Why should I be forced to continue to pay into a public education system that's an utter failure? Why should I not have some freedom in selecting where my kid goes to school without having to pay twice for her education?

Paying into a public school system has nothing to do with whether you use the system. I'm childless and I pay in. I don't get my money back for doggy obedience school or any other reason.

Funny thing, this living in a society. Paying for benefits I don't use. I've never called the fire department, either.

If the school system is indeed failing, there are lots of schools of thought regarding ways to fix it, but having taxpayers abandon it is not one of those ways. If you don't choose to use the free system to educate your kids, that's fine. It is a free country. But don't expect us to pay for it. Just like don't expect me to buy your gas if you don't want to take the (publicly subsidized) bus.

If the school system is indeed failing, there are lots of schools of thought regarding ways to fix it, but having taxpayers abandon it is not one of those ways.


In the meantime, and because no one can get their act together, my kid suffers.

In the meantime, and because no one can get their act together, my kid suffers.

The people, united, can never be defeated. Organize, and fight the power my man.

In the meantime, and because no one can get their act together, my kid suffers.

Having experienced nothing but good public schools, as a kid and as a parent, I'm unclear what you mean by "the schools" being an utter failure. You're bouncing between talking about system failures and specific failures that affect your kid. Let's hear about the specific system problems and the specific problems affecting your kid. Is your kid's teacher ineffective in teaching the curriculum to your kid? Is your kid's school such a mess that no kids are learning anything? Is your kid's teacher not assigning as much homework as you think should be assigned? What's wrong?

Paying into a public school system has nothing to do with whether you use the system. I'm childless and I pay in. I don't get my money back for doggy obedience school or any other reason.

Funny thing, this living in a society. Paying for benefits I don't use. I've never called the fire department, either.

If the school system is indeed failing, there are lots of schools of thought regarding ways to fix it, but having taxpayers abandon it is not one of those ways. If you don't choose to use the free system to educate your kids, that's fine. It is a free country. But don't expect us to pay for it. Just like don't expect me to buy your gas if you don't want to take the (publicly subsidized) bus.

If you hire an incompetant law firm, aren't you allowed to fire them and no longer be subject to beingn billed? Public schools have an obligation to produce, they are not just warehouses for children or incompetant educators. The voucher system is a method to force change as well as to allow choice.

I don't think analogies to private services can really be made. But to the extent that an individual parent believes that the school system is incompetent, he or she is absolutely entitled to make alternative arrangements to educate the kids... private school, home schooling, etc.

My only issue is whether they are allowed to cut the public school system off at the knees by taking their money with them. They can't, nor should they be able to, any more than I should. I believe that my taxes should support public education because the existence of free public education makes my country and my state and my town a better place. The fact that there's a breakdown in certain schools as a result of social, economic, political, policy, and other factors does not change my feeling about that.

Having experienced nothing but good public schools, as a kid and as a parent, I'm unclear what you mean by "the schools" being an utter failure. You're bouncing between talking about system failures and specific failures that affect your kid. Let's hear about the specific system problems and the specific problems affecting your kid. Is your kid's teacher ineffective in teaching the curriculum to your kid? Is your kid's school such a mess that no kids are learning anything? Is your kid's teacher not assigning as much homework as you think should be assigned? What's wrong?


I also had the good fortune of being able to study at first rate public schools that not coincidentally were and continue to be funded very generously. Some public schools fail but many are very good. Some schools are hopeless but I also think the parents play a big part in making sure that their children get the most they can out of their educational experience. I also wonder how often children with learning disabilities go undiagnosed and without suitable resources to learn with those disabilities.

I don't think analogies to private services can really be made. But to the extent that an individual parent believes that the school system is incompetent, he or she is absolutely entitled to make alternative arrangements to educate the kids... private school, home schooling, etc.

