On 18 Feb 2004 14:16:34 -0800, jim rozen
wrote:

In article , Koz says...

I have to disagree about the implication about the ADA portion of
education (not facilities) sucking from the schools. Actually there is
a VERY good system in place for kids with special needs. They are
thoroughly and properly tested to determine their needs, weaknesses and
strengths (shouldn't this happen to all kids) and an individualized
education plan (IEP is developed that emphasises the specific needs
(again, shouldn't all kids be taught to their strengths and weaknesses?)

OK hold on there *just* a moment. Sure there is a great system
for disabled kids in place right now. *Who* pays for it??

The taxpayer.

Yep, if you calculated 'cost to educate' for each student, the
disabled kids will indeed be costing more to the taxpayer.

But hold on now and be fair, the voucher proponents compare
private schools and public schools, and say 'hey, the private
ones are *better* because they do the same job - maybe better -
and they do it for less.'

But the private schools don't have to educate disabled kids.
So the comparison is faulty at least on that note and an attempt
to fund vouchers on an 'equal slice' approach is going to leave
the expensive kids out in the cold.

No..because there will be programs for those kids, as there is now.
Vouchers will not be mandatory, but simply another option for parents.


I sure agree that public schools can always be improved,

Now there is a candidate for understatement of the year.
but
my suspicion is that vouchers a)wil shift the same problems
over in to the private sector, b) not magically produce
more teachers to staff the influx into private schools, and
c) are probabaly a attempt to end-run the first amendment
issues so that parents can sent their kids to religious
schools on the taxpayer nickel.

What is the goal of a private religious school? To make preachers? Or
to educate children to meet standard criteria in an religous
environment? Seems to me that the religious component means nothing as
long as the child can meet the standardized testing requirements.
In fact, I could care less if the kid gets a bit of Druidism or
Buddhism or whatever with his education, as long as he can pass all
the required standardized tests. What difference does it make? Kids
today are getting an overdose of secular humanism with their public
school education, and I dont see you bitching.

I would advocate fixing the problem where it is, rather than
generating new ones.

Jim

Sometimes Jim..it takes threat to job and career to get people to get
off the pot. This is called in this case, Competition. And its a good
t hing.

Seems that 30+ yrs of bitching about the situation, tossing increasing
amounts of money at it, has only made it worse, so its time to try
something else.

Gunner


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