Tom MacNeill: Wake school system too big to run properly

In recent years Wake County has experienced the full gamut of efforts to manage our school system. We have been inundated with concepts, good and bad, depending on which political party is in control of the school board or the county commissioners.

However, three of the biggest problems still confronting our schools have gone unchanged for all practical purposes: lack of parental involvement, lack of student discipline and lack of honest accountability.

If and when these factors become ingrained as standard policy, desirable results in education will be the outcome. There is no doubt there has been an inordinate amount of political correctness and partisan bickering influencing our school system.

In reality the system is simply too big for any leadership team to competently manage. No organization including the military or any major company would attempt to manage by the “one size fits all” concept. Large groups must be broken down into smaller components that can be handled efficiently.

It’s time for Wake County to consider restructuring the current school system into several smaller districts. Perhaps then, true education can once again become our school system’s first priority.

This story was originally published August 23, 2015 at 2:00 PM with the headline "Tom MacNeill: Wake school system too big to run properly."