English Deutsch Français Italiano Español Português 繁體中文 Bahasa Indonesia Tiếng Việt ภาษาไทย
All categories

The private sector almost always pays better and works more efficiently. Most teachers complain about a lack of funds, red tape, and many other things, yet think that public education is the answer.

In my opinion, with the privatization of education students will learn more, teachers will get paid better, schools will be more efficient, teachers will have less beaurocracy, and everything improves.

What are teachers afraid of???

2006-08-02 10:38:35 · 7 answers · asked by Ender 6 in Education & Reference Primary & Secondary Education

"privatization" doesn't mean "only the rich can afford it".

Why do people assume that? Just because many utility companies are private doesn't mean that the poor don't have access to running water or electricity.

What if every STUDENT were given a private voucher that they could take whereever they choose?

It seems that people put up a wall as soon as you say "privatization" rather than asking "how could we privatize it AND solve current problems and make the system better for EVERYONE?

2006-08-02 11:01:04 · update #1

7 answers

i don't think teachers are afraid...just that they care....education is the right of everyone not just those that can afford it....not everything improves with privatisation

2006-08-02 10:43:37 · answer #1 · answered by uplate 5 · 0 0

The schools are full of young, new teachers, right out of liberal universities that teach socialism. So many believe that the government should take care families from cradle to grave. These new teachers don't cost the system near so much as the experienced, older teachers.
I believe that mandatory school attendance should be outlawed. It should be a choice whether our not one attends school. There can still be public education, but all parents should have the right to send their children to what ever school they choose. This would take care of the problem of discipline and overcrowding, because the students who attend are there because they want to be. I am a teacher in a public school, but I will never send my children to public school. I home-schooled the first four years, and then they attended private school. For those who think they can't afford private school, yes you can. You just don't drive new cars, have big mortgages, or go to the movies and out to eat every week. Make a choice and a commitment for the good of the children.
To answer the question:Teachers are afraid of change. They are afraid of not having the security and benefits they now have. They are afraid of being in a position where they are paid for performance and not by how much education the have. They are afraid of being subjected to the expectations of the private sector, which are much higher than that of a government run institution.

2006-08-02 10:58:27 · answer #2 · answered by Chemclueless 2 · 0 0

I can understand your curiosity as I'm sure much of the general public wonders the same thing.

One of the fundamental problems with privatizing education comes in the fact that the product "children" have so many variables (socioeconomics, religion, cultures, languages, learning styles and disabilities, etc.) involved that you can't have a blanket policy or strategy for success like you can in the private business sector. Building microchips or cars is a whole different animal than producing well rounded, educated citizens. Unlike in the private sector, if kids are failing, you can't fire them. You also don't have the choice of students. Schools are required to educate everyone (unlike a private school). Imagine being a boss of private business where you don't interview potential employees. You have to take anyone that comes through your door and hire them, regardless of his or her qualifications. Perhaps they can't speak English or have a severe learning disability or violent tendancies.

However, as a public school teacher, I'd love to see a private business give it a try. However, they must adhere to the same standards and expectations as any public school. I've heard about some private corporations that have tried in San Francisco but have given up as they could do no better (actually worse if memory serves me) than the public schools.

Vouchers: Correct me if I'm wrong but wouldn't private schools just increase the tuition if they knew public school parents out there wanting to go private had this extra cash? For instance, if private school X's tuition was $10,000 a year and it knew every family would get a voucher for say $4000 if they went private, wouldn't they just increase the tuition to $14,000? Why wouldn't the government just skip the middleman and just pay private schools directly?

2006-08-02 11:06:36 · answer #3 · answered by maxma327 4 · 0 0

Private schools can refuse attendance. They are a private business. Private schools can pick and choose. Not all children will be included, even with a parent carrying a voucher.

Notice what's happening as the weather worsens, with people trying to get homeowners insurance? Or medical insurance only really being available to people whose work provides it, because the insurance itself is too expensive?

Private hospitals turn away patients who are unable to pay.

Private schools are in the business of making money, just like any other private business. Do you think they'll want the kids that public schools currently deal with? No. Some parents are going to be running around frantically trying to find a school to take their child... and being unsuccessful.

And not all parents truly care for their children. I've seen enough abuse and neglect to shatter the heart.

2006-08-02 12:55:11 · answer #4 · answered by spedusource 7 · 0 0

I find that the teachers that are opposed to it are substandard in their skills. It's difficult for a public school teacher to get fired. Private schools use different standards and can fire teachers easier. Charter schools don't have to hire "teachers" at all but can use people that are highly accomplished in their field of study. I'd rather have someone that really knows robotics teaching my child vs. someone that has a secondary education degree and is regurgitating something from a textbook. If the teachers don't know the subject how can they really teach it?

The only problem I can see about going totally private is that there may be areas where people don't set up schools. The gov't would come up with some way to offer incentives to get one there and the kids may still be in poorly functioning schools because someone made a quick buck to put one there. If we paid teachers more, to make it worth their while to deal with the difficult cases, they may be more apt to go to these types of areas. I have a problem with the U.S. paying sports figures/actors so much money to behave badly in public and be rude to fans and we pay teachers so little. They are helping to shape the future of our country and we give it so little priority. Sad.

2006-08-02 11:43:13 · answer #5 · answered by freaking_morons_ugh 3 · 0 0

RESPONSIBILITY

According to our federal laws, it is the responsibility of the states to provide an education for children. State governments have evolved into spending machines. I have worked for a huge urban school system that has about 600 bldgs. Many of them are literally falling apart due to neglect over the years due to apathy, corruption, pay-offs to incompetent contractors, connected vendors etc. The system's current answer to falling scores is the private sector. 100 privatized schools are planned.

Why are teachers afraid? We really care about many things. Of course we care about ourselves, but we care about kids and we care about their futures. If we didn't, we would be in another career.

Privatizers can do what they want as long as they have a plan. They don't even have to have any money. The local government will give that to them. Their plan doesn't even have to be proven or even a workable one. They don't have to hire certified personel. They don't have to maintain the mandated class size that the neighboring public school does. Benefits are sub-standard. Unionization is forbidden. No pension is available for the future. We fear these factors because we know the reason...money and responsibility. Not only money and responsibility for the future of ourselves but for education and the kids that will have to endure through this experiment in spending.

Would you want to go to an auto mechanic for a toothache? How about going to a tax preparer to repair your bathroom faucet ? No you would call the appropriate professional for his experience. Privatization isn't interested in hiring the best teachers, it is interested in $$$ and hiring a warm body to follow a prescription.

How can the job be done at a lower rate so that a profit can be made. Profit! Who gains by that mentality? Not the students, not the teachers, not the community.

Stand back and look at the promises and ask for proof. Remember who is pushing this idea...the politicians who will then lose their responsibity of education when private industry takes over.

2006-08-02 20:50:00 · answer #6 · answered by tichur 7 · 0 0

Private schools (and parochial schools), if you will check around in your area do not pay better than public schools. In fact, they usually pay about 2/3 of what the public sector pays for starting teachers. Raises per year are much less. Though classes are often smaller, the discipline situation is not really a whole lot better. In the private sector, the teacher is expected to accommodate students who act up so that tuition money continues to roll in (parents are notorious for reminding private school principals how many children they have enrolled and how much money the school consequently stands to lose if "that teacher" causes them to have to pull a disruptive student).

2006-08-02 10:51:15 · answer #7 · answered by The Invisible Man 6 · 0 0

fedest.com, questions and answers