Quality of schools has little to do with governor

The quality of a state's education system does not depend on the political party of the governor or even on the governor. Schools are mirrors of the society in which they exist. If that society as a whole does not value education to the point where they don't consider it of prime importance to send their children to school ready to learn every day, there is nothing that a governor can do.

Baltimore City schools have not failed because a Democrat or Republican sat in the State House (“This Democrat is voting Hogan - for accountability in schools,” Oct. 15). They fail because the society in which they exist fails to value education. You can pour as much money as you want into schools, but every teacher in the world will tell you that they can work their butts off to lead those children to water but cannot make them drink if the children haven't been taught to value their own education.

As for teacher unions, does anyone ever stop to consider the reasons why these unions started in the first place? How many of you parents out there understand that your job is to raise your children and it is the teacher's job to pass on to him or her specific units of knowledge and thinking skills. It is not the school's job to raise your child. I remember a parent telling me that once he dropped his boy off at school, he was my responsibility, not his. No, that child is the parent’s responsibility 24/7. Teachers are hired to do specific jobs for which they are and always have been accountable.

So, between teaching knowledge and thinking skills and being tasked with raising your children, you might want to stop and ask yourself how much you support your children's teachers and school, how much you blame them, how much you cooperate and work with them, and how much you renege on your responsibilities as a parent.

Vote for the governor who you feel can actually make a difference to many things in the state but don't include improving education as one of those things. The governor has almost nothing to do with the quality of education in any state.