Pass charter schools amendment, get back to fixing education in Georgia
Ask Georgians about education, and you’ll likely hear two things: It’s important to our future prosperity, and we’re lagging behind. They’re right about its importance. There is one area, however, in which Georgia doesn’t trail most other states when it comes to education:
Spending.
Not what you expected? Join the club. But Georgia ranked 23rd in spending per pupil according to the latest data available for all states, the 2007-08 school year. Further analysis by the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities suggests budget cuts since then have yet to push Georgia out of the top 30. We remain right around the middle.
Where we do lag behind is in the results we get for our money. Georgia ranks in the bottom third of states when it comes to proficiency in reading and math among fourth- and eighth-graders taking the National Assessment of Educational Progress, or NAEP.
The disparities show up all too plainly when one compares Georgia to the states with which we sometimes compete for jobs — states like Colorado, Florida, North Carolina and Texas. It isn’t even close: We’re above average among that group for educational spending but last or next-to-last in each NAEP category.
In particular, we spend about 25 percent more per pupil than North Carolina. Yet, students there perform slightly better on the NAEP across the board.
Other measures tell a similarly sad tale. Of every 100 Georgia children who begin the ninth grade, just 54 will graduate high school. Just 40 will enroll in a college or technical school, and almost half of them won’t make it to a second year. Only nine — nine! — will graduate.
“Too many [high school graduates] are coming and they’re not prepared,” Dean Alford, a member of the Board of Regents, said at an event this week sponsored by the Georgia Public Policy Foundation. The state, he said, spends $254 million a year on college and technical students who don’t last until their sophomore year. (Alford also presented the statistics about ninth-graders, citing research by an organization called Complete College America.)
Rising revenues may mean the end of cuts to Georgia’s education budget. But Georgians ought to question whether it really makes sense to add more money to the same old educational model that’s produced those lackluster results.
A key to improving the system, rather than merely pouring more money into it, is restoring the state’s ability to approve charter schools. Charters are public schools, but they give parents and students options while allowing for more innovation — and accountability — than traditional public schools.
The experiences of charters like Fulton Science Academy and Ivy Preparatory Academy, denied contracts or extensions by local school boards despite their track records of academic success, suggests local boards like control too much to give them sole control over charter approvals.
Yet, because of an egregious ruling last spring by the Georgia Supreme Court, the state’s ability to approve charter schools on its own has been severely limited.
This week, Rep. Jan Jones, a Republican from Milton and the No. 2-ranking member of the state House, officially proposed an amendment to the state Constitution restoring the state’s power to approve charters. The House could vote on it as soon as next week, and it deserves to pass the Legislature this year and be put to a voter referendum in November.
It’s good policy and good politics: A new opinion poll commissioned by Americans for Prosperity, which supports charters, found Georgians overwhelmingly believe parents know what’s best for their children and should be able to use the state funds allocated for their children at the school of their choice.
Respondents also said overwhelmingly, to the tune of 71 percent support, that they’d be more likely to vote for a candidate who supports school choice. A two-thirds vote is required in both the House and Senate to put the amendment on the ballot. You do the math.
We can’t afford for them not to take action, because we can’t afford more years of pouring more and more money into an educational system that produces diminishing returns. Again, you do the math.
– By Kyle Wingfield
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201 comments Add your comment
Former Reagan Republican
January 26th, 2012
1:57 pm
My son is in special education and no private or charter school will serve him due to the cost. The GOP does not give a damn about my son ,so I have left them.
Somewhere over there
January 26th, 2012
2:00 pm
“My son is in special education and no private or charter school will serve him due to the cost. The GOP does not give a damn about my son ,so I have left them.”
Perhaps you should be the one to care for your child. It’s not up to a party to care for your kids.
