flopsy
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Post by flopsy on Jan 23, 2014 20:56:52 GMT -5
I went to a private JrHigh/High school and the commute was an hour each way. I may not have had the most exciting social life but I had good, level headed, smart friends. My parents were invested in me being there and I was surrounded by students whose parents had the same investment in them. Doing community service while I was in college at a public highschool made me really appreciate private schools...
Your need is a few years off so I suggest not to stress about it now. If DH wants to check it out for kicks then he should. Go chat with teachers, faculty, and the principal if possible
Remember, just because a school does not have a slew of AP classes does not mean the school does not have a rigorous curriculum.
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Sum Dum Gai
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Post by Sum Dum Gai on Jan 23, 2014 21:08:01 GMT -5
This thread is reminding me that we need to figure out what we're doing in a couple years. There's the local public high school, which is decent for a public school, but it's the only one in town, so it's got a mix of low income, ESL, and problem kids thrown in. There's also a magnet type school that works in conjunction with the local community college. Loads of AP options, ways to earn college credit while still in high school, etc. Academically it's pretty good. If you really apply yourself you can come out with a good chunk of an associates done by high school graduation, and in CA CC credits transfer to almost every university in the state. Downside is no sports, few clubs, fewer elective options, etc.
Our younger daughter will probably prefer the latter, but I think our older daughter will want the public high school. They're both in 7th grade now, so we've got another year and a half to figure it out.
There's also a charter school in Santa Cruz that's ranked as one of the top ten high schools in the country. Lottery enrollment though, so you have to get lucky to get in.
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zibazinski
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Post by zibazinski on Jan 24, 2014 8:33:27 GMT -5
Captain - serious question - where do you live? You're far from the city but have horrible schools... I didn't even know that was possible... I live in one of the collar counties. Most of the collar counties around here are still pretty densely populated so have pockets with the same slew of "issues" to deal with that the city does. What's sad/sick/ironic is the school district that we used to be in before the redistricting is the second or third best performing in the state depending if you're looking at middle or HS. And yes, the boundries were redrawn explicity to eliminate the undesirables in areas such as mine . My little wedge of land is technically unincorporated (as is a lot of my neighbors) so there wasn't enough folks impacted to even begin to successfully challenge the new maps. The folks in a neighboring town were much more successful in getting (then) current school age kids "grandfathered in" as a compromise. Too late for DD though. Another kink in the armor is we live close to a well know sanctuary city and you can see the impact that has on local school performance. I won't go into the politics of that discussion but the impact is clear, at least to me. If I tried to buy a house in that district my mortgage would be at least 1.5X's what it is now for a much smaller property and RE taxes would at least double. Since our taxes are currently $7-8K a year we're still ahead paying private grade school (and yes, even HS) tuition in the long run. Can you ask for a waiver to attend the school you were formerly zoned for. Some students get waivers based on where their parents work or a certain program, stuff like that. Even some pay tuition to attend the public school of their choice. Money talks, sometimes.
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The Captain
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Post by The Captain on Jan 24, 2014 9:18:39 GMT -5
jeep108 and zibazinski the wiaver/boundary exception are things I hadn't even considered. Thanks for the suggestion! I spend a bit of time last night going through the school district website and family hand book (all 48 pages of it ). There is not even one mention of a waiver, but the need to re-establish residency each year is mentioned several times along with the requirements for such. As I mentioned, it's a highly desirable school district. One of two-three in the area where it's known people lie about residency all the time to try to get their kids in school there. I'll give them a call next week to find out if I have any legitimate options.
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thyme4change
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Post by thyme4change on Jan 24, 2014 9:45:30 GMT -5
some of the reasons for them choosing a lesser preforming school were similar to what you mentioned. Students that wouldn't crack the top half of a high preforming HS can look like Einsteins at a lesser school. They normally don't pass the AP tests in huge numbers but just the fact that they take them makes their transcript look good if not great. A good friend of my DD's transfered to a small abismally preforming school. She went from an average student in her grad class to the top 5%. She got the scholarship offers from college to match too. My sister lived in one city, where they researched the schools painfully, and bought a house in the "best" school district. The competition at the school was amazing, and my sister was sure she did the right thing for her kids. Half way through her daughter's high school, they were transferred and moved to an area that was more rural. Not a lot of money. She was very concerned about sending her obviously bright white child to such a mediocre school, but the options were very limited. They decided to give it a yer and then decide if she should finish up elsewhere. My sister says that she couldn't believe what happened next. She landed at the top of her class, her confidence sky rocketed, and she pursued all kinds of things that no one had on the radar for her at all. She is now at Northeastern, on a full scholarship in the engineering program because she did so well in her high school. That said - I'm in the same boat. Our district high school is known for pregnancies, crime, metal detectors, etc. I have been researching alternatives since basically my children were born. Are you able to get a waiver to go to a different public school nearby? That is the norm around here. The only thing being in the district of a good school does is guarantee you admission. But, because the school gets additional dollars from out of district kids, and they can accept the good apples, we have a sort of free market around here. It is great to have options. It is a pain in the ass to figure out which is the right option for my kids. Especially since my kids are so very, very different.
