Commentary: McCain right, Obama wrong on school vouchers

[Gunny]

By Roland S. Martin
CNN Contributor

ACCRA, Ghana (CNN) -- "All I want is for my children to get the best education they can."

That statement, along with so many others, has been a consistent one that I've heard on my radio show and in discussions with parents for years, especially those whose children are stuck in inner-city schools with decrepit buildings and a lack of critical resources.

And for the past 20 years, one of the most talked-about solutions for parents stuck in dead-end, failing schools is to give them the option to use vouchers to send their children someplace where they could get a quality education.

Republicans have made vouchers a linchpin of their education overhaul initiatives. Democrats have steadfastly refused, saying it would take vital dollars out of the public school system.

more ... Commentary: McCain right, Obama wrong on school vouchers - CNN.com

 

[Chris]

By Roland S. Martin
CNN Contributor


more ... Commentary: McCain right, Obama wrong on school vouchers - CNN.com

You went to a public school, didn't you?

 

[RetiredGySgt]

You went to a public school, didn't you?

The point?

 

[Dirt McGirt]

I'm against school vouchers because of religious schools. I don't want my tax dollars going to mosques or fundamentalist Churches trying to pawn themselves off as learning institutions.

 

[Jon]

I'm against school vouchers because of religious schools. I don't want my tax dollars going to mosques or fundamentalist Churches trying to pawn themselves off as learning institutions.

Most religious private institutions are much better than a lot of inner city public schools.

I agree with vouchers for two reasons, both of which are stated in the article given:

1. They give kids a chance to get a better education NOW.
2. They force public schools to shape up and take education seriously.

 

[CharlestonChad]

Vouchers basically let the parent pick the school, right? If so, then how are inner city kids going to get to better schools if they can't afford transportation? Do we expect buses to run all over the place to pick up kids? I just don't see how this is possible since there will still be the same number of kids in crappy schools and nice ones. And the teachers seem to disagree with it, while the politicians are for it. The teachers likely have a better perspective, IMO.

 

[Jon]

Vouchers basically let the parent pick the school, right? If so, then how are inner city kids going to get to better schools if they can't afford transportation? Do we expect buses to run all over the place to pick up kids? I just don't see how this is possible since there will still be the same number of kids in crappy schools and nice ones. And the teachers seem to disagree with it, while the politicians are for it. The teachers likely have a better perspective, IMO.

The teachers in inner city schools do, yes.

Why? Because they don't want to lose their jobs for being horrible teachers.

 

[random3434]

The teachers in inner city schools do, yes.

Why? Because they don't want to lose their jobs for being horrible teachers.

I have a question for you jsanders.

How many inner city classroom teachers have you observed?

 

[Charles_Main]

I am for them, because I am for people have choice in their lives. They pay taxes, let the decide where to spend them, and on what schools.

 

[Jon]

I have a question for you jsanders.

How many inner city classroom teachers have you observed?

A handful, when I worked with the Teach for America program.

Do I think all inner city teachers are bad? Heck no. Do I think all rural areas have great teachers? Heck no. I think public education needs an entire reform, but it's not an issue the President has anything to do with. It's a state issue, and should remain as such.

 

[CharlestonChad]

The teachers in inner city schools do, yes.

Why? Because they don't want to lose their jobs for being horrible teachers.

Ummm, inner city teachers are frequently the best in the whole education system. My mother started out in an inner city, and as far as I know, she was regarded as one of the best teachers in the state.
The schools are so terrible because they won't get the same money as suburban schools. Property tax, in SC, pays for schools. 500 kids with lower class parents won't have the same $$ as 500 kids with middle/upper class parents.
How do you think teachers are going to lose their jobs? The demand is greater than the supply in that job market. It's not like just because 10000 kids want to go to the best school, that 10000 kids will get to use their vouchers at the same place. Only 500 or so will. So what happens to the other 9500? The same teachers as before will welcome them back to their lower budget schools.

 

[CharlestonChad]

I am for them, because I am for people have choice in their lives. They pay taxes, let the decide where to spend them, and on what schools.

Charles, 10000 kids might want to go to the best school that only houses 500. What do we do?

 

[Charles_Main]

Charles, 10000 kids might want to go to the best school that only houses 500. What do we do?

Cross that bridge when we get there? hell I don't know man, I do not pretend to have all the answers, I was simply stating my opinion.

 

[Shogun]

Thats an awfully huge bump down the road though. the only reason private schools have a better graduation rate than public schools is because of their exclusivity. Post-vouchers, the masses switch institutions and the same problems happen in a different location. I'm reminded of the lack of viruses for Macs. It's not because apple products are impregnable, it's because the statistic majority uses pcs. If macs held the market share that PCs do, we'd see the same nefarious programs sneaking onto apple products.


I say stop having a tug of war between public and private and invest in worthwhile positive reinforcment to motivate kids to excel beyond "well, you should just be happy to learn".

 

[Charles_Main]

I say stop having a tug of war between public and private and invest in worthwhile positive reinforcment to motivate kids to excel beyond "well, you should just be happy to learn".

Sound good, but them it seems to me we keep throwing money at the public schools and the keep failing our kids. By failing I do not mean flunking, I mean not giving them a good education. (just so there can be no question what I meant)

 

[random3434]

A handful, when I worked with the Teach for America program.

Do I think all inner city teachers are bad? Heck no. Do I think all rural areas have great teachers? Heck no. I think public education needs an entire reform, but it's not an issue the President has anything to do with. It's a state issue, and should remain as such.

We agree on that. All I know is the teachers I have worked with the past 11 years in our inner city school are hard working, dedicated teachers. A lot of them have been there 15-25 years, driving 40-50 miles round trip each day to teach in our school. Would we like air conditioning in our building and computers for our students? Sure. But we don't have things like that, and we manage to teach 700 elementary students the basics, and prepare them for the government mandated tests they have to take.

I've said it before and I'll say it again, NCLB needs to be reformed, and each STATE needs to make it's own agendas for the schools.

 

[Charles_Main]

Maybe a better way than vouchers is out there. How about tax breaks for people who send their people to private schools? To off set the taxes they pay for public schools.

just a thought.

 

[Jon]

Maybe a better way than vouchers is out there. How about tax breaks for people who send their people to private schools? To off set the taxes they pay for public schools.

just a thought.

Then the rich will benefit from tax breaks because they can already afford to send their kids to private schools. Just what we need, another reason for the poor to resent the rich.

 

[Charles_Main]

Then the rich will benefit from tax breaks because they can already afford to send their kids to private schools. Just what we need, another reason for the poor to resent the rich.

LOL, if they got a tax break to send their kids to private schools, that mostly or totally offset what it cost them, then why would the poor not be able to afford to send their kids to private schools again?

 

[random3434]

Wonder if they got tax breaks and vouchers?



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