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My tax money goes to pay for freeways in Mississippi (as an example) that I will never use, while every morning I pay to use a turnpike to get me to my job in a timely fashion. That's not fair.
its not fair just like people without children paying for schools is unfair. rather than accepting it, maybe you should consider there might be a better way.
its not fair just like people without children paying for schools is unfair. rather than accepting it, maybe you should consider there might be a better way.
I wasn't making a serious complaint. I was simply pointing out that in an organized society, people are paying for government services all the time that from which they derive little to no direct immediate benefit.
If there's a better way, it's not to de-fund education. I hope that's not your suggestion.
People are indignant because PUBLIC money is going to private schools. Guess what? Public money is OUR money. We should be free to spend it as we see fit.
I wasn't making a serious complaint. I was simply pointing out that in an organized society, people are paying for government services all the time that from which they derive little to no direct immediate benefit.
If there's a better way, it's not to de-fund education. I hope that's not your suggestion.
while i understand that sometimes you cant put the full cost on the user for various reasons, i believe that to the extent that you can, you should. no system is perfect and it doesnt hurt to look at ways to possibly improve it. people are complaining about "public" money going to "private" institutions, well those people using the "public" money also contributed to the public education system and got nothing in return. so they probably feel justified in getting something.
People are indignant because PUBLIC money is going to private schools. Guess what? Public money is OUR money. We should be free to spend it as we see fit.
How much of paid taxes paid per year go directly towards your local public schools? You don't even have to tell me, I already know that it's a tiny, miniscule fraction of what it costs to educate a child (whether its your child or another child, whether it's in the public schools or a private school). The point is that only a tiny fraction of what is actually your money is currently going to the public education system.
Public money should go to the public education system, period. If one wants to argue that we need to create more choices for students within public education, then that debate should be had. But public money should never go to fund private (particularly religious) education.
The big point here is do we want a public education system that is open and inclusive to all, or do we want to undermine and destabilize that ideal, one that has made America strong over the past 100+ years, and go back to an era where every family fends for themselves and only the wealthiest amongst us have access to quality education?
I don't know if I agree. There is nothing special about Catholic schools other than the fact that they're selective in their enrollment. Most are not educating students more cheaply (i.e. they're being subsidized religious orders or the local diocese) and they're able to accept/boot students at will. If Jews or atheists are sending their kids to these schools, it's probably only mostly because their local public schools have been overrun with the negative cultural element that is bringing down many other aspects of our society.
And this is really what school choice is about--families trying to get their kids away from the kids from families that either don't care about education and/or are instilling negative values into their kids that are being brought into the school. The thing is, we don't need vouchers or charter schools to do allow these families to be able to do this; all we need to do is give public schools the same power that charters and Catholics have in isolating the problem students from those that are really there to get an education. Expand magnet school options as well.
Bottom line is that I will remain skeptical until charter schools and Catholic schools prove that they can do a statistically significant better job than public schools of educating large quantities of students with behavioral problems or students with disabilities. The problem is that it will likely be a long time until they ever have to do so, because as of now all of these laws give them public money but don't require them to accept everyone (i.e. being true options for the entire public).
Public schools are never going to be able to get rid of the problem students or students with disabilities, nor should they. Those children deserve a chance at an education, too, and they are PUBLIC schools. However, poor parents who have no other choice should be able to enroll their children in a better performing school.
How much of paid taxes paid per year go directly towards your local public schools? You don't even have to tell me, I already know that it's a tiny, miniscule fraction of what it costs to educate a child (whether its your child or another child, whether it's in the public schools or a private school). The point is that only a tiny fraction of what is actually your money is currently going to the public education system.
Public money should go to the public education system, period. If one wants to argue that we need to create more choices for students within public education, then that debate should be had. But public money should never go to fund private (particularly religious) education.
The big point here is do we want a public education system that is open and inclusive to all, or do we want to undermine and destabilize that ideal, one that has made America strong over the past 100+ years, and go back to an era where every family fends for themselves and only the wealthiest amongst us have access to quality education?
I think what I am talking about here is that taxpayers want accountability from their schools and choice in their children's education.
Public schools are never going to be able to get rid of the problem students or students with disabilities, nor should they. Those children deserve a chance at an education, too, and they are PUBLIC schools. However, poor parents who have no other choice should be able to enroll their children in a better performing school.
This argument is a bit circular. Many public schools are, by nature, "low-performing" precisely because of the high percentages of problem students and students with disabilities. You can put those students in any school whether it be public, private, parochial, or charter, and they're still going to struggle with the standardized tests.
Maybe you're saying that the rest of the students shouldn't be dragged down by those other "low-performing" students? That's what magnet schools have always been for and I've always thought that we needed to expand on that system and institute three or four tiers of groups for students (1. scholars, 2. average student, 3. below-average/remedial students, 4. trouble-makers).
I think what I am talking about here is that taxpayers want accountability from their schools and choice in their children's education.
"Accountability" and "choice" are buzzwords thrown around that have a wide range of meanings and little supporting evidence of their efficacy.
Do you not vote for your local school board? That's accountability, and certainly more so than you'll have if public funds are going towards charter management companies that you'll have absolutely no say in whatsoever.
In regards to school choice, this is not necessarily a bad thing, but it doesn't have to done in a way that completely disassembles one of the pillars of our democracy, the public education system.
Do you not vote for your local school board? That's accountability
this is a cute thing to say, but how many people really feel that this is an appropriate level of accountability for the school?
being able to take your money from them and choose another school, thats the accountability people want.
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