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301 Comments
- michaelpinto, on 03/09/2009, -18/+98Why not just get the federal government out of running Washington DC? It's a highly populated urban center (much more so than in 1871 when it made a district) — either give it statehood or make it part of Virginia. The Civil War is over so I don't think the northern states will object to DC becoming part of Virginia at this point. Having congress run a city on top of everything else is just a silly idea in the 21st Century.
- Colindean, on 03/09/2009, -17/+86Teachers know more about education than legislators. The state governments know more about the educational needs of responsible citizens in that state (or D.C.) than the federal government could ever possibly know.
Getting the federal government out of education is the best way to allow education systems to grow to meet demands of society. - ferny12, on 03/09/2009, -9/+58I don't want to be nit-picky, but f*ck it. DC is on the Maryland side of the Potomac. Maryland should get DC, not Virginia.
- sheeplescareme, on 03/09/2009, -30/+67he, like most politicians, doesn't care very much. his children attend safe, clean, well-funded schools. if he cared, he would begin to disband the dept of education, put the power back in the hands of the states, and allow all parents the same luxury that he has - the knowledge that his kids are getting a decent education, designed for them, by teachers that care.
- Blinker1315, on 03/09/2009, -6/+38I agree that DC ought to be part of a state, but it won't happen because of politics. Republicans would revolt at DC becoming part of VA, with its ton of Democratic voters. Democrats wouldn't want DC becoming part of Maryland, because it's already a reliable Democratic state. Meanwhile, residents of DC have no meaningful representation in Congress. It's pretty amazing that DC wasn't long ago incorporated into either state.
- JustAn0th3rFace, on 03/09/2009, -13/+44"It's no surprise that the Obamas opted out of D.C. public schools for their own daughters and instead chose an exclusive private institution. Come on, Mr. President, find your voice for families of lesser means."
Oh come on now. How many Presidents have sent their children to public school (while in office). I cant find any reliable data on the subject but im willing to bet not many, if not any at all. This was done as a security measure along with an academic one. Are you telling me sir that YOU would send your kids to these schools willingly? Live up to those standards yourself.
Oh why do i bother. The author of this article is an idiot. - atomheartmother, on 03/09/2009, -19/+46All one has to see to understand the effect of the Regressives' policies on the school system is take a quick glance at how California's school system rates. Despite all of the money pumped in, California's once-proud public educational system is now ranked 46 out of 50, and we all know liberals are running things there, not the Governator. <a class="user" href="http://www.psk12.com/rating/USthreeRsphp/STATE_US_ ... rel="nofollow">http://www.psk12.com/rating/USthreeRsphp/STATE_US_ ...</a>
Taking away vouchers means taking away school choice. Once again, the Obama administration is more concerned with payback to its political constituency than with ordinary Americans and their well-being, despite the flowery rhetoric. - booksnmore4you, on 03/09/2009, -6/+32I'm a progressive educator.
Let me affirm to my progressive friends that teachers unions, as presently constituted, are part of the problem with American public schools.
Why?
Because a great, great many of the teachers they protect have little business being in a classroom.
Also, on public school choice - it is complicated, and not as simple of an issue as either the Right or Left would have us beleive. There are indeed pros and cons on both sides. - bhaddock76, on 03/09/2009, -20/+43One of the prerequisites for learning is an open mind... It's amazing how many teachers are so quick to rejecting anything that comes from a conservative viewpoint, while accepting without hesitation anything that comes from the far left.
If you're going to even bother learning or teaching, you need to be able to think for yourself... since when did "union" and the concept of "thinking for yourself" ever cohabit the same ideological system? - KimmyGibbler, on 03/09/2009, -3/+25You'll be waiting awhile. If he put his kids in those schools as an act of political theatre, he would be a pretty ***** father
- RonPauls, on 03/09/2009, -10/+31it would help the good teachers too because they could advance in a non-union system
- wjappe, on 03/09/2009, -12/+31Now I know this is silly but if D.C. were to be a state, what would it be called, Confusion?
