This letter to the editor appeared on tcpalm.com

Michael Lannon, superintendant of St. Lucie County Schools, stated recently, “We’re going to become a Third World country here in Florida. People should consider leaving Florida for their children.”

I was appalled that I, a native Floridian and a Realtor welcoming people to our beautiful state, should even consider fleeing. This statement sends the message that the leader of our schools has given up hope on our kids, our schools and our state.

It is typical politics to blame others for our messes, but we have to stop shifting the blame. To point at the Florida Legislature as the sole source of our problems is not acceptable.

Yes, it is very true that the education system is well underfunded here in Florida, but we also are undertaxed, and we cannot have it both ways. We have to stop equating more dollars to better education.

My son attends Fairlawn Elementary magnet, and that school (along with other magnet schools) is old and lacks the technology and facilities the newer schools have, yet parents put their kids on the wait list at birth. Why? We all know that the A-plus-plus schools get the least amount of funding, because we assume they do not “need” it like the failing ones do, so it is not the money being fed into them.

It is the fact that each student, regardless of race, gender or socio-economic background, gets the same high-quality education. Perhaps we should be looking at mirroring these quality programs at other schools, and getting back to basics, so we can build on education, not throw money at the problem.

After all, if we want to see change in Washington, perhaps we should start in our own back yard — with our school boards and municipalities.

Sandy Krischke

Fort Pierce