Chicago students skip school in funding protest

[351Cleveland]

http://apnews.myway.com/article/20080902/D92UPD280.html

Chicago Public Schools spent $11,300 per student last year. New Trier High School spent $17,500 a student, near the top in the state.

Peggy Richmond, who accompanied her 12-year-old granddaughter Skyler Williams on the boycott, said she was forced to enroll Skyler in a private school because of the poor quality of the public schools in her Chicago neighborhood.

"I'm still angry," she said of having to pay $650 a month in tuition to ensure her granddaughter gets a good education.

Okay... so Chicago Public school spends over $11m per child. This lady can get PRIVATE schooling for $650 a month, which she says is NECESSARY to ensure a good education for her granddaugther. Assume it's a 12 month year... that is $7,800 per year in PRIVATE tuition. Now, I am an accountant and highly skilled in math, so I can do this math while the rest of you cannot . That is $3,500 LESS per month than Chicago Public Schools gets per student.

What am I missing? Why are private schools so much better (by this angry lady's account relating to her granddaughter's position, not my judgement) than public schools, given the amount of money per student?

 

[winnar111]

Because education is just as much about parental involvement as it is about everything else? Sorry, you can't just dump your kid on the city, take no interest in his upbringing, and hope for great results.

 

[Brainonska511]

There is no voucher. So her tax dollars go to the state/city which funds public education + the tuition of private school. Additionally, the private school might be getting donations that help to lower tuition costs for certain individuals that demonstrate financial need.

There are many reasons why private schools are better than public ones:
1) Parents are more likely to care (and show it) about their child's education, thus the value is passed onto the child to do well
2) Kids are surrounded by other children that are willing to learn and not be disruptive
3) Teachers have more of an incentive as it is easier to fire them when they suck and easier to give them bonuses when they do well. I don't know if teachers are paid more for teaching in private schools, so that might also be a factor in bringing in good teachers instead of glorified babysitters.

The public schools get enough money. The reasons for why they are so mediocre is 3 fold: administration, teachers, and parents.
1) Administatrars waste money and you shouldn't need 10 people doing the work that one or two people can do.
2) Bad teachers are hard to fire. It's hard to reward the outstanding teachers. Low pay for teachers also hampers attracting people into the teaching field.
3) Parents have to care. They have to show their kids that they care as well - sit down with them and watch/help with homework. Go to parent-teacher conferences; read to their kids, etc. A good attitude starts in the home.

 

[CADsortaGUY]

Originally posted by: Brainonska511
There is no voucher. So her tax dollars go to the state/city which funds public education + the tuition of private school.

There are many reasons why private schools are better than public ones:
1) Parents are more likely to care (and show it) about their child's education, thus the value is passed onto the child to do well
2) Kids are surrounded by other children that are willing to learn and not be disruptive
3) Teachers have more of an incentive as it is easier to fire them when they suck and easier to give them bonuses when they do well. I don't know if teachers are paid more for teaching in private schools, so that might also be a factor in bringing in good teachers instead of glorified babysitters.

The public schools get enough money. The reasons for why they are so mediocre is 3 fold: administration, teachers, and parents.
1) Administatrars waste money and you shouldn't need 10 people doing the work that one or two people can do.
2) Bad teachers are hard to fire. It's hard to reward the outstanding teachers. Low pay for teachers also hampers attracting people into the teaching field.
3) Parents have to care. They have to show their kids that they care as well - sit down with them and watch/help with homework. Go to parent-teacher conferences; read to their kids, etc. A good attitude starts in the home.

Now wait just a minute here. I thought the only reason our publik skool systems sucks is because we don't pay teachers enough....

 

[Jaskalas]

Money alone is not the answer. While it may be important, you have to ask yourself if it is being used to prop up current failures or if it used to innovate and resolve these problems.

Every dime spent on a child should be under the discretion of the parents as to which school it goes to. Then you can reward success instead of rewarding failure.

 

[Atomic Playboy]

Originally posted by: 351Cleveland
Okay... so Chicago Public school spends over $11m per child.

They most certainly do not. $11,300 does not equal $11,000,000.

