No cell service

Can you hear me now? If you are a Pagosa Springs High School student with a cell phone, inside the school building after the start of classes, the answer is: ”No.” Same answer if the question is “Can you text me now?”

With cell phones everywhere, and in particular since text messaging took hold, what was once a nuisance has become a hindrance to the educational process.

District administrators have called a halt. A student at the high school can tote a cell phone into the building but, once the school day begins, until the final bell sounds, that phone will be off. Or it will be gone. No more rings, vibrations, texting.

The reason: The proliferation of devices has led to a verifiable problem: distraction and, in many cases, cheating. Cell phone use has eroded the kind of conduct deemed conducive, in administrators’ and teachers’ minds, to a productive learning environment.

We applaud the restriction on the grounds it is a move toward decorum and civil, attentive behavior — things increasingly rare in a society in which far too many children control the wills of weak parents. Any regulation that seeks to stem the rampant self-indulgence that comes at the expense of decent behavior and marginal academic accomplishment is worthy.

But, here is what we wonder: While we do not doubt the deleterious effect of high-tech devices on learning, and particularly on the development of certain fundamental skills — social, academic and otherwise — we question whether what is being learned in our schools has been properly examined at the same time the distractions have been identified. Granted, there is increasing evidence that high media involvement is often associated with low academic achievement and skill development, but does this perception lead legislators and education industry leaders — salaried and elected — to ask what kind of learning and skills are hampered?

How often, with the fascination with CSAP and skills-test oriented standards and practices, do we ask whether the skills and talents taught and measured are those that will best serve youngsters as they move into what is, certifiably, a very different world than the one faced by the previous generation? Will a prolonged attention span help? Are traditional math and language skills needed in a world in which a large number of youngsters will skip from one shallow occupation to another, by those grads who will move on to cubicles, or to darkened basement rooms equipped with a computer offering video games and Internet experiences to the chronically underemployed? Where is the creativity? What are the problem solving skills that will be needed to compete effectively, and are they being taught?

We think something lurks beyond a ban on cell phone use— a need to seriously think out the nature of public education; to ask whether it will produce drones, or be transformed, deflected from meaningless standards and a preoccupation with testing, and turned to the realities of a new world.

While we wait for a deeper discussion, best of luck to the administrators who instituted a needed regulation. No doubt, there are plenty of parachute parents who will not understand why their babies are being “punished.” After all, the kiddies are honor students. And there will be those who will not understand why they cannot call their child during a class. After all, they are best friends. Mom has even learned to text.

Let’s move beyond bans on cell phones to begin a discussion about the changes that must occur in curriculum and methods, about the need to break the bureaucratic and legislative stranglehold on learning and move to standards and a style of public education that provides students with a real advantage, with skills that will serve them well.

Karl Isberg

Care, to take care

The primary election is upon us and, in particular for local Republicans, there is a significant choice to be made — selection of one of three people to move on as the party candidate in the November general election for Archuleta County Commissioner in District 1.

Democrats have one primary race of interest at the area level — a battle between David Duncan and Todd Risberg, each of whom wishes to be the Democratic candidate for district attorney come November.

The commissioner’s race will say a lot about the Republicans hereabouts — specifically whether they wish to remain with the status quo with a sitting commissioner, go back to a familiar option in the person of a former county commissioner, or to advance a newcomer to the political scene as their candidate.

If you are a registered Republican, now is the time to consider whether you are pleased with the progress the county has made during the last four, six, even eight years — years the party has held the majority on the commission. And to vote, considering each candidate’s position, evaluating the integrity and accuracy of answers, assertions, actions. To assess experience and skills.

This is also time for registered unaffiliated voters to decide which primary contest is more important to them and to weigh in. A voter in the county currently registered unaffiliated, can vote in the primary as a Republican or a Democrat. Affiliation can be changed at the county clerk’s election office during the early vote, or changed Aug. 12 at the polling place.

There are partisan diehards who chafe at this suggestion. We do not: When the issues are important, the maximum vote count should be in play.

Voters aligned with the Republican Party can vote for one of the three candidates regardless of the district in which the voter lives; the vote is an at-large affair.

