School Choice (Voucher) is not the solution to the public education debacle

[LittleNipper]

I'll bet they have a lot less to offer than public schools in order to get that low tuition.

No transportation, no hot meals, no special services for kids with disabilities or handicaps, etc.

When I walked to school (public), milk was 3 cents a pint and prepared lunches were 35 cents. My mother still packed my lunch most times...

[RWReaganfan]

When I walked to school (public), milk was 3 cents a pint and prepared lunches were 35 cents. My mother still packed my lunch most times...

...and your point is?

[LittleNipper]

...and your point is?

We are paying through the nose to feed and transport and that is not what education should be about. Make the kids walk to school. People shouldn't be so free with money that isn't their own. Kids respect what they have to work for. They disregard what they feel doesn't cost them anything.

[BobB]

In most of the inner city schools most of the parents would gladly send their children to a private school. The public schools don't want competition.

[RWReaganfan]

We are paying through the nose to feed and transport and that is not what education should be about. Make the kids walk to school. People shouldn't be so free with money that isn't their own. Kids respect what they have to work for. They disregard what they feel doesn't cost them anything.

Walk to school?

My high school was 3.5 miles from my home when I was a kid. Kids who attend my high school where I now teach travel 10 miles or more to school in the morning. Not everyone has a school in their back yard.

Please think before running off at the keyboard.

Like most people who complain about education, you are simply being a contrarian.

[RWReaganfan]

In most of the inner city schools most of the parents would gladly send their children to a private school. The public schools don't want competition.

If that is the case, they can PAY to send them to the private school. If everyone pulled their kids from public school and sent their kids to the same private school, it would be no better than the public school.

[tzor]

If that is the case, they can PAY to send them to the private school. If everyone pulled their kids from public school and sent their kids to the same private school, it would be no better than the public school.

That would be a matter of debate. It's also a moot debate since that is not what would ever happen. It's also not what proponents of voucher systems would want. Different students need diffent environments in order to maximize their educational potential because not everyone's ideal learning environment is identical.

[jkm]

Walk to school?

My high school was 3.5 miles from my home when I was a kid. Kids who attend my high school where I now teach travel 10 miles or more to school in the morning. Not everyone has a school in their back yard.

Please think before running off at the keyboard.

Like most people who complain about education, you are simply being a contrarian.

Personalize other posters much? What ever happened to the four words "I beg to disagree"?

I agree with the poster. Why is it the taxpayers' responsibility to transport kids who aren't theirs to school? How about parents drop the kids off on their way to work, job search, whatever it is they do during the day?

[historynut]

If that is the case, they can PAY to send them to the private school. If everyone pulled their kids from public school and sent their kids to the same private school, it would be no better than the public school.

Do you think they would be living in the inner city if they had the money to send there kids to private school?

Thing that has always been interesting to me is how schools in the same district (one inner city, one middle class) will get entirely different thing in the way of supplies.


Inner city school: Books 10-20 years old, falling apart, missing pages, out of date and that is the condition the school gets the books in before they hand them out to the students. A lot of the time one book for two or three students.

Middle class school: Books, either new or one to two years old at the max. One book for each student. Older (over two years) and extra books denoted to needy Indian schools (most in a different state). Older and extra books do not get sent to inner city school in the same district because "The difference in the books they are now using and these books would be too confusing".


Inner city school: chairs and desks - too few, poor condition

Middle class school: chairs and desks - one for everyone with extra, good condition


Inner city school: teacher equipment - blackboard, copy machine, DVD/VC player etc - missing, broken etc

Middle class school: : teacher equipment - blackboard, copy machine, instructional aids, DVD/VC player etc - in good repair, ready for use


Inner city school: Instructional DVD's, Video's etc equal access as middle class school - no working equipment to play them on but equal access

Middle class school: Instructional DVD's, Video's etc equal access


I have seen inner city schools with new or fairly new books, good teachers etc and for some reason the students learn.

I have seen inner city schools used as dumping grounds for what the other schools in the district do not want including poor administers and poor teachers. For same reason in those inner city schools the students have problems learning.

[RWReaganfan]

Do you think they would be living in the inner city if they had the money to send there kids to private school?

Thing that has always been interesting to me is how schools in the same district (one inner city, one middle class) will get entirely different thing in the way of supplies.


Inner city school: Books 10-20 years old, falling apart, missing pages, out of date and that is the condition the school gets the books in before they hand them out to the students. A lot of the time one book for two or three students.

Middle class school: Books, either new or one to two years old at the max. One book for each student. Older (over two years) and extra books denoted to needy Indian schools (most in a different state). Older and extra books do not get sent to inner city school in the same district because "The difference in the books they are now using and these books would be too confusing".


