American public education - myths exploded

[Copernicus]

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" I don't have any kids, why do my property taxes pay for the education of others?"

The simple fact that you ask such a foolish question makes suspect all of your other ideas. Have another Duff.

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Perhaps because education of children benefits society as well as the individual children who are educated? Doh!

As I mentioned in the other education thread, I dont think vouchers should be for the entire cost per pupil in the public schools, though. It should only be for the direct costs of education, teachers, supplies, books and so on.

Those are reasonably flexible costs and will not be spent when the student goes to private school. (Reasonably flexible because you cant eliminate partial teachers, there are no savings until enough students withdraw to actually eliminate a job, then no savings till the next job etc.)

Relatively inflexible costs of building maintenance, utitlities, debt service on bonds etc. should not be part of the voucher money. The residual amount the voucher doesnt cover can be looked at as the private school family's contribution to the societal benefits of broad education, similar to the childless families.

[Meech]

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Why should some who do not utilize public schools have to pay for public schools, while others who do not utilize public schools not have to?

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Cause those snotty little brats that you are paying for now, will be funding the nurse who wipes your ass down the road?

Or, because it's in the countries best interest to have an educated society?

Or, so we can maintain a standard of living which we are accustomed to?

[VTDuffman]

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Why should some who do not utilize public schools have to pay for public schools, while others who do not utilize public schools not have to?

[/ QUOTE ]

Cause those snotty little brats that you are paying for now, will be funding the nurse who wipes your ass down the road?

Or, because it's in the countries best interest to have an educated society?

Or, so we can maintain a standard of living which we are accustomed to?

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Nobody other than myself is going to be funding my senile, vomit-covered wrinkly old self. But, you know, I do stupid stuff like save for retirement. You're missing the point, though. I was never arguing against my property taxes paying for public schools. I was arguing against the notion that some people should be able to not have to pay for public schooling because they don't use it, while other do have to pay for public schooling even though they don't use it.

The post before yours was better. You made the mistake of inferring opinons that weren't stated and answering questions that weren't asked.

[VTDuffman]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
" I don't have any kids, why do my property taxes pay for the education of others?"

The simple fact that you ask such a foolish question makes suspect all of your other ideas. Have another Duff.

[/ QUOTE ]



[/ QUOTE ]

Perhaps because education of children benefits society as well as the individual children who are educated? Doh!

As I mentioned in the other education thread, I dont think vouchers should be for the entire cost per pupil in the public schools, though. It should only be for the direct costs of education, teachers, supplies, books and so on.

Those are reasonably flexible costs and will not be spent when the student goes to private school. (Reasonably flexible because you cant eliminate partial teachers, there are no savings until enough students withdraw to actually eliminate a job, then no savings till the next job etc.)

Relatively inflexible costs of building maintenance, utitlities, debt service on bonds etc. should not be part of the voucher money. The residual amount the voucher doesnt cover can be looked at as the private school family's contribution to the societal benefits of broad education, similar to the childless families.

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nh.

[DrewDevil]

American public schools aren't educating people, though. They're failing miserably. Just heard on the radio yesterday that more than half the students in the 15 largest cities' public schools are not graduating. More than half.

The market would do better at educating people, and without having to resort to exorbitant property taxes.

[natedogg]

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Or, because it's in the countries best interest to have an educated society?

Or, so we can maintain a standard of living which we are accustomed to?

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Those are great goals to have. Just because one may perceive those to be the goals of our public school system doesn't mean that it actually accomplishes those goals or that it is the best option to accomplishes them.

natedogg

[pvn]

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The problem with the notion of vouchers is that if you allow exemptions for people who put their kids in private schools, you have to allow exemptions for everyone not utilizing the public school system.

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Why is this a problem?

[andyfox]

Additionally, in non-religious private schools, donations often are as much, or more than, the tuition.

Having said that, though, seems to me that parent involvement is a major factor in school performance.

[Meech]

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[ QUOTE ]
Or, because it's in the countries best interest to have an educated society?

Or, so we can maintain a standard of living which we are accustomed to?

[/ QUOTE ]

Those are great goals to have. Just because one may perceive those to be the goals of our public school system doesn't mean that it actually accomplishes those goals or that it is the best option to accomplishes them.

natedogg

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/agreed

[Copernicus]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Or, because it's in the countries best interest to have an educated society?

Or, so we can maintain a standard of living which we are accustomed to?

[/ QUOTE ]

Those are great goals to have. Just because one may perceive those to be the goals of our public school system doesn't mean that it actually accomplishes those goals or that it is the best option to accomplishes them.

natedogg

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/agreed

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but that doesnt mean it isnt encumbent on everyone to contribute toward the attempt at education, whether its their kids or not