Face the State

Face the State Staff Editorial

You’ve got to hand it to state Rep. Mike Merrifield. While most politicians would have gracefully bowed out of public life by now, he continues to demand a public forum exposing the most radical philosophies held by some Colorado Democrats.

In an October 22nd opinion piece, carried in the Colorado Springs Gazette, the Manitou Springs legislator attacks an effort by Colorado Republicans to implement basic standards for Colorado high school graduates. In the column (a response to a previous editorial ran by the paper that he claims mischaracterized his views), he attempts to clarify his opposition to a legislative proposal by state Sen. Josh Penry, R-Grand Junction, and state Rep. Rob Witwer, R-Evergreen, that would require Colorado high school students to take four years of math and English, three years of science, and two years of foreign language.

In the column, Merrifield attacks Penry and Witwer for “old fashioned, outdated, 20th Century thinking.” He says their joint proposal would take “the pleasure and joy out of learning and teaching and leave students who are bored, anxious, unengaged, rebellious.”

But Merrifield’s views on education are anything but innovative. As Face the State revealed earlier this year, he rejects some of today’s most innovative educational reform efforts, including charter schools, scholarships for poor students seeking an exit from failing public schools, and on-line educational options. He was forced to resign his house education committee post in March when FTS brought to light an email by Merrifield, where he wrote “there is a special place in hell” for charter school supporters.

Since stepping down, Merrifield has—on multiple occasions—proclaimed that he will resume his chairmanship when the next legislative session begins in January. When Face the State last contacted House Democrat leadership last month, a spokesman said no final decisions had been made about committee positions.

It will be interesting to see how House Speaker Andrew Romanoff, D-Denver, and other Democrat leaders deal with Merrifield. For Republicans seeking to preserve many of the market-based educational innovations they successfully pursued under GOP leadership prior to the Democrat takeover in 2004, Merrifield may be the best tool in their arsenal.

After all, his scandal and resignation were enough to kill an extreme bill pushed by state Sen. Sue Windels, D-Arvada, that would have satisfied union contributors but gutted the ability of concerned parents and educators attempting to establish public charter schools.

In his Gazette column, Merrifield quotes Daniel Pink, an author who claims “the future belongs to a very different kind of person with a very different kind of mind, creators and empathizers, pattern recognizers, and meaning takers. These people, artists, inventors, designers, storytellers, caregivers, consolers, big picture thinkers, will now reap society’s richest rewards.”

Certainly, this all sounds good—but how do we expect these leaders to achieve if we lock them into failing public schools and discourage innovation and competition? If they can’t read and write, or if they lack basic historical, mathematical, or scientific knowledge—we have doomed them to a life of mediocrity.

In Merrifield’s world, “Machines can replace left-brained functions.” But who is capable of building these machines? He cites studies proclaiming that technological innovation results from a greater focus on the arts. If he really believes this—why is that he has consistently fought innovative efforts by parents and educators to provide alternative—and competitive—schools to meet such needs?

Merrifield is right about one thing—we can’t have a “one size fits all” approach to education. It’s a wonder then that he supports a “one school fits all” philosophy. We must demand that our schools achieve at the most basic level. At minimum, a high school diploma should prepare students to compete in college and in the free market.

Ultimately, Colorado needs and deserves a vigorous debate on the best way to improve our schools. It would be a mistake for Democrats to keep Merrifield at the helm of the House education committee at a time when many of the party’s top leaders, including Colorado’s Education Commissioner Dwight Jones and state Rep. Terrence Carroll are calling on their fellow party members to accept and embrace charter schools and other educational options.

Business as usual is no longer good enough for Colorado’s students and their families.