Globe reporter Melissa Dunson opens her article with a vignette about a Columbus, Kan. mother who favors educational vouchers to send her gifted children to private schools because she is afraid her children will get lost in public education:
For Amanda Schmelzer, mother of Lauren, 7, and Lindy, 5, vouchers are an important election issue.
Schmelzer drives her daughters 30 minutes every day from their home in Columbus, Kan., to Thomas Jefferson Independent Day School in Joplin because she is afraid her gifted children would be lost in a public-education system that has a responsibility to teach every child regardless of his or her learning curve.
“I was concerned with them not being given the ability to reach their potential,” Schmelzer said.
But she also said that she and husband, Eric, struggle to pay for it.
Because of that, Schmelzer is in favor of vouchers, which would give her the option to take tax money to whatever school, public or private, she wants.
On the surface, there is nothing wrong with this lead. It localizes a national story, which good newspapers and good reporters do all the time. Unfortunately, is is the only local flavor Ms. Dunson added. She apparently had no trouble finding someone who agrees with John McCain's views on education. Ms. Dunson allowed this slam against public education gifted programs to go without a rejoinder, and believe me, gifted students are not neglected by public education, and there are many parents who would have been happy to have told her so...if they had been asked.
From all outward appearances, the Globe's Roladex seems to be filled with the names of people connected with private schools. For educational writing on its opinion pages in recent years, The Globe has looked to the private schools, with Leonard Kupersmith, former headmaster at Thomas Jefferson Independent Day School.
The Globe has also sensationalized its coverage of the Joplin public schools, including its recent leveling of South Middle School, the school where I teach, for its purportedly poor grades on the annual MAP tests. Though the Globe is aware that South's scores were actually up in numerous areas, that was never mentioned in the original story and since. No mention has ever been made of the fact that South's eighth grade science scores were above state average.
Apparently, the Globe would prefer to pour its coverage of educational issues into negative areas on the public side of education and fluff pieces on Thomas Jefferson and College Heights on the private.
I have no problem with private schools receiving positive coverage in the Globe or anywhere else, but it would be nice if the Globe would either at least make a reasonable effort to balance its coverage, or be honest enough to admit its bias.
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