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tallmike wrote:

smoothoperator wrote:

JALLEN wrote:I think we would be much better off if the public schools were closed, and parents home schooled or paid their own money for a third party to do the job.

FYP

That is a great plan, for creating a permanent underclass composed of those who cannot read or write. Then you would have a upper crust of the underclass, folks who can read/write but have no real knowledge beyond that (math, science, history). Eventually we could get back to the time when a noble class would spring up to rule us all.

If that sounds like a good plan it is only because you believe that you and your family would be part of the nobility. Good luck with that.

I believe in survival of the fittest, that those who work and exert themselves will excel, while those who don't, won't.

It need not be a permanent underclass, but if that is what happens, it isn't much different than now. As long as everyone has access to the resources, how they chose to use them will affect their future potential. Glory Be! Just like real life.

Whether it be home schooling, as some parents would chose, or parochial schools which some would chose, or a new category of facilities designed to appeal to a certain subcategory, parents would be free to assess their child, what the potential might be and chose opportunities. Competition for desirable spots would be welcome, encouraged.

The public schools are turning out legions of young people who cannot read or write adequately, along with some who do pretty well. College educators have been complaining about this for at least the 50 + years since I went through the school system.

Meanwhile we would cut out the inefficiencies of the present system, 9 months of school, part time classes, teacher unions, tenure, more administrators than teachers and so forth.

jocat54 wrote:
That would be okay if they got the money through ticket sales ect. and saved it to build whatever kind of stadium they wanted. (IMO)
There is absolutely NO REASON these high schools need these elaborate stadiums, like the $60 million one they just built in Allen.
.

I'd be OK if it was done on a business like basis. Texas is football country, they've built up a good product, people will come out spend money, insist on it really, the high school bands put on good shows, lots of kids involved.

I hear that my old high school has 9, count 'em, 9 assistant band directors, and 300 kids in the band, and they put on a pretty good show, too. The football and band programs here are PATHETIC. I did not go to a single game when my sons were in high school, and the Coronado HS band had 24 members in it when I was asked to help out at homecoming and sit in on tuba. Pretty sad!

Anyway, they can take the tickets sales, refreshment stands etc., figure out how to pay for it all, get a construction budget and a bond issue, then pay for it out of revenue generated by the facility, and that is great. The programs for the kids are very beneficial. If it comes out of tax payer funds, then that's not so good

MolonLabe wrote:The demographers, fiscally irresponsible school administrators, and people who use fear mongering and puppy dog eyes while claiming "it's for the good of the children" should take into consideration that fancy technology and opulent sports facilities (bought on credit) is the exact opposite message I want my kids to learn. I see so much waste and money mismanagement occurring in our school systems, it is a no brainer when a bond issue comes to the table. I read about the yearly cries of funding crisis ( usually while eating a few cookies made from the inflated fundraiser dough I coughed up $20 for) and stand perplexed at what the heck my kiddos will do if they don't get the opportunity to play on Astoturf instead of grass next year.

I wonder if these elaborate opulent sports facilities that many school districts have in Texas pay for themselves, through ticket sales etc. Does anyone know the figures? If so, what the hey? If not, then maybe some pencil sharpening is in order.

I think we would be much better off if the public schools were closed, and a voucher given to the parents of school aged children. These funds would be in an amount equal throughout the state. The parents would then be able to select whatever educational opportunities they thought best for their children. Providers would spring into existence, to offer courses of study demanded by parents. Good teachers would be hired to work in these providers; not so good ones would, well, seek other opportunities. These private operators could run things without the political nonsense that we hear so much bickering about at board meetings, students would have to meet the operators standards or go elsewhere, in attendance, dress, deportment, academics and every other way. Some will charge more than the state voucher; parents can pay the extra if they think its worth it. Some operators might earn such a reputation that the schools would offer scholarships to particularly academically attractive students.

I don't know what would happen to all those fancy stadiums though.