PDA

View Full Version : School of choice


Grumpy
11-01-2009, 06:10 AM
Where do you folks stand on this ?

merrylander
11-02-2009, 03:35 PM
I could tell you if I knew the reference.

Twodogs
11-02-2009, 03:49 PM
Definately NOT public if you are in Kansas City Mo.

d-ray657
11-02-2009, 04:25 PM
Definately NOT public if you are in Kansas City Mo.

Ironically enough, one of the top school districts in the country is just accross the state line. Unfortunately the KCMO school district has a legacy of segregation and corruption.

Regards,

D-Ray

merrylander
11-03-2009, 07:33 AM
Ah, are we talking about how people are assigned to school districts, or rather their children are? I guess there is some choice here as there are three schools just up the road, elementary, middle, and high yet every day about four different busses roll through the Court. Grew up in a small town, one school so no choice. Later took a commuter train to a high school, not much choice there either. Should children be assigned to a school merely to achieve a set racial mix? Does not seem to have done a world of good IMHO.

Grumpy
11-09-2009, 05:44 PM
You pretty much got it right Rob.

Having put 6 kids through one school district I was curious where you all stood.

To me I look at it this way. We sacrificed everything to live in a neighborhood way above our means to get our oldest boy in to a school that was known for working well with ADD children. Then SOC hit and it has been nothing but a downhill slide.

I am sorry but I pay property taxes in my little town and regularly vote in tax increase when for school use. But when kids from many towns away come in and water it down what good came of it ?

Before you go calling me a racist think again. I don't give a rats butt what color said kids are. I pay for my kids to go to our local schools not someone elses

By the with 5 of the six kids having gone through the same school we have gotten to know nearly every teacher. Believe me they feel the same way as we do.

painter
11-09-2009, 05:49 PM
Where do you folks stand on this ?


The Obama's think private is fine. :rolleyes:

Charles
11-09-2009, 06:17 PM
Ah, are we talking about how people are assigned to school districts, or rather their children are? I guess there is some choice here as there are three schools just up the road, elementary, middle, and high yet every day about four different busses roll through the Court. Grew up in a small town, one school so no choice. Later took a commuter train to a high school, not much choice there either. Should children be assigned to a school merely to achieve a set racial mix? Does not seem to have done a world of good IMHO.

I can relate. We had/have one school, and everyone went to it.

And they ran it like the Marine Corps. Or the prison. You did your time, they wouldn't kick you out, you couldn't quit, and if you ran off, they'd bring you back in chains, if they could find you.

But it's not like that anymore. They'll expel a kid for smoking a cigarette.

Chas

Boreas
11-09-2009, 06:23 PM
The Obama's think private is fine. :rolleyes:

So do I. I also think a properly supported system of public education is fine. In fact, I think good public schools are "finer" than the private kind since they serve the vast majority of our children at all levels.

There will never, ever, be a time when private schools will serve all or most of our children, no matter how many vouchers the government distributes. All that would happen is the creation of a permanent underclass of people who are stuck in neglected public schools because, even with vouchers, they'll never be able to afford the tuition at the alternatives.

The politicians who campaign against public schools know this. They also know that many of the people who support this idea are really looking for government support, through vouchers, for Christian religious schools so politicians of a certain type will always pander to their right wing Christian base by paying lip service to this particular type of "education reform" but, as with abortion, they'll never actually do anything about it. It'd too useful a wedge issue.

John

Fast_Eddie
11-09-2009, 06:40 PM
The Obama's think private is fine. :rolleyes:

Bastards! Oh, Bush's kids went to the same school.

painter
11-09-2009, 07:09 PM
Bastards! Oh, Bush's kids went to the same school.

