11/30/01
On NPR today (good luck finding detailed coverage at cnn.com and nytimes.com)
Pennsylvania is planning on privatising some of their worst performing public schools in Philadelphia. Meaning a private firm would take over managing these schools--with the promise of bettering education (which means improving test scores--which is NOT an indicator of how well educated someone is, merely their ability to take a test--think rats in a maze). The governer is desperate to try anything to improve the education quality in Philadelphia. They are facing a massive teacher shortage, $216 million deficit, crumbling buildings, and oh yeah low test scores.
Everyone is upset...slogans like "Our kids aren't for sale" and "Keep our public schools public" are being tossed around.
The problem with the governor's plans isn't the fact that some schools would be managed by a private firm (giving parents no rights into how their child is educated--right now they do have very little rights, but some nonetheless), it's that public taxes and public funds are going to be used to pay these private firms. It is taxation without representation. THAT is the core issue here and that is why this proposal might be squashed.
What is needed is a whole new approach to educating our children. De-socialise education. Give parent's total freedom in their child's education...this is a democracy, a free country...not a socialist country...why have a socialist education system. What is needed is two fold stop using taxes to fund the public school system (thereby LOWERING the taxes paid) and privatise the school system. If you give me back the many thousands of dollars a year I am paying in taxes back to me to finance my child's education, I can pick any school in the world I want to send my child. I can make sure my child has the best education and the kind of education I want my child to have. If we turn the school system into a free-market, they will have to compete to get our kids/money...there by giving the consumer what they want...a great education for their child.
Ingenuity doesn't happen in a goverment buerocracy, but in a free-market system.
Do you realise that the literacy rate 150 years ago (before public/socialised education) was ten points higher than it is today?? Do you ever wonder why those dusty 150 year old books you had to read in english class are so sophisticated and "hard" to read? Our forefathers were highly literate!
Personally my children are never going to attend public school--it doesn't work...and it's getting worse. I am choosing to educate my children at home, where their level of education will be higher than their public school peers. Maybe you think all of us were created equal (that's what our constitution/decl. of independence says), and our education should be the same. But we aren't we aren't. We are unique and beautiful in our own ways...and our education should be tailored to that...should my gifted child be held back to be "equal"--should my learning disabled child be driven beyond his bounds, because he's not smart?
Anyway, my rant...and I DO invite discussion. Tell me I am wrong...I dare you...let's talk about it.
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