Private schools are better than public schools because they are more selective in who they higher and quicker to get rid of underperforming faculty and staff (they don't necessarily have a teacher's union), they do not have the absurdly complex bureaucracy that is apparently required of publid education in large cities, and they generally attract a wealthier clientelle who can provide additional money in donations which are not included in tuition dollars (not to mention they typically have established endowments which add further wealth into the system).

 

[351Cleveland]

Sorry. I use "m" for thousand and "mm" for million. I meant $11,000

 

[BoberFett]

Minneapolis wants to gouge home owners with a high priced referendum this year that would raise my property taxes by about 10%. Unfortunately for them I'm going to vote no. I might be more inclined to say yes if I wasn't already paying to build a baseball stadium, football stadium, and another football stadium.

American priorities are fucked.

 

[JS80]

Originally posted by: BoberFett
Minneapolis wants to gouge home owners with a high priced referendum this year that would raise my property taxes by about 10%. Unfortunately for them I'm going to vote no. I might be more inclined to say yes if I wasn't already paying to build a baseball stadium, football stadium, and another football stadium.

American priorities are fucked.

Increasing educational budget which only fattens teachers unions their pensions, and administrators is better than building a new stadium?

 

[DealMonkey]

Originally posted by: CADsortaGUY
Now wait just a minute here. I thought the only reason our publik skool systems sucks is because we don't pay teachers enough....

You're right ... let's cut their pay in half and see how the schools perform then.

 

[winnar111]

Originally posted by: DealMonkey

Originally posted by: CADsortaGUY
Now wait just a minute here. I thought the only reason our publik skool systems sucks is because we don't pay teachers enough....

You're right ... let's cut their pay in half and see how the schools perform then.

How about we prevent the union from donating to Democratic candidates with union dues? Should get the teachers more take home pay.

 

[Double Trouble]

I think a parent should be in charge of where their kid goes to school and where to spend their money. Instead of dumping more and more money into public school systems that simply don't work, how about give each parent a voucher in the amount of what is currently being spent per kid, and have the parent use that towards any school they like.

 

[DanDaManJC]

I'd say the biggest issue in my school was the fact that most of the students simply did not care and were generally lazy (academically) and for some, simply all out lazy.

 

[Brainonska511]

Originally posted by: Double Trouble
I think a parent should be in charge of where their kid goes to school and where to spend their money. Instead of dumping more and more money into public school systems that simply don't work, how about give each parent a voucher in the amount of what is currently being spent per kid, and have the parent use that towards any school they like.

The one problem with this is it will just drive up the costs of private schools, as demand will rise since people will have money but the limited supply will just increase prices to even things out.

Originally posted by: DanDaManJC
I'd say the biggest issue in my school was the fact that most of the students simply did not care and were generally lazy (academically) and for some, simply all out lazy.

That's because the parents didn't care to instill the importance of a basic education.

 

[Sinsear]

Originally posted by: BoberFett
Minneapolis wants to gouge home owners with a high priced referendum this year that would raise my property taxes by about 10%. Unfortunately for them I'm going to vote no. I might be more inclined to say yes if I wasn't already paying to build a baseball stadium, football stadium, and another football stadium.

American priorities are fucked.

I never understood the whole stadium thing, and why they should be financed by taxpayers.

 

[newmachineoverlord]

Private schools aren't held to the same standards as public schools. Being "private" they can exclude anyone that would cost them more to educate. They have the discretion to exclude students based on disabilities, criminal record, and the language they speak. Public schools have to be handicapped accessible. Private school's lack of tolerance for diversity might help them spend less on detention, translators, and accommodations for the disabled or traumatized. Part of the motivation for school vouchers is the elitist desire to keep rich kids separate from kids with problems and disabilities.

 

[PokerGuy]

Originally posted by: newmachineoverlord
Part of the motivation for school vouchers is the elitist desire to keep rich kids separate from kids with problems and disabilities.

That's the dumbest thing I've heard in a while. Those "elitist rich" you mention already keep their kids separated, they pay for private schools or live in areas that are wealthy enough to have very good public schools. Vouchers help those who can't afford to do the same provide a decent education for their kids when the local public schools fail miserably.

 

[PokerGuy]

Originally posted by: Brainonska511
The one problem with this is it will just drive up the costs of private schools, as demand will rise since people will have money but the limited supply will just increase prices to even things out.

You're making an assumption that private schools can't do things more efficiently than government run public schools. I don't think that's a valid assumption.