Yeah...well choice was there. Money has a way of separating the good from the bad. :)

Fast_Eddie
11-09-2009, 07:24 PM
Yeah...well choice was there. Money has a way of separating the good from the bad. :)

Yeah, and that's kind of the problem, isn't it?

hillbilly
11-09-2009, 07:48 PM
Our kids have been lucky as three towns share the only school here k through 8'th grade. No middle school. After that, it's 20 miles to the only 9'th through 12'th highschool for the county. Bout 800 kids make up the county highschool total. Needless to say, since our kids always play sports for school and outside of school, I've come to know many parents. I'm from a county over so I didn't know everyone here at first, but after 18 years, I've learned most of 'em. Wife was born & raised here like her parents, grandparents & great grandparents+ were. She has a list of deceased family that faught, died, and survived the civil war localy. Not to many transplants here so it's easy for her to keep up with :D

Fast_Eddie
11-09-2009, 08:57 PM
Both my kids are in Denver Public Schools. So far they've had great experiences. They're both in the "highly gifted" program and we've been happy. We could afford private school, but prefer to support the public education system.

hillbilly
11-09-2009, 09:49 PM
This video link was going on last year. Glad I don't live anywhere near Nashville. Fast farwards to today, and blacks have been moved to the other school leaving a white school, and the other school black. They say lawyers are staying quite busy since the school system made the shift. I'd say folks in the area are having a hard time getting along now.

http://www.wsmv.com/video/16482245/index.html

piece-itpete
11-10-2009, 07:43 AM
The politicians who campaign against public schools know this. They also know that many of the people who support this idea are really looking for government support, through vouchers, for Christian religious schools so politicians of a certain type will always pander to their right wing Christian base by paying lip service to this particular type of "education reform" but, as with abortion, they'll never actually do anything about it. It'd too useful a wedge issue.

John

I suppose these kids are fighting for the radicals obviously ready to take over the country:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QKzZJoPu1OQ

And as long as the courts dictate what to do with our own money there's nothing that can be done.

Pete

Fast_Eddie
11-10-2009, 08:23 AM
And as long as the courts dictate what to do with our own money there's nothing that can be done.

I can't believe you can look at these sad folks and tell them there's no hope.

piece-itpete
11-10-2009, 08:46 AM
You guys don't really know how bad the innercity schools are do you? I don't blame you, it's shocking and almost beyond belief.

They warehouse the kids, they won't suspend them because they get federal money for # in attendance, they lock them in. Very little discipline and way substandard education.

In Cleveland the $ per student is MORE than most blue ribbon suburban districts spend. Politically hired janitors need Jaguars too.

I'll say it again, there's a reason those poor mothers are bawling. They know.

Pete

Fast_Eddie
11-10-2009, 09:20 AM
You guys don't really know how bad the innercity schools are do you? I don't blame you, it's shocking and almost beyond belief.

Well, I'm sure some are. I live in a city and my kids go to the public schools. We certainly know "how bad" they are. The buildings are a disaster. But the schools are doing a pretty good job anyway.

They warehouse the kids, they won't suspend them because they get federal money for # in attendance, they lock them in. Very little discipline and way substandard education.

Sounds like we need to give them more money so they don't have to keep kids "on the books" to get the funding they need.

In Cleveland the $ per student is MORE than most blue ribbon suburban districts spend. Politically hired janitors need Jaguars too.

I'll say it again, there's a reason those poor mothers are bawling. They know.

Pete

I don't know the situation in Cleveland, but I'll say this- we aren't talking about "inner-city" schools. We're talking about the entire public education system.

I could be wrong - so tell me where I'm missing it - but what I see is Republicans saying "the system is broken" and then pulling any funding they can. With no money the schools dont' work and they say "see, I told you so!" Truth is many public schools in America DO work just fine. We need to work on the ones that don't and quit using them as an excuse to pull more money from an underfunded system. Have you seen our schools? The buildings themselves? It's embarassing that's the best we can do for our kids. We should make education at least as high a priority as our military. Build good schools and have teacher compete for jobs.

Again I'll ask- what is your solution?

BlueStreak
11-10-2009, 10:14 AM
Can't speak on this. I have no kids. Well, none that I'm aware of, anyhow............