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thyme4change
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Post by thyme4change on Jan 24, 2014 9:47:39 GMT -5
jeep108 and zibazinski the wiaver/boundary exception are things I hadn't even considered. Thanks for the suggestion! I spend a bit of time last night going through the school district website and family hand book (all 48 pages of it ). There is not even one mention of a waiver, but the need to re-establish residency each year is mentioned several times along with the requirements for such. As I mentioned, it's a highly desirable school district. One of two-three in the area where it's known people lie about residency all the time to try to get their kids in school there. I'll give them a call next week to find out if I have any legitimate options. Do they have a cheap apartment complex anywhere in the district? It might be cheaper to rent a studio for 4 years than to send her to private school. You just have to make sure you get all your mail there, and change the address on your license.
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Shooby
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Post by Shooby on Jan 24, 2014 9:57:17 GMT -5
I am sure my opinion is going be criticized but here goes:. I personally think parents get overly invested in their child's education. The point that if they miss a day in class or get a bad grade, well oh my Gawd, the world is going to end and their child won't get into Harvard. And ,the quest to find the "best" schools. I didn't go to the "best" schools. I went the good enough, OK , local public school. And amazingly I managed to not get pregnant, stay off drugs and graduate and raise a family and earn a good living. I find that people who go to private schools then have to go on a constant parade to tell everyone why public schools are "bad". And, as for choices, well my kids don't need every choice under the sun. My kids will survive just fine in our small town with our limited number of options. I think it is far MORE important for my child to have a good home life. For my kids to just go to the local public school which is a few blocks away and feel part of our community. Not for me to bus them 30 min out of town to a private school and have them be exhausted from the daily commute. And, maybe they give more homework or are much tougher in private school, well that is nice but I don't think my kids need hours and hours of homework every night for them to grow up to be hard working, smart, successful people. If you have more local private schools, then perhaps that is not an issue. But, also, what would $10K a year do for your child if you invested it and had it ready to go for college? Will this kind of spending interfere with college plans? I know people who forked over a great deal for private schools that was a financial hardship on their families in the short and long term. Do you want to pay that kind of tuition now or would you be better served to wait and pay tuition for college because essentially your child's public school education is already paid for. And maybe it isn't "the best". But, is it adequate and does it serve your needs? And, we talk about "getting an education" as if it something you can go buy at the Mall. Like you make a choice between "buying" a brand name versus a generic or something. You only as educated as YOU or your child CHOOSES to be. You can be educated anywhere. Kids aren't some passive sponges where teachers just deposit information. Learning is an ACTIVE process. And, if your public school perhaps isn't up to snuff in some areas, there are many ways to give your child additional opportunities and experiences from going to the programs at the library, etc without having to break the bank for private school. But, ultimately, it is your choice.
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zibazinski
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Post by zibazinski on Jan 24, 2014 10:09:42 GMT -5
Okay, I went to a crap farm school and was taught mostly by women whose husbands were farmers and someone had to make a living. That being said, no one misbehaved or didn't speak English or had any "special needs." Bathrooms and halls were safe. So I learned. It isn't that way now, period. The school I went to is still a farm school but has now had to accommodate many things they didn't have to before with no extra money so it's even worse. No way would I put my kids in public schools NOW unless I had careful researched them. OP has and doesn't like what she sees. She has time.
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milee
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Post by milee on Jan 24, 2014 10:13:18 GMT -5
your child's public school education is already paid for. And maybe it isn't "the best". But, is it adequate and does it serve your needs? Personally, I'm a little sad that someone with the overall attitude that mediocre is good enough has just been elected to the school board, but from a practical standpoint, you will fit right in on most public school boards, so good luck.