My only issue is whether they are allowed to cut the public school system off at the knees by taking their money with them. They can't, nor should they be able to, any more than I should. I believe that my taxes should support public education because the existence of free public education makes my country and my state and my town a better place. The fact that there's a breakdown in certain schools as a result of social, economic, political, policy, and other factors does not change my feeling about that.

I'm not against public schools byt there are definitely bad ones and bad systems and there are people trapped in that system because they can't afford an alternative. They should be able to take their children and their money elsewhere. The loss of revenues might close some schools that need closing and they might also focus public attention where it belongs and get a better system in it's place. I'm not for closing schools but I am for waking some communities up and making them do the job they are funded for.

I'm not against public schools byt there are definitely bad ones and bad systems and there are people trapped in that system because they can't afford an alternative. They should be able to take their children and their money elsewhere. The loss of revenues might close some schools that need closing and they might also focus public attention where it belongs and get a better system in it's place. I'm not for closing schools but I am for waking some communities up and making them do the job they are funded for.

the local police force isn't performing, you'll support the county paying me to hire private security?

len

Why should I be forced to continue to pay into a public education system that's an utter failure? Why should I not have some freedom in selecting where my kid goes to school without having to pay twice for her education?

At least you didn't write "udder failure" -- they must have done something right. ;)

Having experienced nothing but good public schools, as a kid and as a parent, I'm unclear what you mean by "the schools" being an utter failure. You're bouncing between talking about system failures and specific failures that affect your kid. Let's hear about the specific system problems and the specific problems affecting your kid. Is your kid's teacher ineffective in teaching the curriculum to your kid? Is your kid's school such a mess that no kids are learning anything? Is your kid's teacher not assigning as much homework as you think should be assigned? What's wrong?

I've posted details in a few other threads. My issues are pretty wide ranging... from large class sizes, incompetent teachers and administration, non-elected school board, poor materials, laziness, general apathy towards education, etc. This year we happen to have an excellent teacher but she's the rare exception to the rule.

A lot of people in my kid's school have absolutely no business working in education.

the local police force isn't performing, you'll support the county paying me to hire private security?

len

Not the same thing. You either vote the chief off the force or fire him/her. Crime impacts everyone... education doesn't. What if your school board isn't elected and the area you live in is made up of mostly residents who don't or no longer have kids in school and vote, for the most part, against funding increases and/or are completely indifferent to education in general?

It's no wonder why our kids are now mediocre when it comes to performance in math and the sciences.

Besides, unlike educating your kids, you can always easily take your own security into your own hands -- PM the J's for details. :)

Not the same thing. You either vote the chief off the force or fire him/her. Crime impacts everyone... education doesn't. What if your school board isn't elected and the area you live in is made up of mostly residents who don't or no longer have kids in school and vote, for the most part, against funding increases and/or are completely indifferent to education in general?

It's no wonder why our kids are now mediocre when it comes to performance in math and the sciences.

Besides, unlike educating your kids, you can always easily take your own security into your own hands -- PM the J's for details. :)

it's exactly the same thing.......Education has a larger impact on more people than crime.

They are both public services, funded for the benefit of society at large.
Vote the school board out same way you'd activly replace the police chief.

Ken, I believe your frustration at your local school perf is justified....unfortunatly, vouchers are a vehicle of the far right to find a way to fund faith based education with public funds....that's where it came from, that's where it's major financial backing comes from and if it ever becomes law, that's who will benefit mostly......so on that alone I am against them.

But beyond that, I think that it's all of our responsibility to make public education work.......or terrorism will be the least of the threats to our future.

Len

But to the extent that an individual parent believes that the school system is incompetent, he or she is absolutely entitled to make alternative arrangements to educate the kids... private school, home schooling, etc.

Two things wrong with that:

1) I can't afford a private school unless I can offset my tax burden.
2) Home school isn't an option because I'm not qualified to teach nor is my wife.

