What a mess the Governor is making of educational reform this year. Then again, what were we to expect? The guy's pretty good at coming up with myriad ideas for economic development, seems adept at some basic management and budgeting skills, and is a master at sending out press releases. But reform and education? Hmmm... he seems a bit klutzy, at best, using his competitive edge ideas and basic bullying techniques in an arena where it seems that teaching the ideals of thoughtfulness and finesse might be more appropriate.

He champions the idea of Universal Pre-K schooling and yet threatens to cut all local funding, and messes with district budgeting processes in fundamental ways, to get his way in terms of charter schools and teacher evaluations. He puts big emphasis on our state's college system, but strikes out at high schools and elementary schools. Privately educated himself, he seems tone-deaf when it comes to seeing the ways in which school districts actually reflect their communities, as well as vice-versa. One doesn't get the idea he has any love or thankfulness for any of the teachers he had through his education years.

And yet the governor's part of a larger problem that's been building for years. Somehow, over the last century, we shifted from a nation intent on starting public colleges, and showing our educational prowess in comparison to the rest of the world, to a place where we tend to make fun of our teachers, our academics and intellectuals, which simultaneously proclaiming ourselves the smartest, healthiest, richest and most exceptional group of folks the world's ever seen.

Gone forever, it seems, are the ways in which we once heralded our G.I. Bill's role raising Americans to new levels of achievement, or talked with pride of the teachers we had as kids, or college funds we helped support, or the intellectual achievements made on our soil that were making the earth a better place.

There's been a lot of writing about all this lately, what with a growing number of proud attacks on state university systems, scientists and scientific theory, and the nature of the arts and their interplay with academia. Many are tracing it all back to the rise of the corporate world as a model for all behavior, including the much-praised use of "business models" over deeper research and analysis, long the strength of colleges and universities.

We learn so we can earn, goes the new mantra. For learning centers to thrive they need to operate like the big businesses they are, even if that means their presidents becoming salespeople for larger regional and state economic development agendas, as the new StartUpNY that our own governor trumpets demands.

So where has this left all of us? Worrying that our teachers make as much as other professionals, instead of the same low salaries as municipal workers without such costly training? Blaming the standards, and entire world if necessary, when faced with the fact that our steady diet of entertainment and gadgetry doesn't make us smarter, and makes us need to look at all ways we can compete in the new, wider world we remain part of? Talking about the wonders of charter schools, even if they turn out to be just cheaper, less academically-sound private schools?

We hope the various rallies and lobbying efforts taking place around the state this month get the governor's attention, and that he desists from his hostage-taking antics and supports not only a rise to state aid all around New York, but finally gets rid of the various mechanisms set up in worse-off years to save money on the backs of our kids. Because despite all we see that can and does go wrong in our schools, they are still OUR schools, and not some politician's pawn in a nasty game of "gotcha" chess or checkers.

If what's wanted is a true national education system, like we're competing with in other developed nations, maybe all this effort should go towards elimination of direct tax funding to something truly subsidized, and run in tandem with all our education.

Although I doubt we're quite ready for that yet. At least given our current state of education.