Early voting, in the county election office, goes on through tomorrow. The office is accessed at the rear of the county courthouse, and is clearly marked. Mail-in ballots can be picked up in person at the election office until 4 p.m. tomorrow, and must be back to election officials — either in the post office box or at the election office — by 7 p.m. Aug. 12.

If one wishes to wait until Aug. 12 to cast a ballot in the primary, they go to one of three election centers. One center will be located at the Pagosa Springs Community Center, a second at the commissioners’ meeting room at the courthouse, and the third at Restoration Fellowship, 264 Village Drive.

By some time late in the evening Aug. 12, we should know which Republican will move on in the commissioner’s race and who Democrats will move forward as their DA candidate.

A vote in the primary is the first in a set of critical decisions at the county level concerning who will represent us in the immediate future, navigating waters that are clearly rough. They will have to deal with a list of problems and limited resources, and cannot exhibit the carelessness that has produced our current, negative situation.

Voters must vote with level heads in the primary and again in the general election, carefully examining candidates and their ideas. We rightfully hold our elected representatives responsible for the woes the county has suffered, and easily see where errors by officials were made four, six, eight years in the past. But, we must hold ourselves — the voters — ultimately responsible. If elected officials made mistakes we, after all, put them in office. The election Aug. 12 and the general election in November give us chances, if we care enough to take care, to make up some ground.

Karl Isberg

The mix matters

The news last week, other than the incidental items such as a $1 million mistake in the county budget, an ongoing snafu regarding a proposed reservoir, major street projects downtown?

A positive bit of news: A grassroots movement bringing an issue to the vote. A valid petition was delivered to Archuleta County Clerk June Madrid, asking that the first stage of a move to Home Rule government for Archuleta County be put on the November general election ballot.

Home Rule is a form of government in Colorado that has been indulged most often by municipalities, (including Pagosa Springs) and that is also available to county governments.

What Home Rule allows a community to do is reshape its government. A Home Rule county cannot evade certain state-mandated programs, but the structure of government can be adjusted to meet certain needs.

In this first-stage process, voters in the county will be asked two questions. To paraphrase: Do you want to create a commission tasked with writing a Home Rule Charter for the county? Who do you want on that commission?

A second and later stage, given the success of Stage 1, is for voters to consider the proposed charter.

Most interesting to us among the charter options for Archuleta County are two items.

First, is the ability to redistrict for the purposes of establishing a county commission. Currently, as per state law, the county has three commissioners, three districts. A charter could provide for, say, five districts. One argument goes that such redistricting could provide for a more accurate representation of each district, as well as change the mathematics of a board that has, at least in recent years, demonstrated serious, personality-driven dysfunction.

We can’t help but think that, while a board of three members can have two dysfunctional participants, a board of five can have three.

The notion, however, is worthy of examination, in particular with regard to what appear to be divergent interests in different parts of the county.

A second possibility is one we take more seriously. A Home Rule Charter could allow positions in county government currently held by elected officials to be filled by salaried employees. In other words, most if not all elected positions in county government other than commissioners — think treasurer, clerk, assessor, sheriff —could be employees in a streamlined and refined chain of command. In recent years, there have been instances in which elected officials, in effect the equals of county commissioners charged with the overall well-being of county government, have resisted ideas, requests and changes that might have made for more efficient business. Do we wish all of those positions to be appointed, the individuals working at the pleasure of the county commission? Do we want only some of them to be elected, others not?

These are the kind of considerations a charter commission will have to deal with.

And that brings us to a final point: Who will be on that commission? Who will be on the ballot as candidates for the 11-member commission that, if the body is approved by the voters, will proceed to write a charter?

A move is on to solicit candidates for the ballot and we have a suggestion: several of candidates should be opponents of county Home Rule. And, if not opponents, individuals with misgivings about the idea. Moreover, those candidates should, if possible, bring with them experience in municipal or county government, with a first-hand knowledge of what might work, and what might not. For this charter committee, if formed, to have any credibility, this kind of person must participate.

So, Home Rule proponents: Do your work, educate people, ignite interest. But, make sure the slate is formidable. The committee’s character is its fate.

Karl Isberg