There are other public schools in the area that we'd be happy to transfer to IF it were allowed. It isn't though. We've checked. Several times.

the local police force isn't performing, you'll support the county paying me to hire private security?

len

I would support you taking your taxes to another county.

I would support you taking your taxes to another county.

someone unhappy with their local schools can do.

Like i said...no difference.

len

it's exactly the same thing.......Education has a larger impact on more people than crime.

They are both public services, funded for the benefit of society at large.
Vote the school board out same way you'd activly replace the police chief.

Ken, I believe your frustration at your local school perf is justified....unfortunatly, vouchers are a vehicle of the far right to find a way to fund faith based education with public funds....that's where it came from, that's where it's major financial backing comes from and if it ever becomes law, that's who will benefit mostly......so on that alone I am against them.

But beyond that, I think that it's all of our responsibility to make public education work.......or terrorism will be the least of the threats to our future.

Len


I can't vote the school board out... they're not elected. Worse yet, education just isn't all that important to the voters in my district.

Believe it or not, I don't have a problem with vouchers being used to send kids to religious schools, so long as the vouchers are available to all regardless. The SC has backed the use of public funds for religious purposes in the past and will likely continue to do so and I don't think that is out of line with the original intention of the FFs. I find vouchers much more palatable then the efforts being made to force ID and other religious dogma on all.

The biggest frustration of all is that, even if I could vote them out, by the time any meaningful change was made, my kid would be in high school. Whereas, with freedom to select a school, I could pick the best fit for my kid and get results in time to mean something.

I can't vote the school board out... they're not elected. Worse yet, education just isn't all that important to the voters in my district.

Believe it or not, I don't have a problem with vouchers being used to send kids to religious schools, so long as the vouchers are available to all regardless. The SC has backed the use of public funds for religious purposes in the past and will likely continue to do so and I don't think that is out of line with the original intention of the FFs. I find vouchers much more palatable then the efforts being made to force ID and other religious dogma on all.

The biggest frustration of all is that, even if I could vote them out, by the time any meaningful change was made, my kid would be in high school. Whereas, with freedom to select a school, I could pick the best fit for my kid and get results in time to mean something.

it's an all to familiar lament.......& I feel your frustration. I've been there. We ended up moving into a different school district in a smaller house just to get our kids in better schools. We too couldn't afford private schools.

Vouchers will lead to privatization.........there has to be a better solution.

But you're right, your kids are being educated now........which is why we made the decision we did. We thought about supplimenting the public education with at home, at night teaching, but my wife & I knew we weren't disciplined enough to do this.

I wish you luck.

Len

it's an all to familiar lament.......& I feel your frustration. I've been there. We ended up moving into a different school district in a smaller house just to get our kids in better schools. We too couldn't afford private schools.

Vouchers will lead to privatization.........there has to be a better solution.

But you're right, your kids are being educated now........which is why we made the decision we did. We thought about supplimenting the public education with at home, at night teaching, but my wife & I knew we weren't disciplined enough to do this.

I wish you luck.

Len

I don't like the thought of abandoning the system. We've been looking at relocating and even *shudder* Catholic school (that should give you an idea of just how desperate we are). I only have one chance to do right for my kid in this. I gotta make it count.

Well, you can move.

I don't mean to be glib. I know it is tough. But when a parent proposes to take his PPOR (per-pupil operating revenue) to spend elsewhere, it isn't just taking "his money." It is taking part of the collective dollars that fund special education, subsidized hot lunch programs, buildings and books. Penalizing the school system is NOT the answer.

And yes, there are lots of things some of us cannot afford because we pay to support schools. Some of those items are luxuries (vacations, a new bike) but they might also be very real (medical care). But the minute we start trying to decide who has a good enough reason not to pay their fare share for our public education system, we're in deep doo-doo.

Setting aside the religious education/public dollar issue that Len flagged, vouchers are just bad PUBLIC policy. They might be nice on a private level, but...

