I might agree with the editorial staff of the Post and Courier even twice a day, like a stopped clock, or on some days, like today, when the lead editorial is titled, Give Vouchers a Fair Chance.The P & C's editorial writer observes the Washington, D.C., experiment in vouchers and finds it effective. He or she also points out President Obama's words supporting the use of vouchers. Apparently to counterbalance such clarity, the editors also print an anti-voucher rant by Linda Ketner, who will never have children in any public school system, much less CCSD's, but who does intend to run for Congress again. [See Voucher Dangers]
According to Ketner, "Public school is the only way to level the playing field. If the public school system is broken, then let's fix it."
Let's get this straight, Linda. Public school is the one thing NOT leveling the playing field in CCSD right now.
Even if we knew right now, today, how to fix the system (and that's a big "if"), how long would "fixing" it take? One year? Hardly. Two? Ten? Twenty? You don't know?
What about the students who are enrolled right now and will enter kindergarten in the fall?
For all of the pitfalls, at least vouchers address the problems of real students captive in problem schools right now.
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5 comments:
When we have not been investing money in the public school system in SC - how on earth can you even think that vouchers are the answer.
Look, in this economy who wants to pay for more taxes, but in SC we have steadily decreased the tax rate to the point that schools are not getting adquate funding. Has anyone at this blog even bothered to look?
Before you beat up on Ketner being gay again, why not check your facts first.
Money is not always the answer, although you seem to think it is.
Can anyone even make sense out of the current budget of this school district. McGinley says we have a $20 million short fall. She says charter schools are hurting the system. She says she's for school choice while she closes down schools and continues paying for bus service to exclusive magnet schools that deny admission to most qualified students. If you want to know why some people are beginning to consider vouchers, just look around us in Charleston County. Until the local school district can explain how they can't find enough support in the half billion dollars they get from us each year while denying meaningful choice to most, then vouchers will continue to win converts.
Ketner is backing the wrong horse if she thinks the present public school system in Charleston and McGinley in the saddle are a good bet. The horse is lame and the race is a lot longer than McGinley's future here. A serious threat of vouchers may be what we need if it will get people to see what's really going on behind the hollow phrases like "Excellence is our Standard" and "...but it's for the children!"
What does concern me greatly is McGinley does seem to listen a lot more to ladies of her type. I am not beating up on her type, but, there are people out there who are offering viable answers to any dilemma but McGinley wants to listen to Hess, Davis, Ketner and a few more.
Everyone refers to 'problem' schools or 'bad' schools... some schools are just fine, its just that the kids and parents invovled don't care and don't perform, hence the 'bad' label is applied for all eternity.
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