So the governor of my adopted home state of Wisconsin has announced that he thinks the state should end the minimum hours requirement for students and hand that over to individual school districts.

Of course, many of the commenters on this article are freaking out about this. I think Gov. Scott Walker’s decision is a good one. First of all, school control should be local, not state or federal. It’s up to parents to decide how their children should be educated. I’m all for everything school-related being run locally (President Trump, please abolish the Dept. of Education!)

Second, there is no correlation between how much a child learns and how many hours a day he or she is in school. A day that’s too long can actually work against learning, and smart motivated kids can burn through their work quickly while average or challenged children will take longer. One size does not fit all!

Finally, here in Wisconsin, the public schools offer an virtual academy option, where children work at their own pace. So there are already many children who are not forced into the “X hours per day” mold of school.

Good for you, Gov. Walker. This is a great first step. I’ll be eager to see what you come up with next.