- sheeplescareme, on 03/09/2009, -8/+27corruption?
- Wosat, on 03/09/2009, -5/+23Tell that to the best teachers who get paid the same as the worst teachers because of the union.
- Insightful, on 03/09/2009, -34/+52Yeah, teachers are America's worst enemies.... wait, what?
Is it not a surprise that most teachers, from pre-K to college, work in State institutions? You know what this means right? They are SOCIALISTS! I am OK right because I went to an Ivy League school? No, that is LIBERAL and ELITIST which is worse than SOCIALIST!
/s - inactive, on 03/09/2009, -5/+22buried for being intolerant of gay sex acts. Really. I expect more from someone with so many homosexual minions under your control. Shame on you for being intolerant and abusive.
- nathanbutnet, on 03/09/2009, -1/+17I am not sure that I know what your point is, but it does strike me that if you are going to bother learning or teaching you may consider not painting any group of (including incredibly large groups such as 'teachers') with one brush eh?
- proliance, on 03/09/2009, -10/+26Please read that again because you missed the point.
The author expects the Obama's to send their kids to a private school. The point is that he is pleading for other kids "of lesser means" to have the same chance as Obama's children.
The fact is that they have that chance right now, but the Democrat led Congress is on the verge of taking it away. Obama may be the only thing that can stop it.
See how I contradicted you and didn't resort to name calling? Maybe its because I also went to a private school. - sheeplescareme, on 03/09/2009, -8/+23it can't be a state; it's a corporation unto itself.
- RonPauls, on 03/09/2009, -10/+24why that language is unbecoming of a woman of your stature, JenniferInMO!
No, just kidding, it's a hallmark of the ignorant sheeple.
Department of Education ensures one-size fits all education and centralization of knowledge distribution. The federal government controls what children learn and runs it just as inefficiently as everything else they do. That's pretty damn scary.
Here's some relevant data/evidence:
http://www.heritage.org/research/Education/images/ ... - funkedup, on 03/09/2009, -7/+21Hey Obama. I'll have faith in the public schools in DC once you put your own children in them!
- Wosat, on 03/09/2009, -9/+23We need to figure out our priorities. Teachers or students. Schools or education. Unions or choice.
- proliance, on 03/09/2009, -1/+14Denial?
- emmettgolf, on 03/09/2009, -5/+17It's interesting that the Washington economy is the most prosperous in the nation now. In fact, it's the only prosperous economy in the nation.
- sheeplescareme, on 03/09/2009, -17/+29why are you burying all the comments and not addressing them? why bury a political opinion piece simply because you don't care for the submitter?
- bluesparks, on 03/09/2009, -6/+18FTA: "And independent evaluations show that children in the program perform better academically than their peers who do not receive vouchers."
Well, duh! They're the students with parents who care enough to get vouchers!
The solution is not to give each student whose parents care enough to ask for a voucher a better education. It's to get the rest of the parents to actually care about their children's educations and get involved, not just shuffle them off to a state day-care for three quarters of the year. - killthekingx, on 03/09/2009, -13/+24Yes, what better way to improve low performing schools than giving kids a voucher to go learn somewhere else. That's ***** brilliant. Maybe any time there's a problem with anything we should escape from it rather than trying to improve it. That's seems like the American way.
- inactive, on 03/09/2009, -4/+15I have a real problem with this issue.
We are supposed to be a land of equal opportunity - yet somehow it's fair for those that can afford it to give their kids a head start.
And, yes, I agree that that is not the only issue, that parents need to more involved with their kids educations for one.
And that there are several teachers who have no business being teachers.
And, throwing more dollars at the issue does not solve the problem either.
But then again neither does vouchers - they just exacerbate the problems further for the under performing schools.
System wide change is needed.
Teachers unions need to regain their dignity and respect - they need to self-regulate, and kick out those teachers that do not belong. They should embrace higher teaching standards and quality reviews so as to weed out those teachers that don't deserve their support.
