Mr. Jefferson's God and "Grounds"

[Emily Hartigan]

Fred Gedicks' citation of Ed Darrell's reference to the strength of
Jefferson's Virginia's educational system sparks a resistance in me:
Jefferson is not a model of all he is touted to be in MANY ways, and
Virginia's public education system is a potent illustration.  Although UVA
has wonderful architecture and "grounds" and lately is academically
strong, the tradition of the state was that only the "elitest" schools got
support.  Colonial governor Berkeley bragged that the colony had no
public education, and I can attest to the strength of that tradition.  Not
only did Norfolk close down the schools rather than segregate but also
when I attended public high school there (Granby '64) the state  ranked
48th in the Union in per capita expenditure for education.  Jefferson was
not into per capita education, nor into non-elite religion.
---Emily Hartigan