I don't like the thought of abandoning the system. We've been looking at relocating and even *shudder* Catholic school (that should give you an idea of just how desperate we are). I only have one chance to do right for my kid in this. I gotta make it count.

But your last sentance kinda sets your direction.

Good luck

Len

Well, you can move.

I don't mean to be glib. I know it is tough. But when a parent proposes to take his PPOR (per-pupil operating revenue) to spend elsewhere, it isn't just taking "his money." It is taking part of the collective dollars that fund special education, subsidized hot lunch programs, buildings and books. Penalizing the school system is NOT the answer.

And yes, there are lots of things some of us cannot afford because we pay to support schools. Some of those items are luxuries (vacations, a new bike) but they might also be very real (medical care). But the minute we start trying to decide who has a good enough reason not to pay their fare share for our public education system, we're in deep doo-doo.

Setting aside the religious education/public dollar issue that Len flagged, vouchers are just bad PUBLIC policy. They might be nice on a private level, but...


Doesn't moving have the exact same effect on the district as a voucher? Also, in my case, moving would also likely result in a loss of revenue for the district/state... if I were going to do it in today's housing market, I'd rent instead.

I admit that I'd rather see the elimination of tenure at all levels of public education, annual performance reviews that include parent evaluations as part of the scoring and two year school board election cycles.

Doesn't moving have the exact same effect on the district as a voucher? Also, in my case, moving would also likely result in a loss of revenue for the district/state... if I were going to do it in today's housing market, I'd rent instead.

I admit that I'd rather see the elimination of tenure at all levels of public education, annual performance reviews that include parent evaluations as part of the scoring and two year school board election cycles.

Our kids were literally bored to tears in a substandard school. It was in a nice suburb and had good funding. We were constantly in the schools, volunteering to help and pushing the teachers to challenge our kids. The admisntrators were focused on getting students to the "proficient" level on standardized test. If a student was excelling in a subject, they would be sent to the back of the room to play on a computer while teachers focused on the other kids. We talked to many other parents and found that they were all happy with their kids getting A's and B's for mediocre work. Unless a crtical mass of parents demand excellence from a school, the school will fail. Show me a poorly performing school and I'll show you a group of parents who don't emphasize education.

At this point, we would have eagerly grabbed a voucher and headed to a private school. Instead of paying for private schools we moved (at great expense) to a very good school district. Within a year (with summer work) our kids jumped 2 to 3 grade levels in reading and math. The funding per student is the same at the new and old school. The teacher salaries are the same. The results are dramatically different.

Parents need some choice in education. Being forced to attend a school purely based on geographic location is absurd.

school programs in your district?
We have been researching PS's for our daughter (she's 3) we're right on the border of 2 PS's. One is a good school that is getting better, one not so good. We can apply to the better one through a 'choice' program. Outside our district we have 3 public schools we can apply to through magnet and charter programs. Its a lottery getting in but we're try at each.

school programs in your district?
We have been researching PS's for our daughter (she's 3) we're right on the border of 2 PS's. One is a good school that is getting better, one not so good. We can apply to the better one through a 'choice' program. Outside our district we have 3 public schools we can apply to through magnet and charter programs. Its a lottery getting in but we're try at each.

We have one charter school within a reasonable distance but it's worse than than what she's in right now and we have the same problem with the magnet schools as you are. Ugh.

Our kids were literally bored to tears in a substandard school. It was in a nice suburb and had good funding. We were constantly in the schools, volunteering to help and pushing the teachers to challenge our kids. The admisntrators were focused on getting students to the "proficient" level on standardized test. If a student was excelling in a subject, they would be sent to the back of the room to play on a computer while teachers focused on the other kids. We talked to many other parents and found that they were all happy with their kids getting A's and B's for mediocre work. Unless a crtical mass of parents demand excellence from a school, the school will fail. Show me a poorly performing school and I'll show you a group of parents who don't emphasize education.