Inner city school: chairs and desks - too few, poor condition

Middle class school: chairs and desks - one for everyone with extra, good condition


Inner city school: teacher equipment - blackboard, copy machine, DVD/VC player etc - missing, broken etc

Middle class school: : teacher equipment - blackboard, copy machine, instructional aids, DVD/VC player etc - in good repair, ready for use


Inner city school: Instructional DVD's, Video's etc equal access as middle class school - no working equipment to play them on but equal access

Middle class school: Instructional DVD's, Video's etc equal access


I have seen inner city schools with new or fairly new books, good teachers etc and for some reason the students learn.

I have seen inner city schools used as dumping grounds for what the other schools in the district do not want including poor administers and poor teachers. For same reason in those inner city schools the students have problems learning.

Then why not fix those problems and not throw the baby out with the bath water? What you use as as example has been addressed in many school districts across the nation.

In my last school district, the inner city schools and suburbs were in the same district and funded equally.

In the district where I spent my first ten years, the inner city schools and suburban schools were in the same district and inner city schools received additional money, over and above what their suburban counterparts.

The results of the schools in both districts stayed the same, despite having the money. Inner city schools sucked and suburban schools excelled.

You have to change the kids to get them to work harder at their own education! Sending them to another location will not cause them to develop a work ethic, or love for learning.

[historynut]

Then why not fix those problems and not throw the baby out with the bath water? What you use as as example has been addressed in many school districts across the nation.

In my last school district, the inner city schools and suburbs were in the same district and funded equally.

In the district where I spent my first ten years, the inner city schools and suburban schools were in the same district and inner city schools received additional money, over and above what their suburban counterparts.

The results of the schools in both districts stayed the same, despite having the money. Inner city schools sucked and suburban schools excelled.

You have to change the kids to get them to work harder at their own education!

Sending them to another location will not cause them to develop a work ethic, or love for learning.

You have to change the kids to get them to work harder at their own education!

So it is always the students fault correct.

Of the high schools in my area the one that almost always sends the most students to college is an inner city high school. They have good administers and teachers and the students learn.

Maybe you should go explain to them that they are suppose to be dumb and lazy.

There is a suburban school in my area where few students go to college because the students do not care.



Sending them to another location will not cause them to develop a work ethic, or love for learning.

Administers and teachers always have a strong work ethic & love of teaching.

There are no poor schools, administers and/or teachers.


Write on blackboard 1000 times - It is always the students fault

It is always the students fault
It is always the students fault
It is always the students fault....... etc


When someone will not admit that it is even possible for there to be poor schools, administers and/or teachers then I think we have found part of the problem.

[RWReaganfan]

You have to change the kids to get them to work harder at their own education!

So it is always the students fault correct.

Of the high schools in my area the one that almost always sends the most students to college is an inner city high school. They have good administers and teachers and the students learn.Maybe you should go explain to them that they are suppose to be dumb and lazy.

There is a suburban school in my area where few students go to college because the students do not care.



Sending them to another location will not cause them to develop a work ethic, or love for learning.

Administers and teachers always have a strong work ethic & love of teaching.

There are no poor schools, administers and/or teachers.


Write on blackboard 1000 times - It is always the students fault

It is always the students fault
It is always the students fault
It is always the students fault....... etc


When someone will not admit that it is even possible for there to be poor schools, administers and/or teachers then I think we have found part of the problem.

In regards to that school, they have changed the students!

Didn't I say:

"You have to change the kids to get them to work harder at their own education".

Why, yes, I did say that because you quoted it and bolded it!

As has been explained to you many, many times, you are proposing changes to a system when only part of the system needs attention. Don't throw the baby out with the bath water. Does that ring a bell?

For every anecdotal story that you generate, I can counter with my 15 years of real world experience in the field of education of which you have ZERO.

I have yet to see a student who could not learn if they put forth the effort, with the exception of those who were suffering from a severe learning disability.

BTW, what the heck are "adminsters"?

[CaptainPike]

I'll bet they have a lot less to offer than public schools in order to get that low tuition.

No transportation, no hot meals, no special services for kids with disabilities or handicaps, etc.

They offer a full curriculum and they do provide lunch.

Should I choose to send my children to this private school, it would be a lot easier to make that happen with a voucher program. I shouldn't be paying for everyone else's kids to go to public school when I'm trying to pay for my own to attend a private school.

I should have the choice.

[RWReaganfan]

Why should you have that choice? You do not pay taxes to send YOUR kids to school. You pay taxes to send everyone's kids to school.

You just don't understand the concept.

[CaptainPike]

Why should you have that choice? You do not pay taxes to send YOUR kids to school. You pay taxes to send everyone's kids to school.

You just don't understand the concept.

And EVERYONE's kids are made to attend government run schools at the cost of tax payers.

Why should that be the only option?