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Thomas Sowell is a famous economist and he is briliant. Here is what he has to say about our new Sec of Edu -
She has, for more than 20 years, been promoting programs, laws and policies that enable parents to choose which schools their children will attend -- whether these are charter schools, voucher schools or parochial schools.
Some of these charter schools -- especially those in the chain of the Success Academy schools and the chain of the KIPP (Knowledge Is Power Program) schools -- operate in low-income, minority neighborhoods in the inner-cities, and turn out graduates who can match the educational performances of students in affluent suburbs. What is even more remarkable, these charter schools are often housed in the very same buildings, in the very same ghettoes, where students in the regular public schools fail to learn even the basics in English or math.
CARTOONS | Gary Varvel
View Cartoon
You and I may think this is great. But, to the teachers' unions, such charter schools are a major threat to their members' jobs -- and ultimately to the unions' power or existence.
She has, for more than 20 years, been promoting programs, laws and policies that enable parents to choose which schools their children will attend -- whether these are charter schools, voucher schools or parochial schools.
Some of these charter schools -- especially those in the chain of the Success Academy schools and the chain of the KIPP (Knowledge Is Power Program) schools -- operate in low-income, minority neighborhoods in the inner-cities, and turn out graduates who can match the educational performances of students in affluent suburbs. What is even more remarkable, these charter schools are often housed in the very same buildings, in the very same ghettoes, where students in the regular public schools fail to learn even the basics in English or math.
CARTOONS | Gary Varvel
View Cartoon
You and I may think this is great. But, to the teachers' unions, such charter schools are a major threat to their members' jobs -- and ultimately to the unions' power or existence.
Thomas Sowell - Education at a Crossroads
Posted from townhall.com
Education
Government
Donald Trump
Schools
Government Funding
Posted >1 y ago
Responses: 12
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Public school systems will improve with competition. They will not improve if no other choice exists.
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SSgt Christopher Brose
While I agree with you, I also think there are limits to how much public schools can improve as long as unions can prevent schools from firing bad teachers, and as long as lawyers can dictate what things can and cannot be taught, etc.
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LTC John Shaw
SFC(P) Jerry Crouch, Ed.D. -
I disagree on the finite resources. Caring about results is based on the emotional tie that the local community feels to the school. Many private schools spend half the amount per student and achieve better results largely due to parental involvement and accountability. My wife went to the poorest school district in KY. Harlan County and I went to a Catholic high school in Louisville that I had saved since 9 years old running a paper route to be able to pay for school. Bottom line: Huge cost differences in the models but we both were prepared enough to attend college and obtain professional degrees.
The local communities will put money and time into what they view as important. Government regulations impact decisions like parental involvement driven by the schools being tied to the local community.
These local untapped resources are the critical element the federal government can't make people care. If you bus kids outside of the neighborhood of the parents there is less of a chance for the parent to be involved.
My wife and I deliberately moved to a high-tax school district to give our kids the best chance of obtaining training and resources to be educated. I understand the resource issue, but you had eight years of increases in the resources with ZERO improvement in the results.
Why don't we try competition...it seemed to work really well for 150 years before the Department of Education even came into existence.
I disagree on the finite resources. Caring about results is based on the emotional tie that the local community feels to the school. Many private schools spend half the amount per student and achieve better results largely due to parental involvement and accountability. My wife went to the poorest school district in KY. Harlan County and I went to a Catholic high school in Louisville that I had saved since 9 years old running a paper route to be able to pay for school. Bottom line: Huge cost differences in the models but we both were prepared enough to attend college and obtain professional degrees.
The local communities will put money and time into what they view as important. Government regulations impact decisions like parental involvement driven by the schools being tied to the local community.
These local untapped resources are the critical element the federal government can't make people care. If you bus kids outside of the neighborhood of the parents there is less of a chance for the parent to be involved.
My wife and I deliberately moved to a high-tax school district to give our kids the best chance of obtaining training and resources to be educated. I understand the resource issue, but you had eight years of increases in the resources with ZERO improvement in the results.
Why don't we try competition...it seemed to work really well for 150 years before the Department of Education even came into existence.
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LTC John Shaw
SFC Jerry Crouch, Ed.D. - I see you and I have both been adjunct faculty and have your Doctorate in this area.
I am sharing my experiences in Christian schools from grade school through University, all operating at a fraction of the cost of public systems.
I don't understand how the education system compares to a Walmart model?
I am arguing for more local control and ties to the communities educators, the opposite of an aggregation model, perhaps we are in agreement?
Resource allocation is a big part of it. I hope all stakeholders are involved and educators public and private should be primary driver's of the discussion.
I am sharing my experiences in Christian schools from grade school through University, all operating at a fraction of the cost of public systems.
I don't understand how the education system compares to a Walmart model?
I am arguing for more local control and ties to the communities educators, the opposite of an aggregation model, perhaps we are in agreement?
Resource allocation is a big part of it. I hope all stakeholders are involved and educators public and private should be primary driver's of the discussion.
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I suspect that the left is upset because this may be an end to their public school brainwashing programs. Teach kids to think... am amazing concept.
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I posted the Obama Sec of Ed Arne Duncan's Bio earlier. Most of what the hypocritical left had no problem with the lacking of actual classroom experience back then. His experience in total was as a bureaucrat.
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