Should we spend more on education?
L.A. Times
2013/02/06 16:00:00
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237 votes
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345 votes
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Not long after President Obama proclaimed in his second inaugural that "an economic recovery has begun," we learned that the U.S. economy actually shrank in the last quarter. Many economists believe this is a temporary setback. This recovery may be the weakest in American history, but the economy isn't cratering either.
Still, you can bet that if the economy continues to contract, Obama will propose the same remedy he always has: more "investments" in education, infrastructure and various industries of the future. It seems that whatever the ailment, Dr. Obama always writes the same prescription.
This is hardly shocking: Building roads and schools is a big reason why God created Democrats in the first place. And identifying the Next Big Thing — and taking credit for it — is something of a vocation for many liberal policymakers. But are these really the drivers of economic growth?
Still, you can bet that if the economy continues to contract, Obama will propose the same remedy he always has: more "investments" in education, infrastructure and various industries of the future. It seems that whatever the ailment, Dr. Obama always writes the same prescription.
This is hardly shocking: Building roads and schools is a big reason why God created Democrats in the first place. And identifying the Next Big Thing — and taking credit for it — is something of a vocation for many liberal policymakers. But are these really the drivers of economic growth?
Read More: http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/commentary/la-...
Make it easier for US Citizen Kids to gain entry over foreign students.
- If the child acts up in school in addition to getting detention or suspension the parents should get fined like a parking ticket.
- If the child gets below a C in any course the Parents should be fined for that as well. The fine should be half the amount it cost to teach a public school child one class for a D and the full amount for an F. (Negotiable)
- If the student is persistently tardy or absent and there is no medical reason, the parent should receive a fine as well.
(2) There should be separate classes or even schools for those that get good grades and for those that do not. That way those that get good grades can move along at a quicker pace and are not distracted, and those that do not can get extra attention.
(3) Education should be moved to the state level instead of under the federal government. States have a much better knowledge of their individual districts and their needs than do the federal government.
(4) Instead of the property taxes of a local area going to the school, the property taxes of the st...
- If the child acts up in school in addition to getting detention or suspension the parents should get fined like a parking ticket.
- If the child gets below a C in any course the Parents should be fined for that as well. The fine should be half the amount it cost to teach a public school child one class for a D and the full amount for an F. (Negotiable)
- If the student is persistently tardy or absent and there is no medical reason, the parent should receive a fine as well.
(2) There should be separate classes or even schools for those that get good grades and for those that do not. That way those that get good grades can move along at a quicker pace and are not distracted, and those that do not can get extra attention.
(3) Education should be moved to the state level instead of under the federal government. States have a much better knowledge of their individual districts and their needs than do the federal government.
(4) Instead of the property taxes of a local area going to the school, the property taxes of the state should go to the school. This will even out the differentiation in funding from suburb schools over the inner city schools.
(5) Offer a school voucher program for children to go to a private school for up to the cost it takes to educate a child in the public school.
So what does everyone think?
Is this at aleast a good starting point?
I don't care about private schools. I oppose voucher programs that take money from public schools to fund private schools. You may walk to work, but we still use your tax dollars to fix pot holes.
Some states, like Georgia, would have classes on creationism and astrology instead of biology and astronomy. So, I don't know about moving education away from federal oversight.
Your other suggestions seem reasonable. Parents must assume a role.
I, too, would like the option to dictate exactly where my tax dollars go. Instead of spending my money on foreign military bases, I would like a voucher to help pay off the mortgage on my house. However, I realize that is not how taxes work.
I do not think unionism, socialism or anti-capitalism is being shoved down student's throats. Do you have any data to support this contention?
I have no children. This was a choice my wife and I made together. Should we be allowed to get an educational voucher to further our own education?
Education and economic opportunity are the two items that have been demonstrated time and time again to reduce crime and improve society. It is money that is well spent.
We can pay for it by gutting the needless military budget.
For the sake of your point, let us say that the total required is 300 billion dollars a year. We could afford this if we cut our bloated military budget in half.
Meanwhile thousands of jobs go wanting because we do not have enough folks trained to do "common" but skilled labor
What is costly is when the school district's attorneys have to try and defend an administrator who tries to fire someone without following the contract or having a document trail. You have not convinced me that the problem has anything to do with a cumbersome process, the teachers' union and not bad administration. If fact, from the contracts I've read, the process is anything but cumbersome. I would highly recommend actually reading your district's contract instead of making generalized claims you hear on talk radio.
If you believe all districts are the same then regardless of where you get your information from, by definition you would be a "sheeple."
From what you wrote I clearly cannot make an assumption either way on what your beliefs are so for that I am sorry.