Cessna sued for skydiving accident.

Aound here private schools run anywhere from $20,000 to $35,000 a year
and the systems that spent the most per pupil spend less than $7,000. If
the taxpayers give coupons for private schools rather than fund the
public schools taxes would have to go up about $20,000 per student. Are
you going to vote for that tax increase?

I am not sure that the cost of private schools will remain as high if
all public schools were gradually converted into private schools. We
would also not be paying taxes to support public schools in the new
system. Eventually we would probably end up with the same taxes even
if the average standard of education went up (as we would hope) in the
new system. There would also be more efficiency and less or no money
spent on the beauracracy needed to run public schools. In the end it
may or may not work more reliably than the current system, I just
don't know.

Recently, posted:

Aound here private schools run anywhere from $20,000 to $35,000 a
year and the systems that spent the most per pupil spend less than
$7,000. If the taxpayers give coupons for private schools rather
than fund the public schools taxes would have to go up about $20,000
per student. Are you going to vote for that tax increase?

I am not sure that the cost of private schools will remain as high if
all public schools were gradually converted into private schools. We
would also not be paying taxes to support public schools in the new
system. Eventually we would probably end up with the same taxes even
if the average standard of education went up (as we would hope) in the
new system. There would also be more efficiency and less or no money
spent on the beauracracy needed to run public schools. In the end it
may or may not work more reliably than the current system, I just
don't know.

Look at Ohio for a real-world example of where vouchers and
general-poplation private schooling *doesn't*, and is unlikely to work as
you think possible. If you can show one state where general-population
private schools *do* work as you think they might, then there is room for
discussion.

Neil

I don't know the specifics of Ohio but the larger point is what do we
mean by the system works or doesn't work? If we want every child in
the US to be in a school regardless of the quality of education
imparted, it can be achieved through public schools alone. On the
other hand if we want every child to have a very high standard of
education then such a system would be woefully inadequate. A system of
private schools alone would also serve neither objective and you could
say "it doesn't work" but the present system also doesn't work
according to many. A private school system has the benefit of being
more efficient and in the long run would definitely produce much
better schools per dollar spent. Obviously it will not be perfect but
no system will ever be perfect.


Look at Ohio for a real-world example of where vouchers and
general-poplation private schooling *doesn't*, and is unlikely to work as
you think possible. If you can show one state where general-population
private schools *do* work as you think they might, then there is room for
discussion.

Neil

Recently, posted:

[...] A private school system has the benefit of being
more efficient and in the long run would definitely produce much
better schools per dollar spent.

Care to support that assertion with some facts?

The point of my previous comment is that, here in Ohio, the private
schools that have sprung up as a result of adopting the vouchers approach
are neither efficient nor do they provide a quality education. In many
cases, they are worse than the worst public schools. OTOH, we have *many*
private schools that do provide high quality education at significant
cost. We also have many public school systems that provide education
comparable to the best private schools. Not surprisingly, they are in the
wealthier communities. So, as far as I can tell, while you might not get
what you pay for, you certainly won't get what you don't pay for.

--
Neil

wrote in message
...

Aound here private schools run anywhere from $20,000 to $35,000 a year
and the systems that spent the most per pupil spend less than $7,000. If
the taxpayers give coupons for private schools rather than fund the
public schools taxes would have to go up about $20,000 per student. Are
you going to vote for that tax increase?

I am not sure that the cost of private schools will remain as high if
all public schools were gradually converted into private schools. We
would also not be paying taxes to support public schools in the new
system.

My fear is that, instead, kids would be going to schools sponsored by
Starbuck's or McDonald's, and they'd learn all about how tasty coffee or
french fries are. The kids at the school down the road from us can't sell
bottled water for fundraisers because of a noncompetition clause in the
school's contract with Pepsi.

Maybe Wal-Mart could sponsor a school so the kids could learn all about lead
poisoning.

-c