From: MEDELMA@cms.cc.wayne.edu (Michael Edelman)
Subject: Re: Trickle Down Education (WAS: Re: Educational Spending)
Organization: Wayne State University, C&IT
Date: Thu, 10 Sep 1992 18:04:13 GMT

In article <1992Sep10.164530.18522@cbfsb.cb.att.com>
r2d@cbnewsg.cb.att.com (richard.del monaco) writes:
 
>
>In article <1685D8587.MEDELMA@cms.cc.wayne.edu> MEDELMA@cms.cc.wayne.edu (Michael Edelman) writes:
>
>>education, even though they were already supporting the Detroit system with
>
>Many previous postings have dealt with the question of the privelege of private
>schools to exclude students they don't want.  Private and parochial schools are
That was answered long ago. There are schools that deal exclusively with
behavioral problems, learning disabilities and other specialized needs. And
they do it better than the public school systems.
 
>not equipped to step in and provide universal primary and secondary education.
 
Why? Because you say so? The schools you mention are doing a heck of a job
already fullfilling that mission. With vouchers, more such schools could
exist to fill that need.
 
>A voucher system permits an elite few to receive a quality education.
 
When you find yourself without an argument to back yourself up, just
repeat the original postulate, huh?
 
What makes this particular contention so blindingly ridiculous is that the
"elite few" already have access to private education. Vouchers are about
providing this choice to the great masses. Remember the masses?
>
      [...]
>
>I share your desire to make teachers (indeed all of society) accountable for
>the quality of education provided.  This includes many reforms which have
>been discussed, not excluding merit pay for teachers (which I believe the
>NEA opposes).
 
Then I don't understand why you oppose using competition- something that seems
to provide improved quality and lower prices everywhere else.
>
>Unfortunately, in George Bush's worker's inferno a person's access to higher
>education has been linked to their ability to pay.  Now he wants to give a
>subsidy to private and parochial schools at the expense of the public school
>system.  This seems to me like another pay off to the Republican constituency
>(the wealthy and the religious right).
 
Perhaps that's because you haven't given any attention to the arguments
provided. I and others have repeatedly shown you how vouchers are about
empowering the poor. A $2,000 voucher is a fortune to someone earning
$12,000 a year. It provides for an educational choice that they would
otherwise never be able to give their child. And a $2,000 voucher is an
absolutely meaningless amount of pocket change to your mythological
boogiemen, the "wealthy". By the way, given that the Catholic Church are
the biggest single organizers of private schools, are you including them
in your "religious right"?
 
If you don't pay attention to the argument it's hard to tell you where
you're erring. By ignoring the stated positions, lapsing into cliche
and simply repeating your claim over and over again you are suggesting to
me that you're not really interested in a debate.
>
>Richard Del Monaco              rdelmonaco@attmail.att.com
>Somerset, New Jersey                r2d@cbnewsg.cb.att.com
>Disclaimer:  I am not an official company spokesperson.
 
 
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