Are children of poor minorities best served by vouchers or being forced to attend failing govt. schools?

Question

I say the former. I think it is cruel to force a child to attend a failing school solely to continue the fantasy that the needs of an individual are best served by a collective.

I'm singling out poor minorities because they are the biggest "beneficiaries" of the status quo in the public school system.

Answer 1

I think parents should have every choice and every opportunity available for the education of their children.

If that means public schools need to 'compete' for students, then so be it.

Having worked with many schools, public and private, over the last couple of decades, I have seen everything from exceptional education with almost no resources to unbelievable incompetence with every imaginable resource.

If schools cannot be managed well, why should students be forced to go there?

Education is "The Great Equalizer" in every society.

Answer 2

School vouchers are ridiculous. If parents want their children to go to a better school they can get A. get a better job and pay for it like other parents or B. move to a better school district. Why is that personal responsibility doesn't apply when twisting something to denigrate Democrats? The hypocrisy never ends it appears. Edit: I do live in the real world. Life isn't fair, some people have more advantages than others thats just how it works. It's not the government or the taxpayers responsibility to provide the best schooling to all children. It's not their problem basically.

Answer 3

Poorly preforming schools are only part of a larger problem. We may focus on the school but what about the area the school is in ? The school is a microcosm of the neighborhood so why not make the area better along with the school ? Create more jobs, rebuild infrastructure. I see gentrification, not true rebuilding of poorer areas. It's great a child can get a better education by going to a better school (NCLB) but many of them still have to come back home sub standard conditions.

Answer 4

Vouchers are the way I'd go. Making schools compete causes one thing, causes them to produce better results.

Every year property taxes go up in my county, all to pay for the public schools. We are throwing more and more and more money at these schools, yet they are not getting any better! I'd like to know, what the hell are they wasting all that extra money on? They're probably just lining the pockets of the heads at the teacher's union or any other special interest group involved with big education!

Unfortunately, they make their argument, "It's for the children" and all the sappy morons fall for it! Reminds me of a South Park episode 'Gnomes'. The one where the kids try to stop the star bucks coffee spoof corporation from coming to south park. They say in there "Vote yes on prop 10, or you hate children. You don't hate the children, do you?" That's basically the mindset they try to instill in people when pushing big education on them.

Answer 5

I was a child of a poor minority family. My father did the simple thing of moving us out of the district and moved into a better performing district (He did this by getting a better job).Of course I dropped out my senior year as thanks to them...... that's what happens when you're a liberal! It's not so much a failing school but a bunch of loser kids unwilling to attend and learn at that school or those schools.


Husband of a teacher in West Phoenix (fortunately her school is above the state's expectations!)

Answer 6

Vouchers are best for everybody. They give students and families more choices. They give schools incentive to seek and maintain the best staff and most effective curriculum. They even help with poorly performing schools. Either the school tries harder and does a good job, or they go out of business, making way for a better school.

Answer 7

Public schools all the way! I just finished my first year at UCSD... came from a high school that is currently losing its accredidation. My elemetary school didn't have soap in the bathrooms, so I asked the principal why not... he told me that because our school was not a 5-star hotel, we could not afford to have soap. In 2nd and 3rd grade, my school didn't have working sewers. We had to walk two blocks down to use the bathroom - very hard for me because I had bladder control problems. I'm not trying to bittch about living in a poor town and going to shitty schools. The fact is, I got an education because I worked hard. If children want to learn, they will. You wanna know why high school kids can't read? I'll give you a hint: it's not because they're teaching Jesus in science classes. It's because a) they're immigrants who can't speak English b) their parents can't read and/or didn't teach them the value of literacy c) maybe they have learning disabliities.

Really, you cannot force a kid to learn. They have to want it. You stick a lazy kid who is ignorant of the value of education in the best private school in the country, he/she won't be any better off. Kids need supportive families who teach them to do their homework and study. Now that I've worked hard to overcome my circumstances, I don't want my tax money going to pay for vouchers. No sir, public schools are just fine!

Answer 8

All children should be required to attend the schools the government assigns them, failing or not. That way, no one gets any special treatment and everyone can aspire to the same level of mediocrity.

Answer 9

I think the little rich white kids should be forced to attend failing 'govt. schools'. The poor minorities should take their place at the elite prep schools so they can waltz around the halls wearing monogrammed blue blazers and be picked up and dropped off in a 'Benz or BMW.....

Answer 10

Yes

Force the public schools to become competitive and light a fire under the a** of those lazy unionized teachers