School Vouchers
It’s been an odd turn of events that brought the school voucher issue to this blog, but I thought that it would be worthwhile to post on. My view is that vouchers would help our school systems. Due to good fortune, I was the beneficiary of Catholic grade school and high school (I didn’t walk into a classroom without a cross over the door until about a year-and-a-half ago). At these private schools, I was treated to a very, high level of learning and was continually challenged by my teachers to reach my potential. One major element that contributed to that quality product was the fact that my parents could have pulled me out of the school at anytime and take their business elsewhere.
Imagine two parents, both working full-time but unable to afford private schools, with two children in grade school. If their children aren’t progressing as fast as they should in math and reading, what recourse do they have? I suppose they could go to their school committee and complain, but will that even achieve more than a “we’re working as best as we can” from them? For these parents, I think that it’s essential that they have the option to better the lives of their family. Vouchers present that option.
I don’t think that vouchers will kill public schools, which is a valid concern by choice-opponents. Most programs that have been put forth only involve shuffling students within states or counties. This is significant because it means, since most spending comes from the state level, that it will not affect the amount of money that is going to public schools. It will, however, put pressure on principals of those schools who are losing students to find ways to improve their own schools.
Most importantly, in my view, if a city is losing a disproportionate number of students, this will be invaluable when it comes time to negotiate teachers’ contracts. Put simply, it’s a chance to break the educrats (educators + bureaucrats). Before you accuse me of gunning for teachers, please remember that it also cuts the other way and teachers will be able to show the high quality of their work by the desire of parents to move their children to their classrooms.
posted by Iconoclast @ 12:42 PM
1 comments
1 Comments:
To whoever originally posted this comment under 'Hooray Beer', I hope that you have no objection to my putting your work here. If you have any questions, comments or concerns, email me at jackmycroft@aol.com. Of course, feel free to keep on commentin'.
Thank you for listening said...
Horray for Pabst! (sorry to use this post)
Since I respect the ability of this blog to permit constructive discussion, I feel it is my duty to alert you to a recent occurrence on your sister blog. The axis of the right had a post that laughed at Hillary’s recent attempt at arguing against school choice. I posted a comment which was then responded to. I posted a counterresponse which has since been erased along with all comment except one by one of the blog creators. In hopes that your blog would pick up the issue and have some productive debate over it or at least acknowledge the sad state of affairs that would produce the situation, I will attempt to repeat my earlier sentiments, although I don’t know if this will live up to my true passionate post which was unjustly (as far as I am concerned) erased.
The debate over school of choice is an interesting one that has permitted mudslinging on the part of Republicans in the direction of Hillary. Her argument might have a minute bit of relevance but is a weak response to the question. I had said that the axis of the right is just fueling the left/right divide that both sides thrive off of. I find this utterly appalling and ineffective in regards to political change. With that aside, I will still address the actual issue instead of name-calling against either side Dem or Rep.
First, I will address school of choice in action. I have first and secondhand experience of the situation in one inner city school system. In this school system students are given the opportunity to choose between a number of schools. Most choose two of the smallest, yet cutting edge and effective schools. However, these schools can only admit a small fraction of the district population. Most students end up in their second or third choice. Students who are the most apathetic will all end up in the same school. Any teacher can tell you that a class with a few dedicated students can be managed exponentially better than a class with no dedicated students. This school oftentimes ends up as a horror show. The rest of the students end up in a school that they are not happy with, instead of the promising school that they had picked as their number one. These students realize that they have received the short end of the stick. Many of these students, coming from failure in their home-life and everyday life are likely to drop out because school has no meaning to them.
Second, I value firsthand experiences as I would hope most people do. I have talked with a seventy year old who has looked at today’s education system and told me that she sees little difference and the same problems as when she went to school. How is this so? There have definitely been some changes, but these changes are far from effective. Well one thing most politicians refuse to acknowledge is that the school house version of education that goes on today is ineffective at teaching students real-life skills. I believe the fear of being seen as a radical/crazy person, and the unwanted backlash that may go along with it, keeps politicians and others from seriously looking for true change in our educational system.