At this point, we would have eagerly grabbed a voucher and headed to a private school. Instead of paying for private schools we moved (at great expense) to a very good school district. Within a year (with summer work) our kids jumped 2 to 3 grade levels in reading and math. The funding per student is the same at the new and old school. The teacher salaries are the same. The results are dramatically different.

Parents need some choice in education. Being forced to attend a school purely based on geographic location is absurd.


You didn't happen to live in PG County, MD, did you?

I couldn't agree more with your point about the parents. There is a very small core group of parents in my kid's school that are very involved. The rest are no shows. Our involvement gets us labeled as troublemakers, mainly.

They're prepping for the standardized tests right now. For the past two weeks... nothing but test prep. I'd have less of a problem with the standardized tests if they were done on a random basis. Of course, the school would fail miserably if that were the case.

Moving isn't much of an option for us right now.

the Einstein Academy (90 plus percent on all testing) and a German Immersion program
Grant (Math and Science) Magnet PS
The Co Op (Music and Art) Charter
Explorer (charter)
plus McKinley PS (with an international Baccalaureate Program) this by some is considered the 'last choice' which is funny because it is a fine school.

So we have 4 lottery schools and 1 we can go to through 'choice'. We figure we're stting pretty. There's some houses for Sale in the hood, should I start shopping for you? You'd make a good neighbor, we can get the BBQ going, sit on the front porch drinking Pisco Sours and chew the fat.

I don't like the thought of abandoning the system. We've been looking at relocating and even *shudder* Catholic school (that should give you an idea of just how desperate we are). I only have one chance to do right for my kid in this. I gotta make it count.

What wrong with Catholic school? Went to a Christian Brothers High School which is Catholic school and the ratio of non catholic to catholics was something 1 to 1. It was pretty secular, tons of Jewish students as well. The non catholics took psychology and sociology instead of religion classes. Regardless the religion classes were more like history classes anyway.

Regarding vouchers. I figure the best way to do them is whatever they're spending per student is, just take half of that and give it to parents and leave the other half with the public schools. (Example: If the spending per pupil is $7000, take $3500 and give it to the parents who don't send their children to public school but rather to private school.) That way the ratio of spending per student in the public school would go up.

Take for instance 15000 student in a district. If they spent $7000 per student. Your budget is $105,000,000. If 5000 students left and went to private school the budget would drop to 87,500,000 but the spending per student would go up to $8750. It would also result in smaller classrooms in the public schools.

. Is your kid's teacher ineffective in teaching the curriculum to your kid? Is your kid's school such a mess that no kids are learning anything? Is your kid's teacher not assigning as much homework as you think should be assigned? What's wrong?

He's probably in an area where the parents don't give a rats arse about their children and the teachers are spending more time dealing more with discipline problems then actually teaching.

Where I live, they're some decent and very good public schools, but there are also some absolute horror shows that they call schools. The horror shows schools are mainly in areas that are lower on socio-economic totem pole. Funding isn't the problem, they get the same amount of money as the other schools, the population and family make up of the children that attend the schools is the problem

You didn't happen to live in PG County, MD, did you?

I couldn't agree more with your point about the parents. There is a very small core group of parents in my kid's school that are very involved. The rest are no shows. Our involvement gets us labeled as troublemakers, mainly.

They're prepping for the standardized tests right now. For the past two weeks... nothing but test prep. I'd have less of a problem with the standardized tests if they were done on a random basis. Of course, the school would fail miserably if that were the case.

Moving isn't much of an option for us right now.

