: On the subject of reading logs - - I hate them. I think they are counter productive when it comes to fostering  a love of reading. But that’s a different blog post. - - jam

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