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Addressing the Propaganda
Against School Choice
Education/Nancy
Salvato |
December
21, 2004
- According to the author of
Privatization Zealotry, Marty Solomon, the only way to make a major
improvement in our educational system is NOT through privatization. He
believes there is NOT any one answer to the problems in the public school
system, regardless of how beneficial independent administration might prove.
This is because he feels that NO school can adequately address the
socio/economic situations that reflect a certain percentage of students who
make up the attendance in any one school.
But schools CAN address certain socio-economic disadvantages, depending on
how they are structured. For instance, I just read about a school, the
Academy of Alternatives, which, "is accredited for special, alternative
and private education.” The school is broadening its focus to include, "drug
and alcohol education, anger management, conflict-resolution, and life
skills.” What caught my attention is that there are five students per
classroom! This benefits the students because of the individualized
instructional setting. In addition, students need only attend school for
three hours to get credit for a full day of school. Hours usually reserved
for school can be used to work and earn income or get medical or
special-education services. Professionals trained to deal with
socio/economic concerns can be utilized to address any "baggage” these
children are carrying. By contrast, the one size fits all nature of the
public school system makes this type of personal attentiveness impossible in
the traditional educational setting.
Next, Mr. Solomon says that the demographics of a private school influence
academic performance. This is because kids from wealthier families attend
these schools and kids who misbehave can be kicked out. However, a study
issued by the London School of Economics and Political Science clearly
suggests that family income determines access to the best schools, including
state schools. It’s irrelevant whether the school is paid for by taxes or
independently. The neighborhood in which a family resides is the most
accurate indicator of the local school’s quality. A school’s quality is best
reflected in local house prices.
The argument that Edison Charter Schools haven’t performed nearly as well as
their proponents claimed they would, due to their independent status is
really inconsequential. Because they are independently run, if they fail,
they close. They do not perpetuate the status quo failure which exemplifies
many public schools.
Yes, NCLB has raised the standards and thrust high expectations on the
public school system. It was set up this way to address decades of gross
negligence thrust upon those who had to endure the "bigotry of low
expectations”; those unable to pursue alternative education because they
could not afford to pay twice for school (once in taxes for public education
and once for tuition). According to
Andrew Coulson, "Our high school seniors and recent graduates perform
abysmally on international tests of mathematics, science and literacy.”
In the interest of fairness to those of school age, forced to endure the
public school system because their families are unable to afford alternative
education, we must break the status quo by allowing our students to pursue
an alternative means to an education with tuition tax credit refunds and
tuition scholarships which help to cover the cost of the most appropriate
education available. Only in this way will the schools not longer be enabled
and held unaccountable for their failures to address the decline of our
schools.
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