Also, I have work frequently with youth and interact with them. Almost all members of the community realize that the majority of students view school as boring. Students often see school as merely a means to an end, instead of an end in and of itself that can lead to personal growth. Those that see no purpose in school often drop out. The school house system has now been augmented by requirements handed down from above via older, wealthy white men who have decided that testing is the best way to measure students learning and what the students should be learning. These men determine the content by deciding what they believe is important for a citizen to know in order to be culturally literate. Yet, if you asked a current high school student, or even yourself to tell you why algebra or geometry was important, the majority would say that it was just something they had to take (unless they pursued math as a career). Sure, a variety of exposures to different subject areas is necessary, but how effective is the current method really unless we want to develop lethargically-minded youth who have perfected taking a standardized test? How personal is a standardized test? Does it really allow a student to show who he or she really is and what he or she has really learned? Think to yourself of the lessons you have learned and hold most value to. Are these answers you put on the SAT?
You ask: what is the solution? Well there is not a perfect answer that you can pencil in on a scantron. A good starting point is in Dennis Littky’s the big picture: education is everyone’s business. This book reshaped the way I think about education and suggests further dialogue on the issue. It has led me to consider much, much more than the disputes that our national politicians deem worthy. I believe high school is an important point where students (who many years ago would have been responsible for their own lives and family at that age) should be able to pursue something they view as meaningful, under the guidance of adults who can lead them through the process with an eye for gaining real-life experiences that will be useful once they move onto the ‘real world.’ Dennis’ school (although some argue taking it too far – but he explains his reasoning for doing so – since he had the opportunity) gives students an opportunity to integrate writing, math, etc. (all the essentials) into their work. Schools seem to teach students to be submissive and inactive. Just imagine how improved the students product will be (as shown by his high attendance and college acceptance rate) if they are doing something they like and are excited about. Just imagine if every student was studying something they were passionate about. America would indeed become the greatest nation in the world with all its members serving as democratic activists who will assert themselves for the greater good. However, some key strings hold us back…such as consulting firms, textbook companies, testing companies, and some administrators, as well as much of the public who refuse to admit that something big could be changed for the better. Has our president (or any president) even asked students what they think would be best for them? I think they would have some good answers, but hey, why should we trust a teenager anyways – they have bad judgment, right? Instead parents, politicians, even teachers decide what is best for students and the results, well the results is…what did you learn at school today? (shrug) I don’t know. A friend of mine is bringing a group of special education students to florida to work for habitat for humanity…and they are willing to stay late after school and fundraise and do everything to make it come true. They are excited and are students who did not work out in a normal classroom where they failed. Students need ownership… and the old way isn’t giving them the chance. I know Dennis admits in his book that his school isn’t perfect…but instead of pretending that offering a choice between two lousy school is a great step forward in national educational policy, why don’t we do a bit more? We need an iconoclastically driven approach to education if we are going to give students what they really deserve, that is training for life, not training to be a contestant on who wants to be a millionaire. This will not be easy, but our youth are the future and we can’t fail them any longer. At the very least offer more of this type of education as a choice and I am willing to bet that these types of schools will flourish beyond control. Sure, I have just ended by agreeing with school choice – but without dumping on anyone specifically but on everyone and with the purpose of creating meaningful discussion. I can see it. If only we weren’t holding back real education from taking place by arguing over petty issues. In closing, I am sorry if the axis of the right found any of my comments belittling – that was not the intention – I just wanted to move beyond picking on particular politicians when all politicians do not seem to be doing the right work for our children. I am not the perfect writer and I know you may pick apart some of what I said, but let it lead to productive discussion, for the sake of our country.
2/25/2006 11:22:29 AM
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