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We have a friend who grew up in ATL and it was her dream to send her child to Woodward because she had always wanted to go there when she was in school.
Well, these were really middle class folks who scrimped and scraped to send their daughter there and by the middle of kindergarten they realized that the tuition was just the beginning. She was the only one of her classmates that didn't travel over winter break. She asked her mommy repeatedly why their house was so much smaller, etc.
The next year, they put her in public school and had another baby. (since then two more.)
My child, who is now in private school, is constantly amazed at how much his classmates have. We have him there because it meets his needs academically and he has a pretty good head on his shoulders, plus he doesn't really want for to much anyway, so it doesn't bother him to much.
While there has been pressure to give extra (ie capital fund), I have ignored it, until I see how my child does academically. (Let them earn that donation, is what I tell my husband.)
In the private schools my children attended in the Atlanta area with tuitions in the 7-8K range, there were very few people who were not at least upper middle class. We lived in a house that we bought for $178K and bought inexpensive cars etc. to afford private school, and we were the exception not the rule. My oldest child became so accustomed to visiting very large homes, she started questioning why we and other people like us lived in such small homes (our house was about 2400 square feet of living space plus we had an unfinished basement).
So true. When we moved to metro Atlanta from Canada we were very apprehensive about school quality and therefore checked into private schools, and in fact our child was offered places at both AIS and Holy Innocents'. But we were concerned about affordability (it would have been a big financial challenge) and also about the effect on our child of attending school with almost entirely much richer children. So when someone advised us that East Cobb public schools were fine, that's where we ended up. I was worried about exactly the "why is our house so small?" effect in private school. In fact, even in East Cobb public school, our daughter, now a middle-schooler, grumbles that "everybody" except her is going on a cruise, or at least for a week on the beach in Florida, for spring break. While it's not everybody, of course, it is true that a lot of her schoolmates will be doing those things. We're hoping to treat her to a few modest outings like a Braves game on the weekend, because that's where our budget is at.
Taxes should make everyone happy. Not when they are excessive, of course. But the US has one of the lowest tax burdens among prosperous nations. Some of the countries with higher tax rates also have an overall higher standard of living. In large measure taxes support our way of life.
I also thank tax credits are a good thing when used judiciously. In the case of schools, I do believe they should be reserved for the lower income groups. I guess that's the "liberal" side of me coming out, but I prefer the word "progressive."
No goods or services (like education) are rights. They all have to be produced with scarce resources and are subject to the laws of economics. Teachers must be paid for their work, just like everyone else. If the money isn't there, well...no education.
It may not be a "right," but I'd hate to live in a country where only those with money can get an education. Pure free markets are not a pretty sight.
There are a lot of Christian schools in the $5K-$7K range so the Catholic schools are not your only choice. High schools are obviously more expensive but they only make up 4 of the 13 years of the tuition bill.
And this gets back to the point of some of the other posters. It is all about choosing. Some people choose to live in a $600K house and send their three children to public school even though they would rather their children go to private school. Other people choose to live in a $300K house and send their three children to private school even thought they could comfortably afford the $600K house if they sent their children to public schools.
Private school is not for everyone just as public school is not for everyone. It comes down to what is the best fit for that family and, if the family decides that private school is better, where the family's priorities lie.
If someone wants to send their child to private school but says they cannot because they have three kids and at the same time they live in a $600K house, they are making the choice to have a nice house at the expense of doing what they think is best for their children. That is their right to choose.
The same reasoning applies to someone choosing to live in a $300K house instead of a $100K house. If someone can only afford a $100K house or cannot afford a house at all, my guess is they would not have problems qualifying for financial aid at most/all of these schools.
It all comes down to people's priorities and the choices they make. Vouchers help with the choice.
This is an old thread, but I just read your post. One thing that drives me crazy are the so-called Christians who rail against what is taught in public school but spend their money on big houses and new cars instead of sending their kids to private schools. I may not agree with their beliefs, but I respect a parent who puts their money where their mouth is when it comes to their children's education.
People in Georgia need to realize that there are many choices for their students education and the more that we have, the better!
Center for an Educated Georgia is a winner for information on school choices ([url=http://www.educatedgeorgia.org]Center for an Educated Georgia -- The Source for School Choice in Georgia[/url]). The have information on the Special Needs Scholarship, HB 1133, homeschool resources, and public school options (like charter and magnet programs).
You know, advocates for school choice just want people to have choices of where they send their kids to school. The discussion needs to veer away from funding a system and we need to start talking about educating the child -- isn't that the bottom line?
I was at a community forum for the Georgia Special Needs Scholarship in Macon and someone told a story about a girl who qualified for the scholarship because she had an auto-immune disorder. She did the elementary to middle school transition and was always sick in public school because there were so many more kids around. The education she was getting was great, but she needed a smaller environment. Now she thrives.
Those who oppose school choice, go to [url=http://www.educatedgeorgia.org]Center for an Educated Georgia -- The Source for School Choice in Georgia[/url] and learn more. And please, let's keep this rhetoric civil -- don't always assume that insidious intentions.