Junior Samples
January 26th, 2012
2:02 pm
Uga ‘99
“Discriminate? NO? Selective process for admissions….YES”
So we agree that Charter Schools are not public, therefore not entitled to public funding. Thanks for the admission.
clyde
January 26th, 2012
2:09 pm
Junior Samples–Where I come from Charter Schools receive public money in exchange for results.I guess that makes them public.
Sarah Coulter
January 26th, 2012
2:15 pm
Somewhere over there
January 26th, 2012
1:52 pm
“Are you freaks that obsessed with Obama that you have to turn the problems in GA (Say it with me “Georgia”)into an Obama bashing session?”
Speaking of freaks, when do you get out of prison?
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The day after you did!
@@
January 26th, 2012
2:30 pm
Former Reagan Republican:
You’re in luck.
Finding a school where your child can reach his highest potential is paramount for many parents. When their child has special needs, this can be a daunting task. However, for these parents, their choices have vastly improved during the last few years in the state of Georgia. The Georgia Special Needs Scholarship (GSNS) is now offered to children who have an Individualized Education Plan (IEP) in a Georgia public school. Students must have attended a public school in the state for a year to qualify. The scholarship can be used to help the child transfer to another public school which may better meet his or her needs or to attend a private school that is on the approved state list. Most parents opt for private school.
http://www.georgiafamily.com/articles.aspx?articleID=512
Hillbilly D
January 26th, 2012
2:33 pm
I’m just an old country boy but reading through this blog and many others like it, education seems to me to be used as a tool to make political points for one side or the other. Maybe we ought to find someplace else to one up the other side in the political fracas and try to help the kids, lest they grow up to be like us.
My view is, schools need to be under local control as much as possible, kids need to be taught the 3 R’s (if you can read, write and do basic math, you can learn anything else, if you have the desire), you don’t need to be promoted to the next grade until you have passed the current grade, and if we have a problem school, instead of packing those kids off somewhere else, let’s fix the problem school.
Somewhere over there
January 26th, 2012
2:33 pm
“The day after you did!”
Keep trying, cupcake.
Somewhere over there
January 26th, 2012
2:52 pm
Hey Obozo supports, EXPLAIN THIS!!!!!!!!
36 Obama aides owe $833,000 in back taxes
http://news.investors.com/Article/599002/201201260818/obama-white-house-staff-back-taxes.htm
Darwin
January 26th, 2012
2:56 pm
Americans for Prosperity is front for the Koch Brothers. Enuf’ said.
@@
January 26th, 2012
2:59 pm
Hillbilly:
you don’t need to be promoted to the next grade until you have passed the current grade
Easier said than done. Sometimes the secret to success is failure.
As one NYC school administrator said: “The idea of building grit and building self-control is that you get that through failure,” Randolph explained. “And in most highly academic environments in the United States, no one fails anything.”–Dominic Randolph
@@
January 26th, 2012
3:03 pm
5 MYTHS ABOUT PRIVATE SCHOOLS
They Are Only for Rich Kids. Private schools now champion diversity. Financial assistance is frequently available.
You Have to Wear a Uniform. Sometimes uniforms are required, but that’s often considered a positive. More frequently dress codes abound.
They Are Difficult to Get Into. In large cities, there might be a long list of applicants for a place, but usually not in Middle Georgia.
They Are Unregulated. Most private schools are regulated by state education departments. Most serious private schools are accredited as well.
They Are Better Than Public Schools. Actually, they are very similar in most respects except one: class size. Excellence varies, just as in public schools.
An honest assessment based on what I’ve read and seen.
@@
January 26th, 2012
3:08 pm
if we have a problem school, instead of packing those kids off somewhere else, let’s fix the problem school.
That, too, is easier said than done. The personality conflicts within Clayton County’s BoE are again raising their ugly heads. We just came off probation in May.
Hillbilly D
January 26th, 2012
3:19 pm
@@
Back when I was in school, all those years ago, there was always a kid, here and there, who had been held back a year, often that meant they went through first grade twice, but not always. You can’t learn from failure, unless you fail. Of course, after I got grown and out in the work force, you still have a bit of the same thing. The guy who can’t do his job, usually just cruises along and his work gets shifted to those who can/will do the job.