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muttleynfelix
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Post by muttleynfelix on Jan 24, 2014 10:15:11 GMT -5
Shooby - I think there is a big difference between an OK/bad rural/small town school and an OK/Bad urban/suburban school. The challenges are different. The "community" is different. The Captain's public school option more than likely has about 4000 students. That is almost as big as the University I went to. I went to just an OK rural high school and had a wonderful experience and felt I was well prepared for College. I just think growing up in a rural area comparing my high school experience to someone in suburban Chicago is like comparing apples to oranges.
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Shooby
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Post by Shooby on Jan 24, 2014 10:16:01 GMT -5
Well, our grandparents got educated in a one room school house. With one teacher and couple of books. Now we spend billions and have "programs" upon "programs". Is it REALLY any better? Does plopping our kids in front of fancy new computers with graphics and tons of tons of materials now make someone more "educated"? I think we are straining on a gnat and swallowing a camel. I don't recall my parents ever getting hysterical about my 'education'. They didn't over see my homework. They didn't have to sign my homework and have endless contact with the school or teacher or blah, blah. They sent us to our local small community school with local, small community teachers. And , yeah, I don't think any of my teachers every wrote research papers or had some pedigree but they cared about the kids and did their best. Were they "the best"? I don't know. Who even cares? I seriously just don't understand all the constant parental ANGST and drum beating.
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Shooby
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Post by Shooby on Jan 24, 2014 10:18:19 GMT -5
your child's public school education is already paid for. And maybe it isn't "the best". But, is it adequate and does it serve your needs? Personally, I'm a little sad that someone with the overall attitude that mediocre is good enough has just been elected to the school board, but from a practical standpoint, you will fit right in on most public school boards, so good luck. Um, you are completely missing what I am saying. And, I would gladly put my credentials up to yours any day. And, i seemed to make it through years of college and graduate with a 3.95. Earn an advanced degree, start my own business and accomplish a whole host of things so "mediocre" isn't what i am about but think whatever you like and enjoy patting yourself on the back while i get about the business of actually getting the job done. 2 completely different things.
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zibazinski
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Post by zibazinski on Jan 24, 2014 10:19:46 GMT -5
Because schools have CHANGED and not for the better. Geez, is it really so hard to understand? Were you afraid to go to the bathroom when you were in school? Did you have disruptive kids who had RIGHTS to an education in the least restrictive environment even if that meant no one else in the class could learn or the teacher teach because of the disruption? It's CHANGED. I want a private school because I don't want my kids to deal with the BS that public schools have to. Private school have students who can learn and parents who have financially invested so you hope they care about their kids learning.
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zibazinski
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Post by zibazinski on Jan 24, 2014 10:21:43 GMT -5
It isn't used as free babysitting with parents who could care less about their kids or their education. Not all public schools are like this but a lot are and if you get stuck in one, as a parent you want the best for your child. An inferior and unsafe learning environment isn't the best.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jan 24, 2014 10:21:57 GMT -5
Well, our grandparents got educated in a one room school house. With one teacher and couple of books. Life is a little different than my Grandparents day. Back then an 8th grade education with a basic level of understanding was fine to go on to take over the family farm or marry the neighbor boy who was taking over his family farm. Not many went on to college and there certainly wasn't the global competition for jobs like there is now, not to mention technology was the crank telephone.
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Shooby
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Post by Shooby on Jan 24, 2014 10:22:01 GMT -5
your child's public school education is already paid for. And maybe it isn't "the best". But, is it adequate and does it serve your needs? Personally, I'm a little sad that someone with the overall attitude that mediocre is good enough has just been elected to the school board, but from a practical standpoint, you will fit right in on most public school boards, so good luck. No your attitude is that the "best" would mean that the school hires Bill Belicheck to coach the HS football team and the school SHOULD break the bank and bankrupt everyone because by Gawd we must have "the best". And, if we don't have him as your head coach and you have John Q. Smith, who graduated from our local HS and got his degree and came back because he loves the community and the kids, then of course he is not "the best".
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jan 24, 2014 10:24:07 GMT -5
And I'd take a one room schoolhouse over the huge high schools where the kids are herded around like cattle...
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Shooby
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Post by Shooby on Jan 24, 2014 10:24:56 GMT -5
Because schools have CHANGED and not for the better. Geez, is it really so hard to understand? Were you afraid to go to the bathroom when you were in school? Did you have disruptive kids who had RIGHTS to an education in the least restrictive environment even if that meant no one else in the class could learn or the teacher teach because of the disruption? It's CHANGED. I want a private school because I don't want my kids to deal with the BS that public schools have to. Private school have students who can learn and parents who have financially invested so you hope they care about their kids learning. They haven't changed for the better because we lost sight of reality. We lost sight of what real education and teaching is. And, we lost the real world fact that education is a DISCIPLINE and that it requires discipline in the classroom and by the learner. Instead, we molly coddle and make excuses and it must be the teachers' fault and we must test, test the teachers because it somehow their fault that we now allow kids to just lay about like blobs with no real requirements for effort on their part. So, yeah there is a lot wrong with the schools.
