Commandments legislation is an embarrassment

[The Straight Story]

Commandments legislation is an embarrassment
Tuesday, March 14, 2006

Year after year, the National Assessment of Educational Progress shows the majority of Tennessee students are below average in critical academic skills. Tennessee's eighth-graders, for example, have not made any real progress on math or reading since 2003, and the state has the third-lowest high school graduation rate in the nation, a rate that has actually gotten worse over the past decade.

But if Sen. Rusty Crowe, R-Johnson City, and Rep. Matthew Hill, R-Jonesborough, have their way, local governments will be able to display replicas of the Ten Commandments and other historical documents in public buildings.

What does posting the Ten Commandments have to do with improving educational standards in Tennessee? Absolutely nothing.

But then, that's the point.

Crowe and Hill seem to care more about what goes on the walls of county courthouses than in classrooms around the state. If it were otherwise, both lawmakers would instead be sponsoring legislation to raise standards and improve funding of Tennessee's K-12 educational system.

http://www.timesnews.net/editorialArticle.dna?_StoryID=3610730