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And here is the problem. When a school's very survival depends on something as simple as test scores, you better believe that the school will do everything it can to bend the rules to improve test scores. This ranges from outright cheating to manipulating school enrollment. If you incentivize a whole system of schools to behave this way...yikes.
Now someone will say that perhaps such policy will force schools to behave in a way that actually does legitimately improve outcomes across the board and close the "achievement gap." I think that's doubtful and it's more likely that the achievement gap is never going to close. Why is it only seemingly in education that folks are emphasizing "equality of outcome" when it's clear that human beings are vastly different from one another with vastly differing abilities?
In summation, the argument that because Democrats are opposed to charter schools/vouchers means that they don't care about minorities/poor people is hogwash because it begins the debate with the premise that charter schools and vouchers are a good thing for all minorities and poor people (let alone for all of society).
And for those that think that a free market, government-sponsored voucher type system would work perfectly, I'd suggest taking a look at the debacle of for-profit colleges in this country.
The NYC elite High Schools did not do this. The best of the best went there.
Bronx High School of Science has been an elite high school since 1938.
It has received international recognition as one of the best high schools in the US.
They don't bend the rules to "improve test scores".
Over 30,000 students take the test for about 1000 freshman spots.
It's college prep and nearly all students proceed onto college.
But sadly that will soon change as the demographics of the student body are not diverse enough.
The NYC elite High Schools did not do this. The best of the best went there.
Bronx High School of Science has been an elite high school since 1938.
It has received international recognition as one of the best high schools in the US.
They don't bend the rules to "improve test scores".
Over 30,000 students take the test for about 1000 freshman spots.
It's college prep and nearly all students proceed onto college.
But sadly that will soon change as the demographics of the student body are not diverse enough.
These types of schools have traditionally competed with one another, but I'm not sure that they (or their leaders/founders) have ever had as much at stake as what financially and reputationally exists when you have independent entities (often under the guise of "non-profit" but sometimes explicitly "for-profit") running charter schools/systems. These elite NYC schools are district-controlled and the stakeholders have very little to lose if or when they don't turn out as planned. I don't think we've seen unethical or illegal behavior from them because I don't think that that incentive has ever truly been there.
Yep, which is why we don't need the guise of vouchers or charter schools to make it happen. If we as a society want to start sorting kids, let's have a public discussion and do it openly.
Yep, which is why we don't need the guise of vouchers or charter schools to make it happen. If we as a society want to start sorting kids, let's have a public discussion and do it openly.
Bingo. "School vouchers" is a PC way of getting away from bad elements within the public school system. We are not going to effectively fix our public schools until e have a very frank conversation about class, race, the cultures of underachievement that plagues both the urban and rural poor. But I'm not holding my breath.
the problem with a lot of charter schools is that they are frankly terrible. You are taking public money and funneling it to private hands with results that are a mixed bag at best. There is one charter school in my city that seems to be doing very well because the parents are forced to be engaged and the administration seems to care. Most of the others are performing worse than the public schools and are likely to be shut down by the school board and state regulators.
Bingo. "School vouchers" is a PC way of getting away from bad elements within the public school system. We are not going to effectively fix our public schools until e have a very frank conversation about class, race, the cultures of underachievement that plagues both the urban and rural poor. But I'm not holding my breath.
the problem with a lot of charter schools is that they are frankly terrible. You are taking public money and funneling it to private hands with results that are a mixed bag at best. There is one charter school in my city that seems to be doing very well because the parents are forced to be engaged and the administration seems to care. Most of the others are performing worse than the public schools and are likely to be shut down by the school board and state regulators.
And I'm not necessarily opposed to "sorting," I just don't think we need charter schools or vouchers to achieve those ends. Just do it within the structure of the regular publicly funded and controlled system.
I'm not registered to either party, but vouchers are welfare. You want to send Billy Bob to private school.go right away..pay for it yourself. Or Billy Bob can earn scholarships. As a teen, he can work and pay some of the tuition himself.
Vouchers are the antithesis of personal responsibility.
Yep, which is why we don't need the guise of vouchers or charter schools to make it happen. If we as a society want to start sorting kids, let's have a public discussion and do it openly.
Are we not doing that now?
Why not have a system were parents and kids who want to get ahead are allowed to?
Why have a system that is built to the lowest common denominator?
Maybe may what 3% of parents will be aporthic and uncaring..So what? 97% of every else needs to be stuck and pulled down to their level so they are not made to "feel bad"?
We all can but winners, so call a tie.
We cant reward students who score high on a test with a pizza party or the low score kids will "feel sad" call it off.
We cant have students win a trophy for winning, so lets give every kid one and make the idea of a trophy meaningless....
That is the what your side has done to this nation..
Your side has had more then 40 years and trillions of the dollars and you have failed.
Its our turn to restore education, to restore the system of teach the youth of this nation about their heritage, culture, values, history, math, science, chemistry, civvies, the proper role of government, ect. You know real courses, that have value, they enrich the minds and builds a better nation.
Not 'PC for you and me" or teaching 1st graders "Dave has 2 dads" and other indoctrination.
Bingo. "School vouchers" is a PC way of getting away from bad elements within the public school system. We are not going to effectively fix our public schools until e have a very frank conversation about class, race, the cultures of underachievement that plagues both the urban and rural poor. But I'm not holding my breath.
the problem with a lot of charter schools is that they are frankly terrible. You are taking public money and funneling it to private hands with results that are a mixed bag at best. There is one charter school in my city that seems to be doing very well because the parents are forced to be engaged and the administration seems to care. Most of the others are performing worse than the public schools and are likely to be shut down by the school board and state regulators.
So because that will never happen, we need to condemn students to failing schools...........Why?
Proof?
You are aware if you school sucks you can take your child out of and put them in better school the next day..Right?
Good! If they are failing let them fail, when have you seen a public school ever be shut down for being a failure?
When? Name one time!
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