Think DPS is Bad?

[Detroit Stylin]

Look at what the wingnuts have in store for Philly....

http://www.citypaper.net/blogs/naked...solution-.html

[Scottathew]

My favorite comment on the article:

we'll need the conscripts for the 6 front battle we're planning next year to revive the world economy

[firstandten]

Well, now we see where DPS will be in the next year or two

[Jimaz]

I predict we'll start seeing McDonald's ads popping up in textbooks.

Kids will learn the Pythagorean "Happy Meal" Theorem.

[[Please don't tell me that has already started.)

[royce]

What textbooks?

[Wesley Mouch]

Look at what the wingnuts have in store for Philly....

http://www.citypaper.net/blogs/naked...solution-.html

That article is incomprehensible. But then again I didn't go to public school.

[hamtown mike]

"...too few school police..." Perhaps the most telling statement about the differences between inner city schools and "outer-burb" schools and how the education system has completely and utterly failed.

The only police presence I felt during school was the annual visit by McGruff the crime dog and Officer Friendly.

Granted I went to school way out in the country and it was xx years ago.

Is it the school district's fault that they have a student body that needs to be policed? No, but they're still forced to manage this growing mass of unmotivated students on a daily basis. You cannot teach what is not willing to be learned.

How much of a monster would I appear to be if I suggested that we no longer make school mandatory for those under the age of 18?

[gameguy56]

How much of a monster would I appear to be if I suggested that we no longer make school mandatory for those under the age of 18?

Perhaps we need to change the definition of school. Money motivates these kids, teach them something vocational. School should still be mandatory, but maybe instead of greek history they can [[at least just have the option) to learn to be a machinist or arc-welder.

[firstandten]

How much of a monster would I appear to be if I suggested that we no longer make school mandatory for those under the age of 18?

Not one at all. As a matter of fact that should be a subject for serious discussion.

[ghettopalmetto]

Legalized child labor. Fantastic.

Glad to see we're whoring our children to corporations for profit instead of producing educated citizens. Certainly, the for-profit ventures that will operate the schools have the public's best interest at the very top of their agenda. No need to worry about brainwashing these kids in the name of the almighty dollar. Let's just get 'em into the Corporate Training, er, "educational" system at the age of 5.

Never mind that empirical evidence shows charter schools aren't any better than the public schools they "replace". But that doesn't matter when you worship at the Randian altar, does it?

The only upshot with this is that the kids will be well-prepared to matriculate to the University of Phoenix when they complete their Corporate
Training, er, secondary education.

Way to go, Randians. You created a system of charter schools that you knew would preclude adequate funding for the public schools. Now that you "suddenly" can't afford running TWO public school systems [[I know you're as shocked at this outcome as I am.), you use it as an excuse to sell out the most basic principles on which this nation was founded.

I am so SO tired of these Randian idiots ruining the underpinnings of our democracy for the sake of profiteering.

[JBMcB]

Legalized child labor. Fantastic.

I worked as a kid. I mowed lawns, raked leaves and shoveled snow for money. I also worked at my family's store doing odd jobs for less than minimum wage. I didn't get an allowance, I had to make my own money.

There's child labor all over the place. It's just all under the table.

Glad to see we're whoring our children to corporations for profit instead of producing educated citizens.

How about students who flunk out/get thrown out of school go work for the city cleaning up parks and streets until they are 18?

Never mind that empirical evidence shows charter schools aren't any better than the public schools they "replace".

Some are better, some aren't. The main difference is charter schools are more willing to try different approaches than public schools.

Way to go, Randians. You created a system of charter schools that you knew would preclude adequate funding for the public schools.

Charter schools have nothing to do with a "Randian" free market system - they are still funded by the state. You are confusing charter schools with private schools.

[ghettopalmetto]

I worked as a kid. I mowed lawns, raked leaves and shoveled snow for money. I also worked at my family's store doing odd jobs for less than minimum wage. I didn't get an allowance, I had to make my own money.

Bully for you. You were still able to go to school and get an education. These kids in Philadelphia are at the mercy of shareholders.

It's one thing to make an individual choice to earn money. It's quite another matter when children are forced into serfdom to earn profits for their corporate educational masters. Profit, I may add, that comes directly from the pockets of taxpayers. Are the taxpayers going to realize any added value by handing over their investment as a profit to a private entity?

Some are better, some aren't. The main difference is charter schools are more willing to try different approaches than public schools.

And selling out in the name of profit--is that better or worse? Doesn't matter--it's DIFFERENT!!! Free market! Hooray!

Charter schools have nothing to do with a "Randian" free market system - they are still funded by the state. You are confusing charter schools with private schools.

Right, they're funded by the state--taking money that would otherwise be spent on the existing public school system. Remember--the entire argument in support of charter schools is that "competition breeds success." How many more years do we wait for the "success" to happen??? Charter schools are just a redundant system of public schools, designed to take tax dollars and put it into private hands, and with questionable oversight, at best.

[Wesley Mouch]

...
...Remember--the entire argument in support of charter schools is that "competition breeds success." How many more years do we wait for the "success" to happen???

I think competition has bred success.

There's still a lot of improvement needed by both DPS and Charters, but I shudder when I think of how poor off our children would be if there weren't Charters. There's no doubt in my mind that many of the reforms in DPS are a direct result of competition. The proof is how much the teachers are whining.

[ghettopalmetto]

I think competition has bred success.

There's still a lot of improvement needed by both DPS and Charters, but I shudder when I think of how poor off our children would be if there weren't Charters. There's no doubt in my mind that many of the reforms in DPS are a direct result of competition. The proof is how much the teachers are whining.

So how many redundant public school systems do we need to fund [[and how many corporations need to profit) before we have enough competition to see real improvement?

Remember, charters were sold not as just an improvement on public schools, but that the "competition" would force the public schools to improve. Are you asserting this has indeed been the case?

[firstandten]

I think competition has bred success.

There's still a lot of improvement needed by both DPS and Charters, but I shudder when I think of how poor off our children would be if there weren't Charters. There's no doubt in my mind that many of the reforms in DPS are a direct result of competition. The proof is how much the teachers are whining.

What reforms are you referring too. Are we talking curriculum based reforms. I think the word competition simply gave political cover for politicans to dismantle a system that wasn't working.

With the same pool of dysfunctional families and their underperforming children what makes one think that charters would do any better than DPS.

What magic fairy dust could they throw on the kids to make them better students ? Most of the studies I've seen have not shown me that charters have statically better results than traditional school districts.

Are the charters safer ? probably and thats important


Charters are just another education option, competition is not a word I would use.