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Darlene Catlett posted on 8/21/2010 11:19:00 PM
I understand what you're saying, Daniel, and I have compassion for those who are financially strapped. But understand that those of us who homeschool pay for our own children's education and for our neighbor's children. From the figures I gave you, who did it more economically? (Quality of education is another topic, but I’m not afraid to get into it.)
We lived as a single income family for 22 years until we graduated our youngest child. We were blessed to be able to do so, but don't think we didn't give up anything to do that.
Believe it or not, there are single parents who homeschool, with the help of their extended family and friends.
I used to babysit for a single mom (on the days school was out) who had her two boys in private school, so I know that can be done. There were about 10 single-income families in our church who supported her in some way: free babysitting, gifts of groceries and tools and money and clothing, car repair, handyman-work, having them over for dinner and inviting them to outings with us. I know not everyone has such a support base.
However, even those who rent pay property/school taxes – to their landlords, who then pay those school taxes and receive any tax benefit to be had. Please think that through, because this means that the financially strapped would also benefit if we all paid for our own children's education. In fact, thinking this through just now has helped me to realize that the school taxes my husband and I pay provide a public school child with half a year’s education, but wouldn’t it be great if it could cover the cost of homeschooling 16 children for an entire year instead?
Daniel Colgan posted on 8/21/2010 10:54:00 PM
"Don't want the gov't taking our money and giving it back to us"
Darlene,
I agree this would be fine if they didn't take it from property owners in the first place. Funding public education on the backs of property owners is extortion pure and simple.
Until an alternative method of funding is found lets give the parents who are financially strapped and who are unable to home school their kids or afford private education a break. No parents should be forced because of lack of funds to send their kids to inadequate public schools.
Darlene Catlett posted on 8/21/2010 5:00:00 PM
"Allowing tax money to follow students to schools of parents choice is the answer and will have an positive immediate effect on all schools."
Too bad we can't just all pay for our own children to be educated. We pay about $3,700 a year to educate our neighbor's children, but never spent more than $1,000 in a year to homeschool all four of our own children (at no cost to the American taxpayer). I don't want the government to take my money, and then give it back to me, because it comes with strings attached. I'd rather just keep my own money to spend as I see fit. Sadly, I fear we can never go back to this.
Daniel Colgan posted on 8/21/2010 4:39:00 PM
Allowing tax money to follow students to schools of parents choice is the answer and will have an positive immediate effect on all schools. Competition will force inadequate schools to shape up or go by the wayside. The present system of social promotion to keep parents happy at the kids expense is no longer acceptable. We now have high school graduates who can't put a coherent sentence together without "he goes, she goes" or I'm like wow!
Incidentally I'm not like wow, I'm like disgusted.
PT posted on 8/12/2010 8:54:00 AM
I don't know about you but I AM talking about abandoning public schools! Not teh financing of public schools, merely the government operation of them.
Harold Hendrickson posted on 8/12/2010 12:39:00 AM
As with all other failures in empires, we have to realize that "it is all about the money". Nobody here can tell me that corruption at every level has been caused for the love of money. This post will never solve anything until we come to that realization. As we know,no amount of laws will change the man. If we don't find leaders at every level that will place ETHICS above power then we are doomed to failure. Education is just one small part of what gets affected when power is allowed to run rampant. Case and point is Nancy Pelosi trying to "drain the swamp". Find and vote in ETHICAL leaders and many of the failing issues we are discussing here will become sucessful.
jones posted on 8/11/2010 8:07:00 PM
"No one is talking about abandoning public schools"
Nathan
Give me you take on getting the funding for all the school mandated programs off the taxpayers back. State Workers entitled to what ? Legislation to paid off legislators. We've already seen what can happen when the gamers contribute to Corbett and other legislators .
Now we have Jim Testerman giving union dues from the teachers union for favorable treatment .I thought that was illegal ?
jones posted on 8/11/2010 7:55:00 PM
Given the state of the psers pensin fund and the greed and now a bailout for the teachers do you really want to see things get better so the teachers union can pounce on the taxpayer to fund their raises and their underfunded pension plan. I don't.
They need 8 or 9% interest income to fully fund their pension obligations that are mandated by our paid off legislators. So, they switch to different investments and bonds. I wish I knew what bonds pay anything close to what psers needs . 2011,2012 and the big spike comes in the 2013 school year. Who you gonna call on Governor, the taxpayer. We don't have it to fund ourselves beside the greedy teachers union and a broke PSERS fund.
Bob Rolley posted on 8/11/2010 9:21:00 AM
Nathan, I think we both agree there needs to be change, no question about it. Reform is the key - comprehensive reform. We need better teachers; we're not getting them despite skyrocketing salaries and benefits.
Nathan Benefield posted on 8/11/2010 9:18:00 AM
No one is talking about "abandoning public schools".
As for spending education money "at the whimsy of parents," I'd much rather spend it at the whimsy of parents than at the whimsy of lawmakers and the whimsy of teachers unions - as the $26 billion PA taxpayers spend on school districts is now.
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