It’s Time to Start Rethinking Who Educates Our Kids

[DDTSGM]

Isn't the question really, "Might more kids be benefited by a voucher system or by the current system"?

Not every child, of course. It's unrealistic that any program would result in high academic achievement for every student. But there is, in my mind, a proven program that would yield a better overall result for more children. The program referrenced is home schooling, and vouchers make make home schooling more likely.

If there's a better alternative, perhaps someone could put it on the table where we could look at it.


Duces

This is the way I see it - we should strive to come as close as possible to equal educational opportunities for all students.

The problem is that vouchers/magnet schools.charter schools, etc. only benefit those kids who have parents that are savvy enough and financially able to take advantage of such programs.

I don't think my kids should get a better public education than my neighbor's kids just because I'm smart enough to work the angles, or my job is flexible enough to allow me to take my kid to an out of district school.

It seems to me that too many kids are 'punished' because of their parent's actions or shortcomings, I don't think it should carry forward to the education system.

Therefore, my premise: we should strive to come as close as possible to equal educational opportunities for all students.

[AMC]

This is the way I see it - we should strive to come as close as possible to equal educational opportunities for all students.

The problem is that vouchers/magnet schools.charter schools, etc. only benefit those kids who have parents that are savvy enough and financially able to take advantage of such programs.

I don't think my kids should get a better public education than my neighbor's kids just because I'm smart enough to work the angles, or my job is flexible enough to allow me to take my kid to an out of district school.

It seems to me that too many kids are 'punished' because of their parent's actions or shortcomings, I don't think it should carry forward to the education system.

Therefore, my premise: we should strive to come as close as possible to equal educational opportunities for all students.

While I agree with the sentiment, this can easily lead to the Quest for Cosmic Justice that is the root of all our current problems. We need to strive to improve, but recognize that the "it takes a village" bullshit is just that.

[Totem Polar]

Well, the Chester County, PA elementary schools took an interesting field trip.

https://hotair.com/david-strom/2022/...a-drag-n517290

Alice in Wonderland complete with a twerking drag queen Cheshire cat and and a neon sign that reads, “It’s Not Going to Lick Itself.”

If this pic and the accompanying story is real, we might soon be approaching the tar and feather the school administrator stage of devolution:

[Sensei]

Yeah @AMC, I’m not so sure that I agree with the sentiment - not even a little. If we take Dan’s suggestion to its logical conclusion, people like me shouldn’t be able to use our wealth to send our kids to private school or homeschool because it would be too much of an advantage over kids whose parents suck. Needless to say, I have a much more, shall we say, “evolved,” opinion that is essentially the opposite.

Think of it this way: not only am I training and educating my kid to compete against my shithead neighbor’s, I’m also equipping mine with a KAC and a Nighthawk Custom…

[FNFAN]

This is the way I see it - we should strive to come as close as possible to equal educational opportunities for all students.

The problem is that vouchers/magnet schools.charter schools, etc. only benefit those kids who have parents that are savvy enough and financially able to take advantage of such programs.

I don't think my kids should get a better public education than my neighbor's kids just because I'm smart enough to work the angles, or my job is flexible enough to allow me to take my kid to an out of district school.

It seems to me that too many kids are 'punished' because of their parent's actions or shortcomings, I don't think it should carry forward to the education system.

Therefore, my premise: we should strive to come as close as possible to equal educational opportunities for all students.

Agree with your premise. The reality is that more and more schools are providing meals before, during and after classes and in some areas, launder the children's clothes because the parents won't or don't have the resources to do so. I don't have an answer for the situation. When you have states that don't require basic skills for for high school graduation, you can bet the actual results achieved in public education are even bleaker than we are aware of.

[TheNewbie]

This is the way I see it - we should strive to come as close as possible to equal educational opportunities for all students.

The problem is that vouchers/magnet schools.charter schools, etc. only benefit those kids who have parents that are savvy enough and financially able to take advantage of such programs.

I don't think my kids should get a better public education than my neighbor's kids just because I'm smart enough to work the angles, or my job is flexible enough to allow me to take my kid to an out of district school.