I have no problem fighting for better treatment of teachers that are worth their salt..
I think if all kids were forced into public schools - if there were no private school offerings - the rich would be much more inclined to fix the situation, but as the situation stands they can just shift the problem onto the population that can't afford to change it.
The problem is very deep, and complicated. Bitching about vouchers won't solve it, IMHO. - inactive, on 03/09/2009, -0/+11Jezebel?
- supercandy, on 03/09/2009, -54/+65the simple issue of choice, having a 'voucher' is common sense.
it is an obvious example of the collectivist problem vs. the free market success.
Democratic Partisans are still stuck on debasing healthy competition to reward political interests which grow their power, and we all suffer for it.
if the Government cannot provide sound education, why fund the same failure?
giving these children an opportunity to go to a quality school is in everyone interests, except it seems, the Democratic Party Machine and the UNIONS who control the Public Educational System like a failed monopoly.
so many partisans are simply blind to the corrupt efforts of the modern Democratic Party, and here is another vivid example... - Nickolassc, on 03/09/2009, -3/+14If we put the education of the children as the highest priority things would change a lot but unfortunately we don't. The Saint Louis public school district is a good example of a completely failed educational system. Last year the state tried to take over the district so it could reform it and the administrators/union used the children to protest the state's move with fear tactics and other despicable means.
- RonPauls, on 03/09/2009, -12/+23Interesting note - some of the Obama kids' classmates will have to leave the private school Sidwell Friends because school choice would be no longer allowed.
- RonPauls, on 03/09/2009, -33/+44how about ending the labor laws protecting teachers unions
- Auscifer, on 03/09/2009, -7/+17I think vouchers are the best solution to our current failing education problem. Schooling should be the field of private business. Most children attended school long before it was made the law.
Bad teachers would be paid less, good teachers would be paid more. Don't we all know a teacher that deserved to be paid more than some of the others? I know some smart people that have expressed interest in starting their own school if it wasn't a government monopoly. - inactive, on 03/09/2009, -4/+14You have hit upon the core defect of all unions, not just teachers' unions.
- PhotoJustin, on 03/09/2009, -6/+16If a school accepts vouchers, it should NOT be able to expel or refuse any student, regardless of behavior, academic quality, parental participation, and disability.
If these incredibly awesome private schools had to play on the same playing field as public schools, they would end up exactly like them, except with less qualified teachers (the free market rewards cutting corners).
No, what voucher supporters want is to have the government pay for their kids to attend a private school, but not the kids they see as "problems". The biggest key to success for a student and a school is how much the parent participates in the students education - by offering vouchers, you are simply moving the kids who are blessed with a participating parent out of a public school, leaving behind kids with behavior problems and parental problems.
Sounds great to you, but the point of school is not to educate -your- child, it's to educate -all- children, so we can live in a society with functioning adults and a competent workforce.
Vouchers do not serve that end. - ogmwtfbbq, on 03/09/2009, -7/+17Yes, lets ***** the underpaid teachers some more that will fix everything.
- Strongo, on 03/09/2009, -2/+11As a teacher myself I love it when everyone thinks they know how to fix the education system, yet they've never stepped foot in a classroom from the opposite perspective of a learner. If you are reading these words and understanding the sentence, congratulations, you're in the top 75% of American public. If you are reading this from your college dorm, or have a bachelors degree, you're in the top 40% of American the public. 60% of the public is in bad shape. No parents at home, no money, no literacy skills. As a teacher I work with what is given to me. Think back, were you in Honors courses and College Prep courses? Cause the standard and basic skills classes far outpace the upper level courses on the average. Garbage in usually doesn't turn to gold. I would love to live in a world where the military has to have a bake sale to get a new fighter jet and the education system gets unlimited funding for resources.
