David B. Shemano wrote:
Every one of your posts, every one (with the
possible late exception of Max Sawicky), was nothing more than an admission I
was right about how you think,
which I will repeat for the umpteenth time: even if going to a charter school
was better for little
Johnny, you would oppose little Johnny
going because it is not in the best interest of the abandoned school and
remaining children.
^^^^^^
CB: This probably was raised already,
but why should
the other kids' parents care about little Johnny
if little Johnny's parents don't
care about their kids ?
So, when it comes to a vote, why shouldn't they vote against
charter schools ? And they would
likely have the
majority. One for all and all for one. That's the only
way to do it. Rather than every one
for themselves, and
the devil take the hindsights.
As others have alluded to, Johnny's
parents and Johnny must
learn that it is an illusion to think we are isolated and rugged
individuals, like Robinson Crusoe on
his island. We are interdependent
on each other in thousands of ways, many ways that are not always
evident to our conscious minds, highly
social beings. The academic lessons that Johnny learns are the result of the
mental work of
millions living and dead. In every facet of Johnny's life he is connected
by a million tiny threads to others. It is
an illusion for him
to think that he is predominantly self-reliant. A main lesson he,
and his parents can learn in this school
context is a small example
of that larger reality that the best education for him as an individual
is one that provides a good education
for his peers.
In Detroit, the charter schools
are draining
funds from the main public schools, which
is the last thing they need. It would be
better to keep all the money in one system
and improve it. There already is some ability
to choose going to different
schools within
the main school system, either in other neighborhoods or
in surrounding cities, even, so it's not that
there is no choice without charters.
Then Reaganite Gov. Engler
instituted charters with an
explicit purpose of attacking
the teachers' union. The idea
that underpaying and savaging
teachers will be good for any
typical
Little Johnny's education is ultimately
very stupid.
Charters are also based on
the overrated notion that
competition improves any
and every effort or project.
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