As for problems with the local school board, back in the old days, you either voted them out or moved. That’s one advantage of a small community, there is sometimes more accountability of elected officials. They know if they go to the store, somebody is liable to walk right up to them and tell them if they think they ain’t cuttin’ the mustard. They can’t get lost in a crowd like city/suburban politicians can.
Knew somebody recently told a higher county official that “y’all ain’t doing nothing but wasting money”. He said, “That’s what Mama told me”. “Well, you ought to listen to her”, was the reply.
Lil' Barry Bailout (Revised Downward)
January 26th, 2012
3:24 pm
My son is in special education and no private…school will serve him due to the cost.
———–
Uh, doesn’t the PARENT pay the cost for private school?
Sarah Coulter
January 26th, 2012
3:29 pm
“Keep trying, cupcake.”
*****************************
Try? I’m succeeding in trolling you. And cupcake is sexist! (can’t wait to see what response I will get to that.)
Why are the Republicans making such a big deal out of education? Only a few short years ago, education and intellectuals were deemed weak and elitist. It was all about the “Joe the Plumber” types that are just regular guys that don’t need an education because they work with their hands.
Make the charter schools vocational and tech schools so all of those “real men” can work with their hands. Problem solved.
Peter
January 26th, 2012
3:30 pm
I moved from Atlanta to Denver last year and have a 5th grader. We have just gone through the process of selecting a middle school for our daughter. BTW – I am a left-leaning moderate and I don’t want to gut public schools or fund private schools with tax money.
Denver’s charter schools are viewed more as partners than adversaries, at least it seems that way after visiting several neighborhood and charter schools. I think that has gotten much better in the last few years, after a rough start. While the money follows the child, there seems to be a fairly extensive integration of charters into the overall Public School system. They are not allowed to just do what they want, or to just take the best kids. Most charters allocate 40-45% of their enrollment to the kids on Free and Reduced Lunch (i.e. poorer kids), plus another preference for kids from their zipcode so local kids can attend the school close to them. However, the other spots are open to anyone else. That leaves 30-70 spots open to the choice process, depending on the size of the school.
Charters used to have separate applications, which made things harder on both the parents and schools, but have gone to a straight lottery process this year, which seems more fair. Just a few special schools still interview/test for enrollment. The Public School system runs the lottery, with a single form. You list your 5 preferred schools in order, the School System runs the lottery and assigns kids to the first choice if it has openings, or goes down to the next choice. (You are waitlisted for your first choice, in case they end up with openings). Your spot in the neighborhood school is protected until you enroll later in the spring. So, if you complete enrollment at another school, the system releases your spot at the neighborhood school. That pushes the local schools to compete to keep their local kids and to bring in kids from outside their area (since they get ~$7K per student). Some have added Honors programs or other special things in response to the competition.
As a parent, I was able to look at schools that emphasize technology or art, have honors programs, or are single sex. My daughter was able to spend 1/2 days at most of the schools to see what a day is really like. It was not easy to determine what will be best, but having a choice is great.
The highest rated schools are charters right now, and they have closed several neighborhood schools that were failing or had few students, with charters often taking over the space. But most traditional schools are improving and they are now sending asst. principals to spend a year at charters, learning from some best practices.
The great thing about the charters is their freedom to run very strict environments, with often longer days, and set very high expectations for the kids (like most private schools). It’s almost impossible for a public school to do that. Since kids and their parents choose to go a charter, they buy in and seem to act appropriately and learn more. I went to a charter in a poorer area, with 40+% kids on F&RL, and they sit upright, pay attention, and the school scores in the top 5 in the city on benchmark exams. Poor behavior is called out and kids stay late and parents are brought in to make sure it ends. So, kids are learning to behave and pay attention at an early age. The kids at charters also tend to spend less time in their desks, since research shows learning is better in small chunks, with a mix of small groups and whole class discussions. That means less lecturing, because kids brains cannot focus for more than 5-10 minutes when a teacher just talks at them.
