Public Schools
It's no secret that our nation's public schools are abysmal, especially in urban areas. The champion of freedom and democracy- the United States, world's only superpower- mentally enslaves and disenfranchizes millions of youth each year by subjecting them to a woefully inadequate educational system.
Is there a solution? I believe so. I believe we need to build more schools. If it sounds simple then that's because it is. We need more schools with much smaller class sizes. Of course this is not a panacea, but until the swelling is released from our over-crowded and over-burdened system, public school will continue to just be a place that kids are supposed to go during the day. Kindergarten in New York City Public Schools averaged 20.3 in 2004, and the number goes up in higher grades, reaching 27 in 9th grade. I personally would like to know the median in order to get a better picture, but nonetheless overcrowding is not a new issue.
Now, how are students supposed to get the individual attention they need if they're lost in the sauce? More schools can also bring economic development: construction crews, more teachers, janitors, cafeteria workers, etc. Isn't that worth a few billion dollars?
No, you say?
It's all good- how about corporate sponsorship: General Motors Foundation Elementary School. Then it would really be true that what's good for General Motors is good for America. That'll ease the "burden" on taxpayers... How about a fat tax write off for Microsoft, Dell, and Apple to hook up the technology for the kids?
We can fix public schools by forcing public officials to act on our needs and demands. We need to be proactive- nobody else is going to do it for us.
Is there a solution? I believe so. I believe we need to build more schools. If it sounds simple then that's because it is. We need more schools with much smaller class sizes. Of course this is not a panacea, but until the swelling is released from our over-crowded and over-burdened system, public school will continue to just be a place that kids are supposed to go during the day. Kindergarten in New York City Public Schools averaged 20.3 in 2004, and the number goes up in higher grades, reaching 27 in 9th grade. I personally would like to know the median in order to get a better picture, but nonetheless overcrowding is not a new issue.
Now, how are students supposed to get the individual attention they need if they're lost in the sauce? More schools can also bring economic development: construction crews, more teachers, janitors, cafeteria workers, etc. Isn't that worth a few billion dollars?
No, you say?
It's all good- how about corporate sponsorship: General Motors Foundation Elementary School. Then it would really be true that what's good for General Motors is good for America. That'll ease the "burden" on taxpayers... How about a fat tax write off for Microsoft, Dell, and Apple to hook up the technology for the kids?
We can fix public schools by forcing public officials to act on our needs and demands. We need to be proactive- nobody else is going to do it for us.
posted by Talib at 8:03 PM
6 Comments:
Hey Talib. Just a thought: if a corporation pays for (i.e. owns) a school, then it's no longer public education, but rather corporate education. I don't necessarily believe that the State is well qualified to educate our children, but I think it should be . . . more so, at least, than capitalist interests. Instead of direct corporate sponsorship, how about we just tax the hell out of corporations (and the billionaires who run them) to pay for better public education? The benefit should be the pure value of better-educated citizens (and workers), rather than corporate advertising space on football uniforms or school busses.
What are you, some kind of SOCIALIST?!?! Just kidding. I thought about jacking taxes initially, but then you have a problem of corporations moving their offices to where they can get better tax rates, thereby taking away valuable jobs and disrupting economic development.
I figure instead of super-high taxes, the corporation can give a tax-deductible donation to supplement public dollars- but would not be allowed to use schools to grow an exclusive consumer base. They get their name on the school and that's it (and of course a nice plaque prominently displayed somewhere). It would be public education in every way except for 100% public funding.
I'm all for jacking taxes on the super-rich, and people should care about the pure value of better educated citizens, but the reality is they don't wanna lower their standard of living for the pure value of educated citizens, and will fight tooth and nail to keep hoarding (i.e. Bush tax cuts during wartime and record deficits).
Instead of beating heads against the system, it's time to pimp the system until we can change it.
Well, ACTUALLY ;) . . .
But seriously, you're absolutely right they'll fight tooth and nail for that cushy standard of living they enjoy---I watch them do it every day. I just don't think we should back down so easy and let them get away with it.
The people who make the big gifts to private schools get more than a building named after them---their kids get easy admission, get away with breaking the rules, and get elite treatment on campus in general. I guess I'm cynical, but I don't think the countless examples I've seen of this bode well for corporations being satisfied with just a plaque as a sufficient return on their investment. Maybe the very most altruistically managed ones would. But how do the graduates of Enron High School feel about themselves? And what do we do when Sam does his “rollback” routine on Walmart Middle School?
I feel u on what goes on in private schools with respect to large donors, but with the tax incentives and positive PR that would come from the plan I propose, it could be to a corporation's benefit to participate. Not only that, but having the corporate name on the school would (admittedly)be a form of shameless advertising.
The benefit to us all, however, is quality public universal education. Then following generations of educated citizens will be better empowered to improve upon the progress made.
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