If all other things are equal, better funded schools will produce better educated students. However, it's rare that all other factors are equal. It's been said many times over that a good, motivated, student will get a good education where ever they are, and a student without motivation will never get a good education, regardless of where they go to school.
My children all went to one of the poorest grade schools in town, all except my son graduated from HS with 4.0 (he had a 3.7 - not quite as motivated). All did well in college (son is still there), with one attending Yale (the welcome letter to all students included a statement about the diversity of the class, including students from exotic places like New Zealand and Oklahoma). On 3/6/07, Tom Hargrave <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
Andrew, I married a local girl who attended a very rural Alabama school and her first year of college consisted of course work she should have completed in high school. One of my nieces attended the same school and she is currently getting her Masters at Vanderbuilt University (Nashville, TN). On the other hand, my nephew (her cousin) is a barely educated high school graduate from the same system. The difference? Not funding or "bells and whistles". My niece was in the marching band and my nephew was a football center. But her parents expected more than his did (remember, I know both sets of parents), and the same pattern shows through all of their siblings! In other words, the difference is parent's expectations and from my experience, parent's expectations are generally lower in Alabama's rural communities. Why? Because parents in rural Alabama tend to be less educated than parents in less rural areas. In other words, while there is an education issue in Alabama's poorer areas, it's due to culture and not school funding. I always find it interesting that some always blame funding for deeply engrained social issues. I also suspect that these same issues exist in every state in the union regardless of the tax climate. Required Mercedes content: My 300SDL is for sale, in case anyone's interested in one. Thanks, Tom Hargrave www.kegkits.com 256-656-1924 -----Original Message----- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of andrew strasfogel Sent: Monday, March 05, 2007 12:38 PM To: Mercedes Discussion List Subject: Re: [MBZ] *Almost* makes me want to move to NY State High sales tax states are both regressive in their taxing philosophy and harsh on lower income folks. I find it ironic that demagogic politicians like to tout their low tax ideology while socking it to the poor by opposing progressive taxes on income (including unearned income) while stealthily encouraging high sales taxes that disproportionately affect the lower classes. Pathetically, folks in the lower classes by and large still don't "get it" and vote for the demagogues. Oh well... I also find it fascinating that an educated and relatively well-off community in the regressive (sorry, I mean "low tax") state of AL can have its kids attend good public schools by asking parents to pony up for the frills and bells and whistles that make an average school a great one. Meanwhile, the kids in the poorer AL communities are enrolled in an underfunded public school system that is not "enhanced" by such parental largess. You do indeed get what you pay for; it's just sad that this concept should extend to public schooling... On 3/5/07, Scott Ritchey <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > NC is OK (I moved here when I retired in 05) but NC has both sales and > income tax. Several other states, like FL, TX, etc, only have sales or > income tax. > > NC does have the Bailey ruling, however, where some forms of federal and > state retirement (like military) are not taxed. > > Scott Ritchey > > -----Original Message----- > From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] > On Behalf Of Glenn Brown > Sent: Saturday, March 03, 2007 14:36 > To: mercedes@okiebenz.com > Subject: [MBZ] *Almost* makes me want to move to NY State > > Ed, > The old saying relating "NY, the land of taxes" is still the rule as the > county in which I currently reside has one of the highest tax rates in the > country. Where I'm headed (NC), the taxes are < 1/2 of what they are > here. > > G. M. Brown > Rochester, NY > _______________________________________ > http://www.okiebenz.com > For new parts see official list sponsor: http://www.buymbparts.com/ > For used parts email [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > To Unsubscribe or change delivery options go to: > http://okiebenz.com/mailman/listinfo/mercedes_okiebenz.com > > > _______________________________________ > http://www.okiebenz.com > For new parts see official list sponsor: http://www.buymbparts.com/ > For used parts email [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > To Unsubscribe or change delivery options go to: > http://okiebenz.com/mailman/listinfo/mercedes_okiebenz.com > _______________________________________ http://www.okiebenz.com For new parts see official list sponsor: http://www.buymbparts.com/ For used parts email [EMAIL PROTECTED] To Unsubscribe or change delivery options go to: http://okiebenz.com/mailman/listinfo/mercedes_okiebenz.com _______________________________________ http://www.okiebenz.com For new parts see official list sponsor: http://www.buymbparts.com/ For used parts email [EMAIL PROTECTED] To Unsubscribe or change delivery options go to: http://okiebenz.com/mailman/listinfo/mercedes_okiebenz.com
-- OK Don, KD5NRO Norman, OK "Even if you're on the right track, you'll get run over if you just sit there." Will Rogers '90 300D, '87 300SDL, '81 240D, '78 450SLC, '97 Ply Grand Voyager
