In a message dated 11/6/2000 11:17:55 PM Central Standard Time,
[EMAIL PROTECTED] writes regarding the ongoing generic discussion of
vouchers:
<< What a voucher does, is use tax payers' money to fund private schools. >>
In the strictest sense, what a voucher does is provide 'taxpayer funds for
education' to 'educate taxpayer's kids.' It facilitates choice in education.
<< If my kids are in public school and I'm paying to send those families with
a
little more money to private school, then my kid is automatically being
cheated, cause the public schools lose the money. Not to mention if these
private schools are also parochial schools, then we get into questions of
the separation of church and state. >>
I'll try and make this pertinent to Minneapolis. Your kid gets an allocation
of public money for education, just like every other kid should get-- that's
the purpose of using tax dollars for education-- to educate the kids. As
long as a kid is being educated in an accredited school, who's being cheated?
What of all the taxpayers with no children in school-- are they being
cheated? If memory serves me, about 70-80 percent of Minneapolis households
don't have kids in the K-12 age group, yet they by and large support using
tax dollars for education of 'our' kids. If the purpose of using education
tax dollars is to educate 'our' kids, all that should matter is that a
quality education is provided/ received.
What does it matter if some parents choose to send their kids to parochial
schools using the taxpayer dollars? As long as those schools are accredited
and teach everything deemed necessary in an accredited school, what is the
problem? Why discriminate against quality schools just because they are
parochial, charter, etc.? In Minnesota and Minneapolis in particular, the
charter schools (operating under 'public school districts) receive less
funding per student than regular 'public' schools-- why, don't they have to
accept all comers? Again, the purpose of allocating 'our' tax dollars for
education should be to educate 'our' kids.
When I was discharged from the military, I used public tax dollars (GI Bill)
to go to college-- there was no restriction on which school I attended, as
long as it met accreditation standards. I could attend a junior college or
vo-tech, the University of Minnesota, Hamline or St. Johns. It was my
choice. All these institutions of higher education were competing for
various segments of the population. It is a good system.
Allocating 'public' tax dollars for K-12 'public' education, should mean
using 'our' money to educate 'our' kids. It shouldn't matter who actually
does the educating, as long as it is done well and outcomes meet or exceed
accepted standards. Schools that demonstrate 'best practices'; special
programs that are in demand, and improving outcomes will attract parents and
their kids. Taxpayers, parents and public school administrators/employees,
should not fear competition and innovation in education. Competition will
strengthen 'our' whole education system... 'public' and 'private' alike. We
already have special programs in MPS schools (i.e. ESL, IB and AP, special
needs) operating within larger schools, and we could have more magnets, etc.
located within more schools just as easily. We must keep the overall goal,
educating 'our' kids, in clear focus and not be distracted by ancillary side
issues. Perceived obstacles and differences can be negotiated, programs can
be consolidated and strengthened, new programs added.
I support what we commonly refer to as our 'public education system', but
more importantly I support quality education-- irrespective of whether it
comes from 'public' or 'private' schools. I think parents should have
options and choices as to where they send their kids to school, and I think
'our' education dollars should support 'our' kids education. I support the
'public' school referendum for smaller class size in Minneapolis and I
support positive changes in MPS and within/between other districts, 'public'
and 'private.' No one has all the right answers and only by working together
to improve the overall education system will we be successful.
M. Hohmann
13th ward
