When Republican leaders say they support schools, do they mean public schools?

[kos:Charles Starr], Republican from Hillsboro and Education leader of our State Senate, recently wrote that he encouraged parents "to run, not walk from public schools."

Starr has long been at odds with public school advocates, having fought losing battles to post the Ten Commandments on public property with taxpayer money, encourage religious and home schooling, and end bilingual teaching. But this sentiment raises new criticism.

As noted by the Eugene Register Guard:

"What if the chairman of economic development said that Oregon is a lousy place to do business and that companies should flee to other states?

"Or what if the head of Agriculture advised Oregon farmers to quit farming due to low profits and unfair competition?"

That's backward. Even more worrisome is that Starr's views reveal the agenda of Republican leaders, who have run the Oregon legislature into the ground for more than a decade.

These are the same legislators who put us through five special sessions and failed to provide sufficient funding for vital public services.

Public schools are important.

• Public schools promote equity - while the wealthy might afford private schools, more typical families don't need another 5-10,000 dollars every year for private school bills.
• Public schools help our economy - building a more educated workforce and saving employees thousands.
• Public schools also help community - bringing assorted people together, building relationships and shared values.

Simply put, to move Oregon forward, we need leaders that support public schools. Otherwise, we need new leaders.