This assumes that increased funding improves the quality of schools. I have not found this to be the case. I think that any useful discussion on this topic needs to have a definition of a "good" education. Are you trying to: a) institutionalize behavior that is seen as socially unacceptable b) teach the child to think c) instill compliance d) ensure admission to a name university or ? Dana
On 10/5/05, Larry C. Lyons <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > Unfortunately as far as I can see it would mainly serve to perpetuate > many of the current inequities that exist. For instance there are a > lot of very poor schools in rural location, Indian reservations and > urban school districts where the parents are too poor to relocate or > do not have the means to go elsewhere. What do you do about the case > of a reservation school in northeastern Minnesota? Typically they are > grotesquely underfunded, and the teachers are quite unqualified. > There's no way the parents can afford to move elsewhere. > > Moreover given what most school districts charge for out-of-district > children even most middle class families cannot afford to send their > kids to a public school that is outside their local school district. > Again what do you do about these cases? > > As far as I can see, all what your proposal does is keep the current > system with its inherent biases operating as it is. Worse yet your > system would magnify any inequities and make them far worse. A better > proposal would be to equalize the funding, so that each and every > child is guarenteed a minimal level of school funding regardless of > where they are going to school, be it in a poor rural district like in > SW Virginia, or reservation schools in NE Minnesota, or South Dakota, > or urban districts such as SE Washington DC and ensure that they have > the same access to funding and experienced, and trained educators like > in districts as Fairfax Virginia or the richer areas of New York state > or Connecticut. Then your marketing approach may work. > > larry > > On 10/5/05, Cameron Childress <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > On the heels of the much belabored Gruss vs Dana thread about minimum > > wage, living wage, and education - here's a new branch off a similar > > tree to chew on. > > > > Also, please, before everyone runs off to determine if this is > > supported by Liberals or Conservatives and starts regurgitating the > > proper and well rehearsed party fed arguments for and against it - > > just consider it for a few minutes. Then feel free to run off and ask > > your favorite political party what you should think.... > > > > All this talk about market forces and education has be thinking about > > an idea that's been around for a long time. If the free market's > > supply/demand rules were applied to education? What if your child > > were allowed to enter any public schools you choose? What if the X > > dollars that the govt gives each school per student were easily > > re-assigned to another school? > > > > In this model, students would flock to the good school and the failing > > school would - well - fail. A market would be created in the public > > school sector the same way it now exists in the private school sector. > > If you thought the public school your child goes to sucks, fine - > > send them to another, and the bad school loses your money, eventually > > closing. Certain public schools will become so desirable that they > > actually have to put admission standards in place. > > > > Education isn't forced down anyone's throat - but market forces give > > everyone better opportunity to a quality education then exists today. > > If you live in a low income area, or a high income area, you have the > > same opportunity to gain entrance into any school. Sure there are > > advantages given to rich kids (tutors, connections, etc), but those > > advantages aren't going to go away no matter what happens. > > > > Also consider that this market exists for the most part in the US > > right now in higher education. If you work hard, you can earn > > acceptance to many great colleges based on scholorships and in some > > cases you gain admitance on the govt dime just for getting admitted to > > the college. > > > > The disparity in this system is that the lower schools that enable > > students to gain the education required to get into the higher schools > > just isn't available in all areas... > > > > Some additional (slightly dated) reading material on the topic: > > http://www.worldbank.org/html/extdr/hnp/hddflash/workp/wp_00064.html > > > > Anyway - here's to the newest foreverthread.... > > > > -Cameron > > > > > > ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~| Purchase RoboHelp from House of Fusion, a Macromedia Authorized Affiliate and support the CF community. http://www.houseoffusion.com/banners/view.cfm?bannerid=59 Message: http://www.houseoffusion.com/lists.cfm/link=i:5:176013 Archives: http://www.houseoffusion.com/cf_lists/threads.cfm/5 Subscription: http://www.houseoffusion.com/lists.cfm/link=s:5 Unsubscribe: http://www.houseoffusion.com/cf_lists/unsubscribe.cfm?user=89.70.5 Donations & Support: http://www.houseoffusion.com/tiny.cfm/54