- smacksaw, on 03/09/2009, -2/+11Dear President Obama,
Results matter over ideology. The reason you won is because people like me voted for you. Who are we? People who set aside our ideology and voted for you because you said you were results-oriented and would consider any idea that worked no matter where it came from. I didn't vote for you to be a stooge for Teachers' unions. In fact, I voted for you because you said you wanted to get the lobbyists and influence peddlers out of Washington. The unions are influence-peddling lobbyists.
Here we have a system that is working for everyone but the special interests. When push comes to shove, special interests should lose and the taxpayers and voters should win. Expand this program. The results speak for themselves.
Sincerely,
A self-employed teacher - RonPauls, on 03/09/2009, -12/+21Stossel had a great education special that looked into why increasing per-pupil spending never increases achievement
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bx4pN-aiofw - PhotoJustin, on 03/09/2009, -3/+12You need a quick fact check. CA spends more on education than any other state because CA has more children than any other state. When you look at per-pupil spending, CA ranks....right in the middle! That's according to the US Census Bureau. That makes you wrong, atomheartmother.
California's low ranking in student achievement is probably more attributable to the constant influx of immigrant children who need time to learn English and catch up with their Ca-born classmates. I went to school with quite a few of these kids, and after a few years, they were excelling in school alongside everyone else. For a short period of time, they are a drag on scores, but eventually, everyone is on the same footing. The end result is a larger number of educated young people for our workforce and society.
Now let's take a look at CA's educational spending on public colleges and universities.
The Cal State program has something like 35 campuses, and rivals any other state's University system. Except in CA, Cal State is the second tier of public schools. Our UC system competes with and far outranks any other state University system and most private Universities. Why is it that a public higher-education system can outrank most private Universities and Colleges?
Public education works when it's given the chance to work. - Echota, on 03/09/2009, -3/+12You are so right books!
I have had my share of visits with teachers,principals and superintendents to know that the teacher's union,the way it is now,is no good.
Just thinking about it riles me! - Nickolassc, on 03/09/2009, -0/+8I think you are looking at this problem from the wrong direction with this quote,"We are supposed to be a land of equal opportunity - yet somehow it's fair for those that can afford it to give their kids a head start."
What isn't fair is to force children into substandard schools and have them fall behind while those at good schools get ahead. Instead of bringing down the successful, wouldn't it be better to bring up the unsuccessful? - inactive, on 03/09/2009, -3/+11having been through public school i can attest to the fact that there are many many bad teachers that have no right to the tenured status they have
- Strongo, on 03/09/2009, -0/+8Private school teachers on avg make even less.
And yes teachers are underpaid. The entire school system is underfunded.
I'd love to hear your response as to why I am not allowed to use the FREE Google Earth because it costs too much bandwidth.
While your stopping by, come see if you can help me get in contact with the parents of my students. Most of the time I am either hung up on, avoided, or in most cases I can't even get a working phone number home to a kid's mom.
Then there are jackasses out there like you saying I'm underpaid for working with what is given to me. - Echota, on 03/09/2009, -4/+12See how I contradicted you and didn't resort to name calling? Maybe its because I also went to a private school.
Your parents had to send you to a private school to learn this?
My parents taught me this @ home,no private school necessary to learn when to keep your mouth shut. - pintomp3, on 03/09/2009, -9/+16Wouldn't it be great to end all education standards? Some parts of the country will learn about Darwin while others learn about Intelligent Design. Some parts will learn about math while others learn that Pi = 3. We aren't behind enough already in math and science, we need to totally dismantle the public education infrastructure. Let's end public roads and have toll vouchers too!
- UtahApocalyse, on 03/09/2009, -15/+22Obama's girls are in PUBLIC school right???
Ya, I didn't think so. - AshleyHuber, on 03/09/2009, -0/+7Hey now, we already have the Baltimore school system to deal with. Isn't one city's worth of uber-violent and grossly uneducated students enough?
- turbodiesel, on 03/09/2009, -2/+9the first one of you to come up with facts to support your theories wins
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