Is it perfect, no, but charters should not be seen as the enemy. They can be part of the school portfolio, be held to the same standards, but given the flexibility to run in ways that public schools cannot.
BTW – my daughter chose the all girls school, which I don’t mind, since it means no boys during puberty. Their scores are excellent, they are in our neighborhood, and they incorporate daily exercise into their model. They currently have a floor in a church’s admin building, but the school system is working to find them space close by. Their goal is to get space enough to open a high school, too.
Sorry for the long post. Hope it provides a different viewpoint.
Jefferson
January 26th, 2012
3:33 pm
Take all control from local and fund only with state dollars.
Somewhere over there
January 26th, 2012
3:37 pm
“Try? I’m succeeding in trolling you. And cupcake is sexist! (can’t wait to see what response I will get to that.)”
Oh noes!!!!!!! Sarah thinks I’m being sexist. Oh well!!!!!!!
“Why are the Republicans making such a big deal out of education?”
Because we’re tired of people like you making everyone else dumber.
” It was all about the “Joe the Plumber” types that are just regular guys that don’t need an education because they work with their hands.”
Well, if you had half a brain you’d have paid more attention, cupcake. That had EVERYTHING to do with taking money from someone and giving it to someone else all in the name of “fairness.” It’s not the GOP’s fault you’re not smart.
Somewhere over there
January 26th, 2012
3:37 pm
“I am a left-leaning moderate”
????????
Dusty
January 26th, 2012
3:53 pm
Kinda hard to get the facts together here.
Kyle and TC give great support for charter schools which seem to make the most sense. For one thing, if Georgia is graduating nine students out of a hundred, then something really needs to change. We must try something.
I and my children all graduated from public schools and universities. We all received a good education. But times do change!! By the time my youngest had finished high school, I had made regular trips to school to report inadequacies and seeking remedies. Teachers who could not spell, principals who detained an asthma student from getting help, high grades being disdained, the reading of library books being discouraged, and much more. There was a lack of security with abundant evidence of drug use on the grounds. There was one drug raid by police and we live in a “nice” (but not wealthy) part of the suburbs!
When I see parents looking for something better than public schools, I understand. But parents who don’t care are also part of the problem. A child without caring parents is usually an uninspired student.
I do not believe that schools can replace parental responsibilities. They should not be asked to “shape” children, but educate them. Parents are the “shapers” and should never leave that responsibility to someone else, even schools.
Charter schools sound more like those that are trying to advance education for the younger generation. We must support all schools but realize that charter schools are looking like the best remedy for our sinking education levels.
Amazed
January 26th, 2012
3:56 pm
Charter School Dad
You do vote for the school board that hires the superintendent. There is your representation. Representation does not mean you get what you want. Just that you have a voice through the election of your board.
Former Reagan Republican
January 26th, 2012
4:00 pm
I know of no private or charter school that serves special ed students. I’m very happy with the education my son is receiving in public schools,but the GOP is determined to destroy public education and my son’s chance for a future.
Hillbilly D
January 26th, 2012
4:02 pm
It’d be interesting to know, of those who go to college but don’t finish, how many don’t finish because they can’t do the work, how many decide it isn’t what they want to do, how many have life change their plans, how many decide to go for a job opportunity, etc. I’d think the reasons would be many and you can’t really draw a conclusion without taking all that into account.
Of people I know personally, who went to college, most didn’t finish for a myriad of reasons, and most who did finish, never worked in a field that related to their degree. They’ve had all ranges of success, monetary and otherwise. Some have done quite well and others not so well, and often quite different from the results that would have been predicted for them, when they left high school.