We were labeled as troublemakers, too. One of my sons was in a class where they were taking 4-6 weeks to cover a chapter in a 4th grade Math book. I think that the book had 24 chapters and they were only on Chapter 4 halfway through the year. My wife and I arranged a meeting with the principal, his teacher, and the district math coordinator. I told them that I was going to start teaching math to my son and I needed a 5th grade book because we would complete the 4th grade book within a few weeks. They strongly resisted, but ultimately agreed to give him the chapter tests and let him proceed if he got 90% or better. Every school day for several weeks he went in and took another chapter test and finished the 4th grade book. He then compeled the 5th grade books in less than 2 months. Theh Schoool entered him into a regional math contest for 4th graders and he placed in the top 3. Of course the school made a big deal about the effectiveness of their accelerated and differentiated math program.

They're prepping for the standardized tests right now. For the past two weeks... nothing but test prep. I'd have less of a problem with the standardized tests if they were done on a random basis.

I don't really have much a problem with that, learning how to approach, take (test strategy), and prep for test is part of the education process.

school programs in your district?
We have been researching PS's for our daughter (she's 3) we're right on the border of 2 PS's. One is a good school that is getting better, one not so good. We can apply to the better one through a 'choice' program. Outside our district we have 3 public schools we can apply to through magnet and charter programs. Its a lottery getting in but we're try at each.
+1...they call it "open enrollment" here--you choose the school you want to send your kid to and you get entered into a lottery. If you get in you go there, if not you go to the school in your district as before. Really not many bad schools in Boulder though--I can't say the same for the schools I've been a product of. There are also multiple private and charter schools one could choose.

There was zero choice when I grew up. You either home schooled or attended the public school. Even the sole parochial school closed due to lack of funding when I was in grade school. Teachers sucked big time, but somehow we made it through and got to college.

Doesn't moving have the exact same effect on the district as a voucher? Also, in my case, moving would also likely result in a loss of revenue for the district/state... if I were going to do it in today's housing market, I'd rent instead.


I suppose it does if you don't sell your house AND refuse to pay the property taxes, AND if you leave the state entirely (since in most jurisdictions, part of PPOR comes from state resources, a bit from fed. grants, and the lion's share from local property tax).

There ARE better public schools. It sounds like even in your area there are ones that you'd like your child to attend. You can move and he/she can get a free education there, or you can stay put and do private school, or you can join a home schooling network. Those are your choices to make based on parenting preferences and economics.

But our system is built on the notion that the only schools provided at public expenses are the public "common schools" (the phrase used in many state constitutions). I find the request that we pay for anything else completely baffling.

But our system is built on the notion that the only schools provided at public expenses are the public "common schools" (the phrase used in many state constitutions). I find the request that we pay for anything else completely baffling.

JT & Len have said everything I would....my daughter is 2 and I am not looking forward to the school choice mess coming up......vouchers are not the answer, accountability is...

Two things wrong with that:

1) I can't afford a private school unless I can offset my tax burden.


Bootstraps Ken...you must not really want to make more $$. Mt. Biker says all we need to do is apply ourselves and the money will come rolling in. :rolleyes:

I don't really have much a problem with that, learning how to approach, take (test strategy), and prep for test is part of the education process.

This is NOT what these test preparations are. They are preparations to get high scores on specific standardized tests, not teaching how to excel tests in general. That is why they are so bad.The preparations would be much more useful if the teaching was as you describe.

I don't really have much a problem with that, learning how to approach, take (test strategy), and prep for test is part of the education process.

If it makes you feel better Ken my kid was sick the first 2 days of CSAPs...the teachers were freaking out that he was missing, but I wasn't really sweating it. :D

If it makes you feel better Ken my kid was sick the first 2 days of CSAPs...the teachers were freaking out that he was missing, but I wasn't really sweating it. :D

funny, I can't wait til my daughter is going through that:rolleyes: ......teachng to the test is not the answer......when 25% of the pop thinks the earth was created in a day is it any wonder we (as a country) suck so hard at math and science.....

This is NOT what these test preparations are. They are preparations to get high scores on specific standardized tests, not teaching how to excel tests in general. That is why they are so bad.The preparations would be much more useful if the teaching was as you describe.

