http://disqus.com/by/MarieSpadaro/enThu, 11 Dec 2008 13:52:55 -0000http://www.capecodfocus.org/blog/show/7#comment-4331531<p>Perhaps, before we start asking about whether or not to regionalize, we should ask how we can rebuild faith in and commitment to the very notion of strong public schools. I'm sure I'm not the only alum of a Cape school district who feels more than a little anxiety about the resources available to my child as he enters kindergarten next year. Resarch shows that the most significant variable in school success is the quality of classroom teachers. If our schools have little community support, how will we attract and retain good teachers? As an educational researcher, I know that salary is NOT the only factor that helps schools build outstanding teams--successful schools are those with a clear purpose, supported and reinforced by parents and the larger community.</p><p>For those summer residents and second-home owners who say that they've already paid in to the schools, I would suggest that many of us are paying in to Social Security without any real hope that we'll benefit directly. Unless we all recognize our responsibility for creating a vibrant future for the Cape, we have no one to blame but ourselves when the highly-touted "quality of life" that attracts people evaporates.</p>MarieSpadaroThu, 11 Dec 2008 13:52:55 -0000