C Jae of EAV
January 26th, 2012
4:02 pm
@Mary Elizabeth: I have to point out your statement “…..CHARTER SCHOOLS TO SYPHON LOCAL TAX DOLLARS WITHOUT ACCOUNTABILITY OR OVERSIGHT, WITHOUT ACADEMIC STANDARDS AND WITHOUT EDUCATOR CRITERIA CURRENTLY IN PLACE IN TRADITIONAL PUBLIC SCHOOLS.” is simply an outright distortion of the facts.
I offer the rebuttal that given the governance model public charter institutions operate under they’re more accountable for the academic progress they produce than we have experienced with traditional public institutions of late. Given that public charter institutions are directly subject to the parents who support them (some would say more so than in the traditional model), as well as the local boards they operate under and the state, I would have to say that if you feel oversight is lacking it’s not because there is not a mechanism isn’t in place to do it.
They operate with contracts that require the definition of specific academic progress goals and if they fail to deliver, then parents leave the school closes or the local board intercedes by some measure and halts their operation. Honestly, in my experience you get way more smoke & mirrors, shuck & jive out of local boards in the traditional model by contrast. Ask yourself how many traditional public schools are and have been failing to deliver sufficiently for the public they serve? Then ask yourself how many are closed on the strength of said failed mission? At best in some districts failing institutions may be closed due shifts in population which I would argue puts undue burden on families to pick stakes and wonder around like a gypsy.
I think as concerned stakeholders no matter where we stand on issues of public policy we need to be more honest about the underlying facts of the issues we’re debating. I don’t begrudge someone who isn’t in support of this particular bill or the idea of public charter institutions in general. But I believe until we lose a lot of the emotionally charged rhetoric & deal with what’s real on its face we will continue to put half-baked ideas and commit ourselves to shortsighted public policy.
Somewhere over there
January 26th, 2012
4:08 pm
” GOP is determined to destroy public education and my son’s chance for a future.”
Riiiiiiiiight, I’m sure the GOP is just sitting around wondering how they can hurt you kid.
You need to grow up.
Somewhere over there
January 26th, 2012
4:09 pm
“most who did finish, never worked in a field that related to their degree.”
yeah, there aren’t a lot of jobs out there for pottery, poetry and philosophy majors.
Hillbilly D
January 26th, 2012
4:10 pm
yeah, there aren’t a lot of jobs out there for pottery, poetry and philosophy majors.
That may be but I don’t know anybody who majored in any of those, so I wouldn’t know.
Dusty
January 26th, 2012
4:14 pm
HillBilly D, @3:19
Good story! “Well, you ought to listen to her.” (Your mama, that is.)
All us mamas been saying that for years.
@@
January 26th, 2012
4:16 pm
For one thing, if Georgia is graduating nine students out of a hundred, then something really needs to change. We must try something.
Maybe we could get the parents to reimburse us the cost of educating their children up to the point they dropped out. If parents had THAT threat hanging over ‘em, they’d probably get their heads in the education game. A financial incentive of sorts.
schnirt
TC
January 26th, 2012
4:19 pm
Former Reagan Republican,
You obviously haven’t read my earlier posts. Charter schools do have special education services – FSAMS is around 10% Special Ed/504. Are charter schools funded enough locally to meet their needs fully? Well, that’s debatable, but since they only get 2/3 per student of what other schools get, my guess is their services would be even better if the money went where it belonged. I’ve often wondered whether it is even legal that they can give less money to charter schools, and I wonder where that couple million dollars is actually going…
Somewhere over there
January 26th, 2012
4:20 pm
“That may be but I don’t know anybody who majored in any of those, so I wouldn’t know.”
Bookman’s daughter majored in poetry.