Exactly. It disgusts me how they go about it like there's not a damned thing wrong with it. I can't wait until the night they have us all in to announce the results. I've got some questions for them.

Exactly. It disgusts me how they go about it like there's not a damned thing wrong with it. I can't wait until the night they have us all in to announce the results. I've got some questions for them.

Give 'em hell Ken!!:D

Buying a home by a good school is a priority when planning to have childern...

The school system has not completely failed all childern, it does need improvement and so I agree review is in order.

However, compared to many parts of the world we have it great.

Buying a home by a good school is a priority when planning to have childern...

The school system has not completely failed all childern, it does need improvement and so I agree review is in order.

However, compared to many parts of the world we have it great.
Dammit Ken...why don't you make more money so you can buy a better house in a nicer neighborhood? Are you lazy? All it takes is bootstraps my man! :rolleyes:

Buying a home by a good school is a priority when planning to have childern...

We did. Blue Ribbon school. Was the *primary* reason we selected the house we did. Drove our realtor nuts. Two years after we move in.... they redraw the lines and our kid now goes to a different school that's, well, let's just say, not a blue ribbon school.

We did. Blue Ribbon school. Was the *primary* reason we selected the house we did. Drove our realtor nuts. Two years after we move in.... they redraw the lines and our kid now goes to a different school that's, well, let's just say, not a blue ribbon school.


WOW, I'm surprised you didnt get grandfathered into it. I know when I was young, a similar thing happened but they let me finish the schooling.

WOW, I'm surprised you didnt get grandfathered into it. I know when I was young, a similar thing happened but they let me finish the schooling.

We were surprised too but we were essentially told "tough luck". Worse, my daughter took the bus to the old school, which was 1.4mi from our house. The bus cutoff is 1.5mi. The new school is 1.7mi yet my kid has to walk because there are sidewalks the entire distance. That 1.7mi takes her past the homes of no less than three convicted child sex offenders (all of which happened after we moved in). Again, we were told to pound sand.

The latest.... one of the teachers was losing track of homework that she sent home with the kids and was sending home duplicate work. She denied it. When shown papers that were already graded and returned she accused one of the parents of "altering" said papers. WTF?! Nevermind that the parent had BOTH copies......



All in all, this is the type of crap you put up with when the board isn't elected and the only care the general population has about the school system is how they can cut the costs.

We were surprised too but we were essentially told "tough luck". Worse, my daughter took the bus to the old school, which was 1.4mi from our house. The bus cutoff is 1.5mi. The new school is 1.7mi yet my kid has to walk because there are sidewalks the entire distance. That 1.7mi takes her past the homes of no less than three convicted child sex offenders (all of which happened after we moved in). Again, we were told to pound sand.

The latest.... one of the teachers was losing track of homework that she sent home with the kids and was sending home duplicate work. She denied it. When shown papers that were already graded and returned she accused one of the parents of "altering" said papers. WTF?! Nevermind that the parent had BOTH copies......



All in all, this is the type of crap you put up with when the board isn't elected and the only care the general population has about the school system is how they can cut the costs.

We vote for the school board, but it isn't much different from your description. That said, I am firmly in the camp against vouchers.

I went to three different high schools. One was public, one Catholic, and one "alternative". The alternative school was far and away the best (for me) because of one simple reason -- the student to teacher ratio. My largest class had less than 10 students. My smallest had three, me and two others. I could not goof off. I could not show up with no homework and not get noticed. The teachers could tell if any student was struggling or was not challenged.

All it would take is money, and I think it's well worth it. More teachers per students and the end of this silly emphasis on tests that prove nothing. Nobody in the real world is going to care if an adult aced their standardized tests in elementary-, middle-, or high-school. They will care if you learned how to learn.

Giving out vouchers and making private schools take all students would make them have the same problems. Private schools are so good now because they don't have to take the bad students, the disinterested students, the students with disabilities, etc.

All the more reason for private education. We're contemplating it...