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Shooby
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Post by Shooby on Jan 24, 2014 10:26:43 GMT -5
your child's public school education is already paid for. And maybe it isn't "the best". But, is it adequate and does it serve your needs? Personally, I'm a little sad that someone with the overall attitude that mediocre is good enough has just been elected to the school board, but from a practical standpoint, you will fit right in on most public school boards, so good luck. Well, if you are such a genius why don't you run? I am willing to actually go out and do the WORK to enact changes that i believe in. But, you can sit on the side lines and sniff your nose. Have fun while i work hard to make better school policy.
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zibazinski
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Post by zibazinski on Jan 24, 2014 10:28:00 GMT -5
Amen but because govt is involved these things won't get fixed so parents do the best they can which is why you see more parents choosing private schools. I want my children taught not tested to death to fulfill some beaurocrats idea of how things should be and that everybody is equal. Well, everyone isn't, period. Deal with THAT reality, for a CHANGE.
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Shooby
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Post by Shooby on Jan 24, 2014 10:31:45 GMT -5
And I'd take a one room schoolhouse over the huge high schools where the kids are herded around like cattle... We are impressed by complexity and nonsense. And, we somehow think that if we just bombard our kids with mass quantities of info and create a lot of complex programs with a lot of technical jargon, that now somehow this type of education is "better" than the one room school house. When in reality the one room school house is unparrelled because it had a person/teacher who was much more invested in you as a human being which is really far, far more important that how many books you have in the Library.
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bookkeeper
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Post by bookkeeper on Jan 24, 2014 10:33:44 GMT -5
Did you ever stop to think that the public school has all the special ed, esl, and low achieving students because the private school does not accept them? I always thought the job of a public school was to teach my children all about diversity and how to get along with others. Getting an education was on the student. Making sure the education happened was on me the parent.
I live in a small town of 3600 people. The local private school is K-12 Catholic. My children went to the public school. Since the private school will not accommodate anyone with mobility issues, learning deficiencies, or language barriers, the test scores at the public school are routinely low. That being said, the public high school is safe and adequate. My sons graduated with honors and had sizeable scholarships available to them after graduation.
I echo the other posters, in that your daughter's education will be what SHE makes it. My sons are grown now, but what I learned about the private school in our town has pretty much soured me on that option for some time. Students at the private school are faced with teacher and administrator turnover at an alarming rate. They just don't pay very much. This turnover definitely affects learning. The private school offers no advanced math, science or language classes or vocational classes such as agriculture, independent living, or welding. Most of the high achieving students at the private school spend half or more of their day at the public school taking advanced classes or dual credit college courses. I have made friends with local people who are my age that went to this private school. Many of them have large gaps in their knowledge of standard high school subjects. As long as they made it to mass everyday and their parents kept paying tuition, they passed.
I also have a problem with a school system that denies it's failures. The private school in our town boasts about how their students have a religious component in their day to day school life. They also had a chlamydia out break that nearly shut the place down. I guess they skipped that commandment.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jan 24, 2014 10:43:25 GMT -5
And I'd take a one room schoolhouse over the huge high schools where the kids are herded around like cattle... We are impressed by complexity and nonsense. And, we somehow think that if we just bombard our kids with mass quantities of info and create a lot of complex programs with a lot of technical jargon, that now somehow this type of education is "better" than the one room school house. When in reality the one room school house is unparrelled because it had a person/teacher who was much more invested in you as a human being which is really far, far more important that how many books you have in the Library. But you're kind of backing the private argument here. Part of my reasoning for wanting to send my son to the private school in town is he'd be in a class of about 60 kids instead of over 400. At the private, all the teachers and faculty know all the kids and parents and they're not just part of the crowd. Right now my boys are in a charter school with combined grade levels. They stay with the same teacher for 3 years and the older kids help out the younger ones. My 11 year old eats lunch with his 3 year old brother, it's very much a family atmosphere. I'm VERY lucky to have this available to me as a charter, if not I would pay to send them there.
