1,000 Pinellas County teachers were just pink slipped (Tampa, Spring Hill: loans, private school)

[chi_tino]

The problem is that most of the complainers cannot perform elementary math. The state of Florida has screwed up the entire educational budget by offering university-level education at about 75% off the cost of providing it. Instead of asking students to pay a realistic tuition, the state coughs up a ridiculous amount of tuition support. In return, there is no money left for K-12 education.

Read the St Pete Times editorials sometime -- there are actually people who believe that $4,000 is too much for a year of college education. The last time I checked, day care for a 4 year old was more than $4k a year.

If you think that offering almost free tuition for colleges is more important than local education, than you should be happy with the layoffs. If you don't believe that a university education is worth more than $4k a year, than you are probably not smart enough to benefit from that education anyway. The world needs ditchdiggers, too.

Triple the cost of Florida university tuition immediately, and start funneling more money to the local school boards. We already pay enough in property taxes.

[newyorker24]

Originally Posted by Spring Hillian

So you think U.S. News and Report came up with this bias all the states OK.

Nope, I'm saying I can probably find another source that ranks FL low. By the way, US News is considered a sub-par source for college rankings so makes me wonder how great their high school rankings are. And there's no reason for FL to cut back on spending in education when we are already in the bottom 10 across the nation.

But you really have no say in this since you have a selfish position because you don't have children. I would never send my kids to FL public schools but I still want the public schools to get better because I'm not selfish.

[newyorker24]

If they triple state tuition for universities the state schools will be more expensive than every private university in the state.

[Pookie]

Originally Posted by newyorker24

Anyone that has taken a college statistics course understands that anyone can rank the states based on their own biased criteria to yield whatever results they want. Even college rankings are unreliable because different sources come up with different lists. However, here is a real fact: FL ranks 41 for public school revenue per student (2009). You don't have children so obviously you don't want the government spending your tax dollars to improve the education here.

"Anyone that has taken a college statistics course"....Why don't you try discussing the issues without being condescending.

[Pookie]

Originally Posted by newyorker24

Nope, I'm saying I can probably find another source that ranks FL low. By the way, US News is considered a sub-par source for college rankings so makes me wonder how great their high school rankings are. And there's no reason for FL to cut back on spending in education when we are already in the bottom 10 across the nation.

But you really have no say in this since you have a selfish position because you don't have children. I would never send my kids to FL public schools but I still want the public schools to get better because I'm not selfish.

...And calling people selfish who have a different viewpoint...

[newyorker24]

Originally Posted by Pookie

...And calling people selfish who have a different viewpoint...

No it's not just a different viewpoint. A person with no children simply has mo interest in improving the state's education system so of course they are going to think it's okay to cut the budget.

[Spring Hillian]

Well, I look forward to your links to other studies with different results.

What is the fact that I have no children have to do with it? I pay the same taxes as a parent with kids in the schools do. I have no qualms about paying more taxes to support schools to help educate the kids, because the kids are our future as a Nation. I want a strong well educated nation.

Originally Posted by newyorker24

Nope, I'm saying I can probably find another source that ranks FL low. By the way, US News is considered a sub-par source for college rankings so makes me wonder how great their high school rankings are. And there's no reason for FL to cut back on spending in education when we are already in the bottom 10 across the nation.

But you really have no say in this since you have a selfish position because you don't have children. I would never send my kids to FL public schools but I still want the public schools to get better because I'm not selfish.

[newyorker24]

Originally Posted by Pookie

"Anyone that has taken a college statistics course"....Why don't you try discussing the issues without being condescending.

Hey if people want to start throwing "statistics" at me to prove their point they should at least understand how these "statistics" and rankings are derived.

[newyorker24]

Originally Posted by Spring Hillian

Well, I look forward to your links to other studies with different results.

What is the fact that I have no children have to do with it? I pay the same taxes as a parent with kids in the schools do. I have no qualms about paying more taxes to support schools to help educate the kids, because the kids are our future as a Nation. I want a strong well educated nation.

Then why do you think it's okay to increase class sizes and reduce an already low (based on what 40 other states are spending) budget?

[Pookie]

I'm sure my viewpoint differs from most of the posters here. I believe parents should be responsible for paying for their children's education...just as I believe parents should be responsible for feeding their children. Last I checked, this was not supposed to be a socialist country. It is supposed to be a free republic. This does not mean that people are 'free' to pick other people's pockets for their own demands...especially the ones who can well afford to send their children to school. Someone who is earning $200,000 a year, has no right to pick the pocket of someone who earns $20,000.