TC
January 26th, 2012
4:26 pm
Dusty, I think you’re right on, and that’s why charter schools typically do better than other public schools – it begins with the parents. The whole philosophy of the charter school is that parents are invested in their child’s education and want them to succeed. FSAMS has the best parents you could possibly ask for – they’ve donated enough money to have SmartBoards for all the classrooms (something the County could not provide), and in trying to help fix the gap from the local funding that will be lost when they go to a State Charter, they raised $300,000 in 3 weeks. With parents’ companies matching the donations of their employees, and with other companies who’ve said they’ll help, the school will be better off than they were as a County charter. The reason – these parents actually care about their children’s education and are doing something about it. This is not to say parents at other schools don’t, but nearly EVERY parent at a charter does – that makes a huge difference in education.
Sarah Coulter
January 26th, 2012
4:35 pm
” It was all about the “Joe the Plumber” types that are just regular guys that don’t need an education because they work with their hands.”
Well, if you had half a brain you’d have paid more attention, cupcake. That had EVERYTHING to do with taking money from someone and giving it to someone else all in the name of “fairness.” It’s not the GOP’s fault you’re not smart.
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Oh poodle, You are really are illiterate! Is reading comprehension skills something you lack? Were you too busy butchering the Queen’s language to pick up that skill?
My post clearly talks about the disdain that Republicans have for intellectuals. Didn’t some Republican say that the “wusses” were in academia? Or was that on the Fox News blog? It is hard to keep up with the idiocy.
Sarah Coulter
January 26th, 2012
4:37 pm
“Most charters allocate 40-45% of their enrollment to the kids on Free and Reduced Lunch (i.e. poorer kids), plus another preference for kids from their zipcode so local kids can attend the school close to them.”
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UGA1999 isn’t going to like that. I am sure that he will find a way to decipher that white men are being discriminated against.
Dusty
January 26th, 2012
4:38 pm
Hillbilly D,
I was going to tell you how my father and mother, my husband and I and four of our five children all went into work related to their college degrees. So it does happen.
Education was considered a necessity not a choice in my family. Must have started with my grandfather who sent six of his eight children off to college while he ran a little country store during the hardest of times.
Yes, I’m bragging but I am thankful for that legacy.
Somewhere over there
January 26th, 2012
4:38 pm
“Oh poodle, You are really are illiterate! Is reading comprehension skills something you lack? Were you too busy butchering the Queen’s language to pick up that skill?”
Deflecting won’t win you any new brain cells, cupcake.
“My post clearly talks about the disdain that Republicans have for intellectuals.”
Then again, you’re not an intellectual.
” Didn’t some Republican say that the “wusses” were in academia? ”
No.
“It is hard to keep up with the idiocy.”
No, you’re quite easy to keep up with.
Somewhere over there
January 26th, 2012
4:39 pm
“decipher that white men are being discriminated against.”
Bigot.
Dusty
January 26th, 2012
4:42 pm
Good idea, @@
Hit those failing parents in the POCKETBOOK. Your idea sounds workable!!!
Dusty
January 26th, 2012
4:46 pm
TC,
You are a great advocate for charter schools. I wish all schools were as successful as the one you described. We need to hear more about what we are doing right.
Hillbilly D
January 26th, 2012
4:48 pm
Dusty @ 4:38
Oh yeah, I know it happens but it’s not the norm. One of my best friends graduated with an engineering degree from Georgia Tech, years ago. He’s never really used it in his employment but he’s always been as happy as a dead pig in the sunshine, doing other things.
JDW
January 26th, 2012
5:04 pm
@Kyle…”A key to improving the system, rather than merely pouring more money into it, is restoring the state’s ability to approve charter schools. Charters are public schools, but they give parents and students options while allowing for more innovation — and accountability — than traditional public schools.”
Here’s the issue Kyle…on the surface data does not really show a correlation between Charters and performance. Below you see the top ten states in Charter School students, of which Georgia is one, and their 8th grade NAEP rank for reading. I picked reading because that is the building block for all else. What the data shows is that of the ten 4 are average, 3 are higher than average and 3 are lower than average….pretty much a statistical wash.
Charters are ok but I just don’t see how they are a significant key to the issue.
