|
Klocko attended public schools in Anne Arundel and graduated from Arundel High School, where he "got an excellent education." He noted that all three of his children attend public school here, adding "I'm relatively confident that I have more children in public schools than any other elected official in this county." He is "relatively convinced that more money in and of itself doesn't mean a better education. There just isn't a direct correlation between the two. The correlation," he says, "is between the teacher and the student and the parent and the student. At that level is where all the education takes place." "The administration at Riva Road is a support mechanism; it's probably on the heavy side. I think you'll find very few teachers in the schools that say anyone on Riva Road helps them do anything...Sometimes giving them less money creates efficiencies." When asked if the county schools were being adequately funded, Klocko replied, "I don't think we are providing an inadequate amount of money. I think we've spent money on school construction irresponsibly. Historically, we have waste that is going to occur here." Referring to the School Board, he said "Dr. Parham has frequently said that they respond to heat, but not light. The response to pressure is tremendous. You have to have backbone and spine about the whole thing and say to people that you're wrong, I don't agree with you, I know what you are saying but I don't accept it." Klocko was recently severely criticized by the Maryland Gazette, which called his attempt to reign in school construction spending "a despicable act." He responded by pointing out that there is excess capacity in some schools and that funding for construction should not go forward without a comprehensive plan. "All I am asking for is a plan. A comprehensive, professional, objective plan to utilize our school resources is needed before asking the citizens to fund projects." On the issue of school vouchers to reimburse parents for tuition costs when their children attend private, religious schools, Klocko admits to being "on the fence," saying, "My intention is never to dilute public education, and if you can do vouchers without diluting public education then it's okay with me, but I don't know how that system works." "I strongly support our public schools. I think our public schools should be excellent and funded to produce excellence, and managed to produce excellence. And that's obviously not always the case. In some areas we just aren't accomplishing that...but on the other side of the coin, I suspect that in most private schools in this area they're not getting a better education. They might be getting a more selective education, and a little bit more selective group of people to go to school with in a little more homogenous environment, perhaps, but they aren't getting a better education." |
