What is Zionist or Neo-Con about Newt Gingrich wanting to get our federal government out of the schools?
On Wed, Dec 28, 2011 at 12:20 PM, plainolamerican <[email protected] > wrote: > don't you ever tire of presenting zionist neocon opinions? > > On Dec 28, 8:57 am, Keith In Tampa <[email protected]> wrote: > > *Schools should serve our children--not interest groups > > * by Newt Gingrich > > > > New York City is home to more than 220,000 children living in poverty. > > Many live in households with at least one parent who is not > employed--and > > as I wrote recently, two-thirds of those in extremely poor households > > don't have even one parent who works. Hope and opportunity, for many of > > these children, must seem a distant promise. > > > > For generations, America has entrusted our schools with the futures of > our > > children. Education, we have rightly told our kids, can help them get > > ahead. Yet for the thousands of poor young New Yorkers who make their > way > > to school each morning, this, too, must seem hollow. More than one-third > > of their schools are classified as "failing." Students pass through the > > years despite struggling with basic skills like reading and writing. > Fewer > > than one in four is ready for college by the time they finish high > school. > > > > Some people, however, are thriving in the city's failing schools. In > many > > of the same neighborhoods where children go home to extreme poverty and > > households without a single working parent, custodians in the schools > make > > six figures. In fact, their union contracts guarantee many of them > > salaries far in excess of teachers in the same schools. > > > > As the New York Post discovered last year, 20 public school janitors > make > > more than $140,000 a year. And the disparity is not limited to a few odd > > cases: the base salary for a first year custodial engineer is almost > > $80,000, while new teachers without graduate degrees make about $45,000, > > NBC New York reported recently, teacher salaries max out at around > $100,000 > > in base pay, while the custodial engineers can make up to $114,000 in > base > > pay. > > > > Wouldn't it be great if New York City schools served their students as > > well as they serve some of their custodians? > > > > Students--especially those from very poor families--would be better > served > > if they had the opportunity to earn money part-time at school by doing > > some of the tasks custodians are now performing so expensively. > > > > Dozens of poor students could have part-time, paying jobs for the > $100,000 > > a year New York schools pay some custodians. For that amount, more than > 30 > > children could work just two hours each school day and each take home > > $3,000 a year by the time they are 12 or 13 years old. > > Some of this work could be clerical; other tasks could be janitorial, > such > > as cleaning the cafeteria, or emptying the trash, or vacuuming the > > classrooms. These are similar to the chores many parents require their > > kids to do at home, and it would allow 12- and 13- year olds to make > money > > they desperately need. Giving children the opportunity to earn money > would > > help teach work habits, and letting them do so in their schools would > > build a stronger commitment to that community. > > > > This idea is not far from a proposal Time's Joe Klein made two decades > > ago. As he recalled recently, he wrote "that the school janitors had a > > contract that paid them more than teachers received (nearly $60,000--and > > now nearly double that) but, according to said contract, they only were > > required to mop the cafeteria floor once a week. I suggested at the time > > that maybe the city could save some money by contracting out the > > heavy-duty janitorial work, but also build some character and community > > spirit by having the kids and their parents help keep the schools > clean." > > > > Klein makes another excellent point about the work schools already > require > > students to do, observing the oddity that although "many high schools > now > > require some form of public service--often community cleanup > > programs--said service can't take place within the school itself." > > America's poorest students need the world's best education system, > strong > > work habits, opportunity, earned income, and a little hope. > > Compared with using taxpayer money to pay custodians more than teachers > > and multiple times the average income of neighborhood families, giving > > students the opportunity to work hard and earn money at school makes a > > world of sense. > > > > Your friend, > > > > Newt > > > > OnDayOne...Newt2012.jpg > > 111KViewDownload > > > > RealChange.NewtGingrich.jpg > > 81KViewDownload > > -- > Thanks for being part of "PoliticalForum" at Google Groups. > For options & help see http://groups.google.com/group/PoliticalForum > > * Visit our other community at http://www.PoliticalForum.com/ > * It's active and moderated. Register and vote in our polls. > * Read the latest breaking news, and more. > -- Thanks for being part of "PoliticalForum" at Google Groups. For options & help see http://groups.google.com/group/PoliticalForum * Visit our other community at http://www.PoliticalForum.com/ * It's active and moderated. Register and vote in our polls. * Read the latest breaking news, and more.