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milee
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Post by milee on Jan 24, 2014 10:43:36 GMT -5
Shooby, I think you'd find my credentials are similar to yours, down to the top grades and creating a successful business. The difference comes in the attitude. I don't think it's OK to just offer mediocre education and trust that it will all work out just fine. I came from a background of poverty and know full well that without getting top grades in a public magnet school that offered plenty of AP classes and an advanced education I never would have gotten into the colleges I got into nor had the scholarships I did, which would have meant I wouldn't have been able to go to college and wouldn't have been able to achieve the things I've achieved. A mediocre education would have put me on a completely different course than what I've been on.
Public schooling is one of the few truly great equalizing opportunities in this country. Public schools are not just childcare, they are what allow poor and middle class children a chance at the American dream. Allowing mediocre public schools does more to hurt poor people and minorities than any other problem in our society and it makes me angry that we accept it as a society. Forget drugs, forget racism, forget poverty and all that other stuff we like to point out as a problem - we do more harm to more children by not offering good quality public schools than the harm caused by any of those other issues. And as our economy gets more complicated and stratified, the need for top quality education grows and allowing only mediocre schools is an inexcusable waste of resources and de facto source of discrimination.
And the fact that you even mention hiring this or that football coach shows how much you simply don't understand the issues or my point. Frankly, I wouldn't hire either football coach. Football is not how we provide educational opportunities to our citizens and shouldn't even be something we waste 10 minutes thinking about much less spending our limited resources on. Get decent teachers in the schools, hold kids and parents accountable, focus on technical education and basic core competencies, develop vocational and trade education as an alternate track and stop giving a flying fig who the football coach is.
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The Captain
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Post by The Captain on Jan 24, 2014 10:59:10 GMT -5
Shooby - I think there is a big difference between an OK/bad rural/small town school and an OK/Bad urban/suburban school. The challenges are different. The "community" is different. The Captain's public school option more than likely has about 4000 students. That is almost as big as the University I went to. I went to just an OK rural high school and had a wonderful experience and felt I was well prepared for College. I just think growing up in a rural area comparing my high school experience to someone in suburban Chicago is like comparing apples to oranges. Actually you're pretty much on the mark - it's around 3700 students. DD would be just a cog in the wheel there. I have no illusions. Her current class size is - 32. @shooby raises a good point about the cost, but we are saving for DD's college and plan on having our house paid off around the time she starts college. Our house payment will essentially switch to a tuition payment .
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zibazinski
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Post by zibazinski on Jan 24, 2014 11:11:12 GMT -5
Milee, I wish we still had karma.
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muttleynfelix
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Post by muttleynfelix on Jan 24, 2014 11:25:28 GMT -5
Did you ever stop to think that the public school has all the special ed, esl, and low achieving students because the private school does not accept them? I always thought the job of a public school was to teach my children all about diversity and how to get along with others. Getting an education was on the student. Making sure the education happened was on me the parent.
I live in a small town of 3600 people. The local private school is K-12 Catholic. My children went to the public school. Since the private school will not accommodate anyone with mobility issues, learning deficiencies, or language barriers, the test scores at the public school are routinely low. That being said, the public high school is safe and adequate. My sons graduated with honors and had sizeable scholarships available to them after graduation.
I echo the other posters, in that your daughter's education will be what SHE makes it. My sons are grown now, but what I learned about the private school in our town has pretty much soured me on that option for some time. Students at the private school are faced with teacher and administrator turnover at an alarming rate. They just don't pay very much. This turnover definitely affects learning. The private school offers no advanced math, science or language classes or vocational classes such as agriculture, independent living, or welding. Most of the high achieving students at the private school spend half or more of their day at the public school taking advanced classes or dual credit college courses. I have made friends with local people who are my age that went to this private school. Many of them have large gaps in their knowledge of standard high school subjects. As long as they made it to mass everyday and their parents kept paying tuition, they passed.
I also have a problem with a school system that denies it's failures. The private school in our town boasts about how their students have a religious component in their day to day school life. They also had a chlamydia out break that nearly shut the place down. I guess they skipped that commandment. I think it depends on the situation. What I know of where The Captain lives, I don't think I would want my kids going to that school either. I grew up about 75 miles from there. My sister lives about 30 miles north of there. My sister's kids are going to a large public high school and it is what you make of it in that situation. Where the captain lives though is higher crime, more gang activity. As much as I believe in public schools, I don't know if I could send my kids to THAT PARTICULAR public school .
(Just so you don't think I'm a stalker Captain, your thread on the housing prices gave me the general town which is where we use to go shopping if we wanted a "big city shopping trip" growing up).
