The Answer Isn’t More of the Same

In the bad idea of the day department there is a group calling itself ABQPass that is currently pushing splitting Albuquerque Public Schools in two with a new district comprised of existing schools that dot Albuquerque west of the Rio Grande. The prime justification for this initiative is the state of New Mexico’s poor ranking in education nationwide.

The idea behind the idea is noble, that providing the children with the best possible education is paramount to prosperity. Nothing controversial there, however, splitting APS in two is a bad idea that will only serve to exacerbate the problems within the district. ABQPass should instead concentrate its efforts on bettering the district as it already exists.

The creation of a second Albuquerque school district immediately doubles the problem with the existing district because it creates a second entity encompassing the same problems. The problem with APS is the size and reach of its bureaucracy. APS as it exists today is the perfect demonstration of the failure of big government. Every year, the APS school board and administration makes excuses for the poor performance of their system and insists that the solution is more money. We rubes in the public pony up and nothing changes.

It is folly to believe that the creation of another school district, more government will alleviate the problems within APS. All that it will lead to is another corrupt and burdensome government entity that is always crowing for more money from the public they are supposed to serve inevitably disappointing but never having to improve once entrenched.