New Study claims private vouchers improve public schools because of competition.

[The Backlash Cometh]

Somewhere near the middle of the article tells the real story.

New study suggests that vouchers may contribute to improvements in Florida’s public schools

Competition in the education marketplace may have played a role in boosting the performance of Florida’s public schools, a May study by Northwestern University professor David Figlio suggests.

And vouchers may have been one key.

Vouchers are the common name for the $3,950-grants The Florida Tax Credit Scholarship Program gives to impoverished children to go to a private or parochial school instead of their assigned public school.

According to the study, the gains were modest, but clear: Schools nearest to private campuses, and those likely to lose federal funding if the enrollments of poor children fell too low made the most gains. Those groups may have felt the most pressure to make changes to increase academic performance.




http://blogs.orlandosentinel.com/news_education_edblog/2010/06/new-study-suggests-that-vouchers-may-contribute-to-improvements-in-floridas-public-schools.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+SentinelSchoolZone+%28Sentinel+School+Zone%29

[no_hypocrisy]

1. The students who want to work in the classroom are skimmed with the availability

of private vouchers. The public schools teach EVERYONE, no matter their academic prowess or lack thereof, their enthusiasm or hostility toward education.

If public schools are competing, it's because they can't afford to have any more funds transferred to charter schools. More parents will want their children in classrooms with children with "scores" and will not see "learning" as something concrete, thus depleting public schools even further.

[Tansy_Gold]

2. What if that money were used by the public schools instead?

Why threaten public schools? Why PUNISH public schools? That makes no sense whatsoever, except, of course, to the greedy bastard pukes who want to send public education into the dustbin of history.

When scores matter more than learning, they'll end up with neither. Kinda like that bit about security and liberty. . . . . .



wankers.





Tansy Gold

[no_hypocrisy]

3. Admittedly, the money has to be more wisely allocated.

I would eliminate No Child Left Behind and advocate for programs that turn children into critical thinkers, independent and autonomous and creative. Reading and math scores would rise as a result of better thinking. For instance, learning how to read music has been demonstrated to increase lexicon reading comprehension. More money for innovative programs, better teachers, job security for teachers, etc. And this can't happen with money for public schools being given away to charter schools. Charter schools are great except for the fact they're a contradiction of a private school in a public school. The only thing that makes a charter school "public" is it receives taxpayer dollars and it's housed in a public school, replacing a public school classroom.

[mzteris]

13. Yeah - Kansas did such an EXCELLENT JOB

`with all their money.

It's not just about the money. It's about what you DO with it.

And the status frickin' quo just ain't working any more, ya know?

There needs to be change. Drastic change. And if the "school boards" can't or won't get it done, then the rest of us will.

[mzteris]

5. voucher/private schools are NOT CHARTER SCHOOLS!

Charter schools are PUBLIC SCHOOLS that do not charge a fee - ever - to attend.

Vouchers are a program to fund private/parochial schools.

Please do not confuse the two.

[no_hypocrisy]

8. Thank you for the distinction.

[Tansy_Gold]

10. Charter schools that funnel taxpayer funds to private, for-profit corporations

are not "public" schools, regardless what the definition is, regardless which students they "accept." When the bottom line is the bottom line rather than the students' success AFTER they graduate, then the public is no longer being served.


TG

[mzteris]

12. No they don't.

Charter schools are non-profit public schools.

While some charter schools are managed by for profit organizations, they are the in\ the VERY small minority - 10% and growing smaller every day. Do you rail against the management companies that manage traditional public schools too? I do.

More than 80% of all charters are LOCAL OPERATIONS managed by PARENTS, TEACHERS AND CONCERNED CITIZENS of the community.

Stop spreading those stupid lies, please. It would be one thing if you didn't know, but you've been corrected many times.

Charter schools are open to all who apply. The only "restrictions" are the same that apply to any school (traditional or otherwise) that may have a specific requirement - ike being able to speak a particular foreign language.

[mmonk]

4. Public money for private schools is an enemy of public education,

not a boost to education.

[LWolf]

6. +1,000

[Tansy_Gold]

9. ditto n/t

[Dogtown]

7. Privatization shills.

Capitalists love to trot out the "competition" of their "free market", but in reality competition is soon squelched by monopoly and Profit becomes the sole guiding principle.

Should schools benefit children or businessmen?
Do we want schools that provide an education or schools that provide a profit?

[laughingliberal]

11. We were told how 'competition & the free market' would lower health care costs & improve quality

How's that working out?

Is it Reagan appreciation day on DU, again?