A recent study, I don't remember the source, showed hat over 80% of the
people gave their local schools a passing grade while over 80% thought the
nation's schools as a whole were failing.

To paraphrase, "Lies, Damn Lies, Statistics, Perceptions."

Joseph Rosenblatt

-----Original Message-----
From:   HP-3000 Systems Discussion [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf
Of Dennis Heidner
Sent:   Saturday, January 27, 2001 2:46 PM
To:     [log in to unmask]
Subject:        Re: [HP3000-L] Long - Schools in Minnesota

Paul,  I have a brother that lives near the Twin Cities and his comments
are similar to yours.  In Washington State schools are also pretty good, in
part because the state mandates and PAYS for a minimum standard for all the
schools.  Where we see problems is that they only fund a minimum level (six
hours a day) and because the state constitution limits the amount of
additional monies that the local school districts can raise -- it also
limits the classes offered to the kids.

Nation wide, I have very mixed feelings with the voucher that have been
proposed,  it could potentially siphon money away from some of the schools
that are already stressed.  I view the public school system as part of the
national infrastructure.  A voucher system could adversely impact that
infrastructure.

Another way to view I  --  if we say that because some parents choose not
to use the public schools that they should get vouchers so they can choose
an alternative,   why should not I be able to get vouchers from the state
or federal government for:

1.    art projects that I choose to opt out of?  I could then use the
vouchers to support the local symphony, etc.

2.   highway and roads I will never use,  (I live on the west coast), so
I'd like to see ALL of my tax dollars spent on west coast roads.

3.   military projects that I choose not to support?   Why should I pay for
bases on the east coast,  I'd like more west coast bases.



My point is that removing funding from public schools and offering that to
private schools shifts money that can/will impact the national school
infrastructure with bad results.

My kids are in public schools here in Washington State,  my sister in
upstate N.Y. has her kids in public school and is quite happy.  I have a
friend that has had nothing but problems with her school district near the
Boston MA area.  That school system recognizes the needs of disabled kids,
but not children with very high IQ's or special abilities.

I have a sister in Texas (near Kingsville) that pulled her kids out of
school and is home schooling them.  It isn't because she wasn't involved in
the school -- she was a teachers aide.  But after kids started bringing
weapons (hand guns) to school she decided that was enough.  Not only that
but she felt that her hands were tied in that they could not discipline a
student if needed and the parents were really only pushing the kids to go
to school so they were out of the house and at a public day care.  The
school she was at......  grades K-6.

If you want to improve the national school system, require teacher
recertification, get the parents into adult education or continuing
education, provide funding for middle school/high school which gives kids
nearly eight hours of funded education (instead of six here) AND allow the
system to punish the young kids and/or parents.  School systems also need
to be funded and encouraged to provide additional enrichment opportunities
-- like yours in MN with the field trips to the store and other businesses.