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At the school level the only ones making negative proclamations are the distraught parents blaming their child's low grades on his teachers. Nevermind that parents may not be enforcing good study habits or helping with homework. It's that frustrated working class sense of entitlement and the eternal search for all things "no maintenance"...including all that comes with having children.
At the school district level it's the same as at the school level plus all those people who either don't have children or don't have school-age children and are complaining about their school-dedicated property taxes. Nevermind that an educated community is less likely to have all those problems of an uneducated community. Nevermind that their school district might be having a positive impact on the market value of their home or attract new, expanding, or relocating businesses.
From all that is often said one would think our education system is as union-corrupt as some far-off, poverty stricken country run by a military junta.
Education simply isn't valued. If it were teachers would be around close to the top of all incomes for their educational attainment level. They aren't so, like most public employees, they're often given better than average retirements. But this public pay system can't keep up with paying an increasing number of retired teachers 20+ yrs. of retirement pay.
That's why property taxes should be supplemented with alternative local revenue sources for basic education and tuition paid by parents who want their children to have electives that go beyond the basic curriculum, as well as, a user fee for those who want their children bussed to school.
How about this
If you get something for free you don't take very good care of it.
IF
If you work or have to pay for it you take better care of it.
If you have to pay for your kids education yourself with no help(tax money) you will make sure your kid is paying attention in school.
The school will no longer be a daycare center but a school again.
Quote:
Originally Posted by LIGuy1202
That's why property taxes should be supplemented with alternative local revenue sources for basic education and tuition paid by parents who want their children to have electives that go beyond the basic curriculum, as well as, a user fee for those who want their children bussed to school.
The nation has a vested interest in providing both a minimum level of education for ALL of its children and it also has a vested interest in providing the best education for its brightest children, regardless of the societal or or financial circumstances of those children.
That is the system that is currently failing the nation interst as a vested interest.But we also know that its a false premise to start with. That has grown into a system that impedes and fails the brightest to allow the disinterested a equal chance and in fact poltically base edcuation at higher levels based on social intergation beliefs. Even colleges are not now based on getting the brightest edcuated but more on social equality. One only has to look at parents interested in their childrens edcuation in this forum that are moving. Perhaps the top proity besides safety is the local system ablity to educate and they are willing to pay addition for that.Its kind of like a economy;when it fails to produce what is really wanted then a black market to produce it appears. ti his is a timely topic because bascially looking at the future there will not be funding for politcally vested interest but actual return on investment.Because the education black market already exist in what the Op is suggesting.
The best school districts are usually in the wealthiest neighborhoods partly because of the high property valuation but also because the parents value education. There are some districts with high spending, often because of industrial property in the district, that still do poorly. Parental involvement is as important as per student spending.
The best way I've heard of to fix the education system is change to what they do in much of Europe. In these countries, the money follows the student. That means the parents are free to choose any school, and then the govt. sends the funding to that school, be it public or private. In this way the schools and teachers are forced to compete with other schools. Texas has this system to a limited degree. You have the option to apply to put your child in a different school system. If they have room, and want the kid, they can accept them and then the state money goes to the school system where the child attends school, not where the parent lives.
Sometimes I become a very arrogant elitist. This is one of the times.
I think education should concentrate on the smartest and most willing to be educated kids and just babysit the rest. I also believe education should be free to whatever level the student can achieve. The higher levels can be paid for by a fixed surcharge on the graduate’s income.
Someone has to pay for school buildings and teachers. Guess who.
Best stated as to whether you, the taxpayer, wish to send everyone to school at no cost to them unless they also pay taxes. In this event edu becomes a group purchase.
Problem then becomes the administrators who believe there is an infinite linear relationship between money spent and quality edu. We do this now at local levels and it is not working out well.
I agree since it takes money to build schools, handle the upkeep associated with this, pay staff, pay for books, supplies, etc. I just don't like it when people seem to think that illegals should get in-state rates to go to school when someone from another state can't get that.
Believe it or not the rates,absurd fees, and social issues that plague the education system was here well before modern immigrants. Most of you are offspring of immigrants(illegal as you call them) with no real ties to America.
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