So I was looking at my property tax bill and I'm paying 4k a year for the local schools. If I never have kids or send them to a private school I'm out a lot of money. I live in a good area with good schools though so I'd send them to the public schools. But if I never have kids, well I'm paying or their education.

What are your thoughts. Should there be public schools funded by taxes or should the responsibility of the education of the children you created fall fully at your feet.

I know Washington and Adams were huge proponents of public education paid or by all people via taxes, but they were Federalists.

I imagine the responses will all via party line. I'm conflicted. I think free education for all, including college (well not really free but you know what I mean) tremendously benefit our society. But I also wonder how it's my obligation to pay for some persons decision to have eight kids.

I would think that it is an investment. The better educated children are the better chances and a better life they will live. Which mean they have a better chance at a higher paying job which comes full cirlce back to the economy, which effects everyone. I mean I just think of it as investment.

You probably wouldn't feel so bad if the little kiddies you're supporting got better than a 2nd rate education run by incompetent Unions and school boards.
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did u go to school?

If public education isn't the most important function of government, it is certainly in the top few

tax cuts/credits for any family that chooses to send their children to a private school.

really shouldnt even be debated.

Private education isn't necessarily better than public. I would much more prefer my kid go to public school (if i had one)

 

Originally Posted by jetsjets1028

I agree that <strike>eliminating public schools</strike> not having free public health care would be a disaster, because too many people can't afford health care.

I'm not saying just saying. at least you can see how the other side thinks

I believe that we should be funding children's education from the age of 3 or 4 to 18. Where that money goes is a different story.

 

Originally Posted by dolphin13

I'm not saying just saying. at least you can see how the other side thinks

I know how the other side thinks.

However, like Public Education, the quality of our Healthcare will ALWAYS be inferior when it is run by the government, as opposed to being run privately.

 

Originally Posted by Leet8s

Private education isn't necessarily better than public. I would much more prefer my kid go to public school (if i had one)

I went to both private and public schools and tend to agree with Leet8s, but it would depend on the quality of education the public school offered. With private school I rolled into college and was prepared with good study skills. My freshman year of college was easy. My brother graduated from public school which he went to for sports playing purposes and didn't have any of that as a result he didn't transition so well. Also, some smaller private schools don't offer a lot of choices in terms of classes taken or sports whereas the public schools may offer more in these areas. I felt like private school kids were very sheltered and had some narrow views, so I often hung out with my public school friends on the weekends. There are pros and cons to each.

In NYC many Charter Schools have been formed and are TREMENDOUSLY outperforming reg public schools.

They are basically free schools that are only available to kids who maintain a certain level of grades. No religion can be taught in them so they are the same as public schools in that respect.

The unions are going NUTS because they only keep the best teachers and fire the rest. Basically people at the top of the Board of EDUFUCKINGCATION are complaining about these Charter schools.

Tell the unions to go fuck themselves when it comes to education if you ask me.

 

Originally Posted by Niceguy

tax cuts/credits for any family that chooses to send their children to a private school.

really shouldnt even be debated.

 

Originally Posted by jetsjets1028

100% agree, but it follows that making sure the system is working is also a priority.

Also, shouldn't one of the most vital functions of government be unencumbered by union interests?

I agree with you to a point here. I think some of the tenure rules that make it extremely hard to fire poor teachers are clearly bad and need to go. I've heard about how they waste millions of dollars in NYC paying bad teachers to sit in a room somewhere and not teach precisely because its so hard to actually fire anyone. That's clearly dumb.

However if you change that system, you need to also change the way that teachers are paid. Since in most places teacher salary is based on seniority, you need to make sure there are protections to prevent cash-strapped school districts from firing good teachers that have been around for a while just to save money.

I also think that funding should be increased so that school districts can offer good teachers salaries that are competitive with professional careers so that more really bright people can be attracted into teaching. For instance, (and I'll try not to toot my own horn too much here) being an AP Government or US History teacher would be an ideal career choice for a smart person like me in many ways. However, with the law schools I'm looking at, I can make $120k or more at age 25, versus...40k? 50k tops? starting off as a teacher. Even factoring in my debt from law school, the choice is super obvious. Obviously I don't think teachers should make as much as lawyers but the earning potential for a good teacher should reach into the upper middle class at least.

it does for the most part. my buddy kept going to school after he started teaching and now gets like 75k a year at a public school and just turned 30. pretty good deal imo. but it is true that the city of chicago public schools don't have the same amount of money to pay teachers as rich suburbs because the tax money coming in just isn't the same.