California 299,742 Lower that National Average
Arizona 132,229 Lower that National Average
Florida 131,183 At National Average
Texas 129,853 Lower that National Average
Michigan 99,660 At National Average
Ohio 94,171 Higher than National Average
Colorado 63,799 Higher than National Average
Pennsylvania 61,823 Higher than National Average
Georgia 47,697 At National Average
New York 44,000 At National Average
Source: The Center for Education Reform
Hillbilly D
January 26th, 2012
5:09 pm
How is the Charter model going to work in the many counties that only have one high school? Take property tax money from one county and spend it in another county?
Sarah Coulter
January 26th, 2012
5:10 pm
Deflecting won’t win you any new brain cells, cupcake.
*************************************************
Are you speaking from experience?
Then again, you’re not an intellectual.
*************************************************
Would you know an intellectual if it smacked you in the face? I seriously doubt it.
” Didn’t some Republican say that the “wusses” were in academia? ”
No.
*****************************
Liar.
No, you’re quite easy to keep up with.
************************************
>;^)
“decipher that white men are being discriminated against.”
Bigot.
*****************************************************
Sexist. So we are even! Now get a life, trollbait.
Dusty
January 26th, 2012
5:17 pm
HillBilly D
I agree that happiness can certainly be found and enjoyed with or without any education. Education is no guarantee for happiness.
But education does increase the odds of a better providence in the working world. And….where would civilization be without it?
I think we realize that intelligence is not measured by education I think education enhances what “came with us”.
In this day and time, advanced education almost seems a necessity. Recent graduates looking for a job may disagree with me saying it does not help. I hope they change their minds.
Somewhere over there
January 26th, 2012
5:31 pm
“So we are even! Now get a life, trollbait.”
It’s funny how you pretend to be an intellectual yet you haven’t written one single intelligent comment. Oh, and troll bait is two words, cupcake.
Somewhere over there
January 26th, 2012
5:36 pm
“In this day and time, advanced education almost seems a necessity. ”
Depends on what field you go on. Degrees don’t really mean a whole lot when unemployment is sky high. Besides, D’s get degrees.
GT
January 26th, 2012
5:38 pm
Aquagirl I bet most parents with kids in public schools couldn’t tell you who the principal was more less the elected official who runs the place. The reason private schools work when they do work is because they cost the users of them money which never bores anyone it seems. Your interest is drawn to who is teaching your children to who is running the school, like a stock you have bought. You are invested and you want your money’s worth. The teacher feels more obligation because they are eyeball to eyeball with the payer, the parent feels more obligation because they are the payee and the student feels more pressure to compete because they see the sacrifice made by the parent.
I remember both my girls going to private school and the elementary school across the street from my house was not cutting their grass. I remember my wife volunteered me , at the neighborhood meeting I didn’t attend ,to cut the grass on a rotation with others for free. I was furious because I had not only had to pay for the public school, with my property taxes, I was never going to use but now I was going to be a damn neighborhood do gooder and cut the grass for these sorry people, which I imagine I had paid for already and it never got done. So what is the difference in paying for Charter or public? Maybe just maybe you and I will get more for our money. The schools are one thing even the private school types that don’t use them care about because we pay for them, kids or no kids. I not sure we care about the kids going there ,like Aquagirl has displayed so well, but we do care about our money. You will see when the rich pay taxes they will start caring about their country more too. There won’t be this disconnect. When we are in a year like this year where we are getting sub par quality in our presidential candidates we may decide we want more for our money. Maybe we might get in our car and go cut the grass at the White House or better yet decide we should be living there instead of giving it away to a bunch of fruitcakes.
Michael H. Smith
January 26th, 2012
5:39 pm
I like what I read in the very opening of this bill, Kyle. It come close enough to allowing the money to follow the student for me.
I give my wholehearted 1000% support.
FSA James
January 26th, 2012
5:40 pm
James – your native tongue does not appear to be English, but your particular useage sounds very familiar.
Your livelihood wouldn’t happen to depend on the status of STATE charters, would it?