One last note -- before you say that this program will take money from public schools, please look at how government is funded. All income taxes go into a general fund. From there, money is appropriated. First, $50 million in credits is about 0.2% of the state budget for 08-09. Second, that money, if it were coming into the government, is not guaranteed to go to education. In this sense, an increase in trauma care or Medicaid is defunding public education. Fact of the matter is, per pupil spending has not decreased in the school choice era (beginning in 1998 with the charter school bill). Everytime opponents have said that public education would be ruined.
Question...Very curious,
What about the children who can not be successful in the public school setting? What about the families who are forced to choose private schools in order for their children to be successful? My son is significantly Dyslexic, has ADHD, Dysgraphia, and a moderate Auditory Processing disability. The public school can not service him. He can learn and has been VERY successful in the private school settings he has been blessed to be a part of. We work, sacrifice, pay our taxes, vote, pay more taxes, and are extremely involved citizens of our community and then pay yet more taxes. In addition we have been left out of every single peice of legislation to date. Our child was diagnosed at a very early age and never attend a public school. We chose to be proactive and make the sacrifices necessary to accomodate him. Every single bill that has been introduced and/or passed excludes us as a result of our proactivity. I resent being told that I may not choose to live in a certain price home or vacation in a certain spot in order to provide my child with an appropriate education. We have planned and saved and sacrificed through the years. Why can't I take my tax dollars and apply them to the school that best meets my childs needs? I could have placed my head in the sand and sent him forth into the public school setting. Let the taxpayer deal with him later when he doesn't graduate becomes a burden to society later??? It is more expensive later... Does anyone out there agree?
Question...Very curious,
What about the children who can not be successful in the public school setting? What about the families who are forced to choose private schools in order for their children to be successful? My son is significantly Dyslexic, has ADHD, Dysgraphia, and a moderate Auditory Processing disability. The public school can not service him. He can learn and has been VERY successful in the private school settings he has been blessed to be a part of. We work, sacrifice, pay our taxes, vote, pay more taxes, and are extremely involved citizens of our community and then pay yet more taxes. In addition we have been left out of every single peice of legislation to date. Our child was diagnosed at a very early age and never attend a public school. We chose to be proactive and make the sacrifices necessary to accomodate him. Every single bill that has been introduced and/or passed excludes us as a result of our proactivity. I resent being told that I may not choose to live in a certain price home or vacation in a certain spot in order to provide my child with an appropriate education. We have planned and saved and sacrificed through the years. Why can't I take my tax dollars and apply them to the school that best meets my childs needs? I could have placed my head in the sand and sent him forth into the public school setting. Let the taxpayer deal with him later when he doesn't graduate becomes a burden to society later??? It is more expensive later... Does anyone out there agree?
the Bedford School? we moved from FL to enroll our (special needs) son there. it was well worth the move and cost.
Question...Very curious,
What about the children who can not be successful in the public school setting? What about the families who are forced to choose private schools in order for their children to be successful? My son is significantly Dyslexic, has ADHD, Dysgraphia, and a moderate Auditory Processing disability. The public school can not service him. He can learn and has been VERY successful in the private school settings he has been blessed to be a part of. We work, sacrifice, pay our taxes, vote, pay more taxes, and are extremely involved citizens of our community and then pay yet more taxes. In addition we have been left out of every single peice of legislation to date. Our child was diagnosed at a very early age and never attend a public school. We chose to be proactive and make the sacrifices necessary to accomodate him. Every single bill that has been introduced and/or passed excludes us as a result of our proactivity. I resent being told that I may not choose to live in a certain price home or vacation in a certain spot in order to provide my child with an appropriate education. We have planned and saved and sacrificed through the years. Why can't I take my tax dollars and apply them to the school that best meets my childs needs? I could have placed my head in the sand and sent him forth into the public school setting. Let the taxpayer deal with him later when he doesn't graduate becomes a burden to society later??? It is more expensive later... Does anyone out there agree?
I sent you a private message with some questions.
I really understand your frustration. If you asked me a few years ago I would have been totally against this private school scholarship. My reality is that the public schools most likely cannot accomodate my childs learning difference. My choice is to wait until she hits the wall/fails or pull her out and pay for private schooling to avoid any self esteem issues. I am 100% in support of our great public schools and they have so far served my eldest child very well. But they cannot serve the needs of every member of society. The tuition bill for a special needs private school is staggering. Yes we can afford (painful but possible) it but if the pubic schools cannot provide for my child and I pay my fair share of taxes, a tax cut is something I would really appreciate.
Every day I see my neighbors with 2 children with moderate learning disabilites. Both of their children are provided with a full time aide at public school. Good for them. Very frustarting for me. My child is very bright with dyslexia but is denied services over and over again. She passes the minimum requirements so aid/extra help is not available for us. Borderline kids fall through the cracks all the time. Our case can not be that unusual.
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