Tyler Stewart wrote:
I've always wanted to entertain the idea of either home schooling or private schooling.... I went to public schools and my kid does now, but it irritates me to no end the amount of politics and "compassion for the poor (lazy)" that they are taught there. He's freakin 7 years old. Last November during the presidential election, my son's class had an election (he was 6 at the time). He didn't know who to vote for, and I hadn't said a word about who I was voting for to him. He came home and told me they had an election. I asked him who he voted for. He proudly said "Obama." I asked him why. His reply: "Well, I didn't know either of them, but my teacher said that if we wanted to help poor people, to vote for Obama." I have since straightened him out hopefully enough that he'll dish it back at the teacher, almost to the point that the "O word" is a bad word in my house. The thought that they might start teaching sex ed to kids this age or just a bit older is completely stupid, and with the current mindset of so many in elected office, might be difficult to avoid soon.
Personally, if it was me, I would rather pay to have my kids go to a school that I chose based on the teachers, and the ability of them to teach my kids well, not based on what they were zoned for. I think every family paying for their kids education or doing it themselves should have a massive tax cut or credit because of it, and people that want to use public schools are welcome to keep doing that. The govt should sell half (or more) of their school buildings to private companies that want to compete in education. Better schools will be able to charge more, and the parents can decide which school they want, or go to public schools at no cost.
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I think it's completely unprofessional for a teacher to place political pressure on a student. I have heard of that happening from my own kids' experiences, but interestingly, it is always from the conservative teachers pushing Republican party values!
In a favorite third grade I taught frequently last year, we had a TFO (Time For Kids) with John McCain on the cover, and the next week one with Barack Obama. When discussing the political process that the accompanying articles were about, I was shocked (and highly amused) at the phrases and slogans that came from the mouths of these 8 and 9 year olds! They definitely were echoing the sentiments of their parents/families! I interrupted to remind them that in our country, we are allowed to criticize and debate the policies and plans of both candidates and of the President himself, and for that we do not go to jail or have to pay fines (or worse, but I didn't say it) because we have the Bill of Rights which guarantees the right of Free Speech.
Are all poor people lazy or are all lazy people poor?
So, in what ways would shifting tax revenue from public to private schools help our country maintain its economic hegemony or become more competitive in the future?
I've always wanted to entertain the idea of either home schooling or private schooling.... I went to public schools and my kid does now, but it irritates me to no end the amount of politics and "compassion for the poor (lazy)" that they are taught there. He's freakin 7 years old. Last November during the presidential election, my son's class had an election (he was 6 at the time). He didn't know who to vote for, and I hadn't said a word about who I was voting for to him. He came home and told me they had an election. I asked him who he voted for. He proudly said "Obama." I asked him why. His reply: "Well, I didn't know either of them, but my teacher said that if we wanted to help poor people, to vote for Obama." I have since straightened him out hopefully enough that he'll dish it back at the teacher, almost to the point that the "O word" is a bad word in my house. The thought that they might start teaching sex ed to kids this age or just a bit older is completely stupid, and with the current mindset of so many in elected office, might be difficult to avoid soon.
Personally, if it was me, I would rather pay to have my kids go to a school that I chose based on the teachers, and the ability of them to teach my kids well, not based on what they were zoned for. I think every family paying for their kids education or doing it themselves should have a massive tax cut or credit because of it, and people that want to use public schools are welcome to keep doing that. The govt should sell half (or more) of their school buildings to private companies that want to compete in education. Better schools will be able to charge more, and the parents can decide which school they want, or go to public schools at no cost.
***************************************************
I think it's completely unprofessional for a teacher to place political pressure on a student. I have heard of that happening from my own kids' experiences, but interestingly, it is always from the conservative teachers pushing Republican party values!
In a favorite third grade I taught frequently last year, we had a TFO (Time For Kids) with John McCain on the cover, and the next week one with Barack Obama. When discussing the political process that the accompanying articles were about, I was shocked (and highly amused) at the phrases and slogans that came from the mouths of these 8 and 9 year olds! They definitely were echoing the sentiments of their parents/families! I interrupted to remind them that in our country, we are allowed to criticize and debate the policies and plans of both candidates and of the President himself, and for that we do not go to jail or have to pay fines (or worse, but I didn't say it) because we have the Bill of Rights which guarantees the right of Free Speech.
Are all poor people lazy or are all lazy people poor?
So, in what ways would shifting tax revenue from public to private schools help our country maintain its economic hegemony or become more competitive in the future?