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Shooby
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Post by Shooby on Jan 24, 2014 12:26:23 GMT -5
The Best, the best, the best. Everyone wants "the best". This is the chant we cry. Well, what is "the Best". So, if I don't have "the best" according to YOU, then therefore I am somehow "mediocre"? Oh, OK. Do YOU have THE BEST home and car? You don't? Well why not? You have to strive for "the best". YOu always must attain "the best". Well, why don't you have the best? Because in order to do so, you will go bankrupt. Financially, personally, emotionally, etc. You will be spending all of your time trying to attain this "best". But, according to your thinking anything else is mediocre or not good enough. A home that meets YOUR needs? Nope, sorry, not good enough. Little 7 yr old Johnny wants to play basketball. The school has an intramural league and they play each other once or twice a week in pick up games. Sounds fun! Well, no wait a minute. That isn't good enough for Johnny! We need to have uniforms and a schedule and an teams. We need to set a schedule of lots of hours of practice and a traveling league. And, yeah, I know little Johnny likes to go to Grandpa's house on Sat mornings to help him in his woodshop, but too bad. We must have the best and he must be "the best"/ So, now little Johnny doesn't have a minute to breathe. He doesn't have a second to be a kid. He doesn't get to know all the kids in the school anymore because he doesnt' play in the Intramural league where some of those kids aren't very good. He is now on the elite team. And, he spends every day, day after day for hours learning to play. And, sorry, he travels several nights a week and spends most evenings driving back and forth in a minivan. Oh, and sorry Gramps, Johnny won't see you much because he is working hard to be "the best". And, look, he has won MVP, a district title, most improved and look at his Win/Loss Record! See his resume! He is clearly far superior to the other little Johnny who stayed in the intramural league and had time at home in the evening to spend with his family and time for his friends and time to pursue OTHER things as well. Oh, and time to spend with Grandpa. But, it was worth it. Because his resume now PROVES he is "the Best".
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Shooby
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Joined: Jan 17, 2013 0:32:36 GMT -5
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Post by Shooby on Jan 24, 2014 12:31:54 GMT -5
As for private schools, do you really think private schools have better teachers? Our private school can barely pay anywhere NEAR a living wage. And those teachers are no differently trained or educated than the teachers in the public schools.
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Shooby
Senior Associate
Joined: Jan 17, 2013 0:32:36 GMT -5
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Mini-Profile Name Color: 1cf04f
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Post by Shooby on Jan 24, 2014 12:36:40 GMT -5
Shooby, I think you'd find my credentials are similar to yours, down to the top grades and creating a successful business. The difference comes in the attitude. I don't think it's OK to just offer mediocre education and trust that it will all work out just fine. I came from a background of poverty and know full well that without getting top grades in a public magnet school that offered plenty of AP classes and an advanced education I never would have gotten into the colleges I got into nor had the scholarships I did, which would have meant I wouldn't have been able to go to college and wouldn't have been able to achieve the things I've achieved. A mediocre education would have put me on a completely different course than what I've been on.
Public schooling is one of the few truly great equalizing opportunities in this country. Public schools are not just childcare, they are what allow poor and middle class children a chance at the American dream. Allowing mediocre public schools does more to hurt poor people and minorities than any other problem in our society and it makes me angry that we accept it as a society. Forget drugs, forget racism, forget poverty and all that other stuff we like to point out as a problem - we do more harm to more children by not offering good quality public schools than the harm caused by any of those other issues. And as our economy gets more complicated and stratified, the need for top quality education grows and allowing only mediocre schools is an inexcusable waste of resources and de facto source of discrimination.
And the fact that you even mention hiring this or that football coach shows how much you simply don't understand the issues or my point. Frankly, I wouldn't hire either football coach. Football is not how we provide educational opportunities to our citizens and shouldn't even be something we waste 10 minutes thinking about much less spending our limited resources on. Get decent teachers in the schools, hold kids and parents accountable, focus on technical education and basic core competencies, develop vocational and trade education as an alternate track and stop giving a flying fig who the football coach is. Attitude? So, you are have a better "attitude" because your approach is different than mine? Oh ,of course. How silly of me to presume that my opinions have validity. But as for "mediocre" schools, I didnt' use the word "mediocre". That seems to have oozed out of your mouth. But apparently you seem to think that you can just write out some checks $$$ and presto! And, I used the football coach analogy because I thought it was something you might understand when I made my point. Whoops, my bad.
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