It seems to me that too many kids are 'punished' because of their parent's actions or shortcomings, I don't think it should carry forward to the education system.

Therefore, my premise: we should strive to come as close as possible to equal educational opportunities for all students.

People should be allowed to send their kids where they want, even if that means one kid gets a better formal education than some other kid. Trying to make things equal as possible will work, but only in making them equally bad for most.


Another issue is that if you send your kid to private school, or homeschool, then you shouldn’t have to pay any public school property taxes. You shouldn’t be paying property taxes period, but if we are going to have that horrible tax system, at least let the parents decide how and where it is spent.


My public school education was subpar, but the wisdom and values education I received at home was of the highest levels. Just because a kid doesn’t get the best formal education doesn’t mean they are screwed for life, but if they are filled with the garbage values found in much of the public, and private, system, then you may have a long term issue to sort out. If you can even get it sorted out.

[David S.]

This is the way I see it - we should strive to come as close as possible to equal educational opportunities for all students.

The problem is that vouchers/magnet schools.charter schools, etc. only benefit those kids who have parents that are savvy enough and financially able to take advantage of such programs.

I don't think my kids should get a better public education than my neighbor's kids just because I'm smart enough to work the angles, or my job is flexible enough to allow me to take my kid to an out of district school.

It seems to me that too many kids are 'punished' because of their parent's actions or shortcomings, I don't think it should carry forward to the education system.

Therefore, my premise: we should strive to come as close as possible to equal educational opportunities for all students.

The great debate: Equality of opportunity vs. equality of outcome.

[Maple Syrup Actual]

Next on the docket:

The delegitimization of home schooling and the cessation of colleges and universities acknowledging its merits

While this is a reasonable fear, I can assure you that principle—even lame ass neo-marxist principle—goes out the window when it comes to the bottom line. With the exception of maybe Yale after they went loan free, most colleges and universities are primarily obsessed with putting butts in seats and bodies in on campus housing.

https://news.harvard.edu/gazette/sto...homeschooling/



Although I agree that the business side of these schools will probably prevent this from being accepted on a large scale...I would also have thought that about a ton of other insanity that has been embraced by the HR department Karens who inexplicably seem to have seized control of our institutions, and I've been pretty consistently wrong about the lines that wouldn't be crossed because they were too obviously, self-evidently, destructive and untenable in the long term.

I will admit that I woke up at 3 this morning, dragged out of sleep by a deep sense of foreboding about where my own country is headed, so you're not getting my most optimistic take here. But I worry deeply about the future of the West.

[RoyGBiv]

This is the way I see it - we should strive to come as close as possible to equal educational opportunities for all students.

The problem is that vouchers/magnet schools.charter schools, etc. only benefit those kids who have parents that are savvy enough and financially able to take advantage of such programs.

I don't think my kids should get a better public education than my neighbor's kids just because I'm smart enough to work the angles, or my job is flexible enough to allow me to take my kid to an out of district school.

It seems to me that too many kids are 'punished' because of their parent's actions or shortcomings, I don't think it should carry forward to the education system.

Therefore, my premise: we should strive to come as close as possible to equal educational opportunities for all students.

Perfection is the enemy of progress.
Vouchers will create more education options for everyone.
People who are slow on the uptake will still benefit from having more options explained to them once they are made available through the actions of early adopters.

[Totem Polar]

https://news.harvard.edu/gazette/sto...homeschooling/



Although I agree that the business side of these schools will probably prevent this from being accepted on a large scale...I would also have thought that about a ton of other insanity that has been embraced by the HR department Karens who inexplicably seem to have seized control of our institutions, and I've been pretty consistently wrong about the lines that wouldn't be crossed because they were too obviously, self-evidently, destructive and untenable in the long term.

I will admit that I woke up at 3 this morning, dragged out of sleep by a deep sense of foreboding about where my own country is headed, so you're not getting my most optimistic take here. But I worry deeply about the future of the West.

I stand corrected.