Dave

HatchetJack
11-10-2009, 10:20 AM
I grew up in a small town and attended the public school. It was a little
different back then as opposed to the present. We didnt really have a strict
dress code but come to school wearing a concert t-shirt, ratty jeans or
sleezy clothes and you were sent home asap. You were only allowed to speak
when spoken to and if you didnt obey the teacher, one of the coaches would
take you out in the hall, hands on the wall and you got your butt jacked up
three times with a board about 30" long. Sometimes there might be 6-8
lined up in the hall gettin it. I will never forget those echoes ringing all through
the school then total silence. You learned real fast to respect authority or
you were shown the door. Our grades were always above average as
compared to other schools. Our parents were mostly from the same mold so
we were forced to do our homework even though we would have rather been
doing other things. Fast forward 30 years and our kids and grandkids go to
the same school. It may well be the best public school in Georgia. I dont think
the Teachers can paddle kids anymore probably because some panty waste
thinks it's cruel and unusual punishment. Most of the kids test scores are way
above the national average. My 8 year old daughter is in the 95th percintile
and reads at a 6th grade level, probably more. We all started reading to her
at a very young age and before she started to 4 year pre-k, she could read
the entire Dick and Jane series "remember those"? Her first two years of
kindergarden were just cutting and glittering mostly but I encouraged her to
read at home anyway. Most of these kids in our school obviously are being
encouraged to do their work at home because they have parents that were
raised with a strong work ethic and a respect for authority. I see a lack of
both at problem schools and not a single person I went to school with is in jail.
They are doctors, business owners, nurses, teachers ect, ect... and
well respected members of our society.

Fast_Eddie
11-10-2009, 10:21 AM
Sorry, I'm sharing my absolute wisdom of how things should be between bouts of actual work today. I should ad, I honestly believe that since (you knew this was coming) Reagan the Republicans have been actively working to end the Public Education system in America. They want people with children to have to bear the cost of private education. In other words, raise taxes on American families and cast the poor folks off the books and doom them to lives of menial service - aka cheap labor. Rich people's kids will get an advantage even earlier than they do now and poor folks will be set in cue for the McDonald's job fair even sooner.

piece-itpete
11-10-2009, 10:22 AM
Well, I'm sure some are. I live in a city and my kids go to the public schools. We certainly know "how bad" they are. The buildings are a disaster. But the schools are doing a pretty good job anyway.

In Cleveland, we just spent more than a bil on the school buildings (half from the state). We have the opposite problem - the buildings are nice and the education is terrible. I know at least one graduate that is functionally illiterate.


Sounds like we need to give them more money so they don't have to keep kids "on the books" to get the funding they need.

How much is enough? They are already spending more per pupil than my district, where kids learn to read.


I don't know the situation in Cleveland, but I'll say this- we aren't talking about "inner-city" schools. We're talking about the entire public education system.

From here, it looks like the poorest of the poor are being sacrificed on the altar of 'public education'. If the system works in some areas, fine. If not...


I could be wrong - so tell me where I'm missing it - but what I see is Republicans saying "the system is broken" and then pulling any funding they can. With no money the schools dont' work and they say "see, I told you so!" Truth is many public schools in America DO work just fine. We need to work on the ones that don't and quit using them as an excuse to pull more money from an underfunded system. Have you seen our schools? The buildings themselves? It's embarassing that's the best we can do for our kids. We should make education at least as high a priority as our military. Build good schools and have teacher compete for jobs.

Again I'll ask- what is your solution?

Where I live we've paid for renovated and new schools in our own district and help pay for low income buildings through the state. We just passed another levy to renovate our athletic facilities, the last real problem (I usually wouldn't want much money into sports but our HS stadium was practically falling down).

We paid for what our kids needed.

So if your local schools are having problems the solution would be to fix them? Or do I have to pay for those too :eek:

I'm no expert but it's obvious that at least in some instances the current system is worse than broken. Most folks have no idea just how bad these schools are. The few parents that actually care in those communities like Cleveland or DC have spoken loudly - please, give us vouchers.

Btw Eddie, we're just talking? I enjoy it. Cheers mate.

Pete

Fast_Eddie
11-10-2009, 10:24 AM
HatchetJack, that is not possible. Obama and Bush before him have told me that our schools are failing and that the system is broken. You're not supposed to look at the good ones, focus on the bad schools. Then we can justify pulling all funding. That will help make the "underperforming" schools better. Simple logic. It's like the Laffer curve...