Romney: American kids get 'third-world education'

[maddezmom]

Source: AP

By STEVE PEOPLES, Associated Press – 1 minute ago

WASHINGTON (AP) — Republican presidential contender Mitt Romney says American children are getting "a third-world education" because the system is failing them.

He also called education the "civil rights issue of our era," saying minority students suffer the most.

Speaking at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce in Washington on Wednesday, Romney blamed teachers' unions for wielding too much influence with Democrats. He says organized labor doesn't look out for students' best interests.

The Republican has proposed a voucher-style system that would allow low-income and disabled students to use federal funding to attend public schools, charter schools, or in some cases, private schools.


Read more: http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5iA_E7nlmPlyMX4p0uNIeNFyUizvw?docId=485e990e21bc443599ce59bd8c6dbf1d

[Politicalboi]

1. Damn those unions

Good teachers should be cheap.

[Crow73]

7. Rod Paige Charter School owner and

Romney announced yesterday that Rod Paige will serve as his "special advisor" on education.



http://maddowblog.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/05/23/11831575-meet-romneys-special-advisor-on-education-policy?lite

[Gidney N Cloyd]

14. Trying to get in on the ground floor.

[politicasista]

34. +1

He ate Bush's cheese till NCLB was exposed, now he wants some of Rmoney's. Negro please.

[goclark]

47. Yep, no unions in Charter Schools

Here we go.

[jtuck004]

2. What do you expect with parents only able to earn third-world wages, because you are

a greedy son-of-a-bitch, Mi$$?

[jwirr]

3. And if that is true whose fault is it? The rethugs have been working at destroying the public school

system for over 30 years.

[edcantor]

4. Of course, it's the union's fault for Rmoney

He wants to privatize education. Didn't see THAT one coming!

Pay teachers less, give them less rights and less power, treat them like non-union factory workers, that will sure make things better. RIGHT!

The man makes me sick!

[JDPriestly]

28. This is a path toward teaching religion in the schools.

That is what vouchers and private schools are really about.

"Private" means not subject to the First Amendment.

That is all this is really about.

That and teachers' unions -- which will spring up in private schools if private schools become more widespread.

[happyslug]

41. While supporters of Religious based schools support Vouchers, this is bigger then them

Catholic Schools have come out for Vouchers as have other Religious schools, but the big push are from private investors and their "Charter Schools". You have to remember the most expensive children to educate are those with the worse grades (do to reduced intelligence, other mental handicaps, physical handicaps AND students who change schools do to the fact they parents move often as the parents move from job to job, or even home to home), the Charter school programs are NOT for those students, but the easy to educate "A" students.

A charter School can maximize its profits by the simple means of refusing accept non "A" children, the cost of educating "A" students is quite low, many can educate themselves and thus all the School has to do is document that such "A" students have meet certain goals. Thus to maximize profits charter schools do NOT take on any student that they may actually have to teach, such as "C" and "D" students, students who is in the school only part of the year (for various reasons) and children with severe mental or physical handicaps.

Thus most Charter schools are notorious for taking only "The best students" for the simple reasons these are the cheapest to educate.

I can say this about the Catholic and most other Religious Schools they are NOT that selective, they will take on children who needs to be taught (maybe not children who switch schools three to four times a year, or children with severe handicaps, but most religious schools will take "C" and "D" students in addition to "A" students).

Thus the push to to provide money to corporations to educate those students who actually need the least education (i.e. can learn on their own). These students are the most profitable to educate and the reason the private investors are investing in Charter Schools.

[SomeGuyInEagan]

55. + 1000! Wish I could rec. ALWAYS follow the money.

ALWAYS!

Private k-12s should be outlawed in the U.S., IMO. Everybody into the boat.

[mahatmakanejeeves]

5. What a snob!

.

[ajk2821]

6. I agree

I mean doesn't everyone have a rich daddy who will put them in private school where they can commit hate crimes and get away with it? That is the right of every true (white, male, rich) American child.

[Auntie Bush]

13. You forgot the sarcasm thingie. LOL Some no nothing Freepers might think you're serious.

They need guidance on how to interrupt things because they always get things wrong or screwed up to suit their needs. (No need for sarcasm sign here because it's true!)

[spiderpig]

8. Oh, here he goes again.

Just like clockwork.

Moran.

[Fearless]

9. He's vaguely right for exactly the wrong reason.

There are Americans who are getting disturbingly poor educations... but it's BECAUSE of the policies that people like him support.

[maddezmom]

11. agreed

[BlueMTexpat]

15. +1!!!! eom

[Shadowflash]

16. Exactly

My third grader's school gets starved for more and more money every year because of our moron Rethuglican governor cutting school funding to give yet more tax cuts to rich people.

It has nothing to do with Obama or democrats. The fault lies squarely with the governor and the rethuglican controlled legislature. Vouchers are not going to do squat except funnel yet more needed cash from the public schools.

I don't know who they think they are fooling with this talk. Not anybody who is paying attention.

[groundloop]

18. Do you live in Georgia - you're describing our schools

My daughter doesn't even have science or math textbooks she can bring home, only one set per classroom. The Publican led legislature just passed more tax cuts for big business while at the same time they cut the education budget. Damned right our schools are third rate. Now if Rmoney would only admit WHY they're third rate we might be getting somewhere.

[mlevans]

20. He doesn't have to admit it.

He's not going to be president, you see.

[Shadowflash]

25. Nope. Michigan

My daugher's school is almost that bad.

I feel your pain.

[CRK7376]

53. No it's North Carolina...

And in my classroom, I always held my students to the highest standards. For the most par Parental support was lacking across the board. Unions are not the problem in NC...lousy legislators who only want to cut funding for schools and teachers is our biggest problem. Plus the lack of care amongst many of the students...at least in my high school....

[EFerrari]

17. As Think Progress noted, he said education is key and then promised his donors

huge spending cuts to education.

The man is scum.

[wordpix]

48. +10000 and I'd like to see RMoney guest teach for a day at an urban public school

He's mouthing off what someone told him; I guarantee you he has no idea what's going on.

[Fearless]

52. A million times yes!

I would pay good money (that I don't have) to see him struggle through say an American History class or something that he SHOULD know.

[BeyondGeography]

10. It's the teachas union, I tell ya

[sinkingfeeling]

12. Sure, it was the unions that created 'No Child Left Behind' and endless

testing.

[FreeBC]

19. "3rd World" is no longer a valid description since there is no longer a cold war with communism.

It may still be common usage, but when making a criticism of education one should probably use more educated phrasing.

I think the term Romney intended there is "developing nation".

[lastlib]

22. There is to them...

...dinosaurs are slow to adapt.....

[lastlib]

21. That's because you give schools THIRD-WORLD FUNDING...!!!

so your rich buddies can have tax giveaways, and your MIC can have its toys!!!

. DIPSHITS!! .

[wordpix]

49. perfect response, I hope some Dems use it

[WHEN CRABS ROAR]

23. That's because Republicans are turning this country

into a third world nation.

Cutting good programs and spending more on the MIC.

[SoutherDem]

24. Yes it is those Unions

How dare a teacher receive fair pay. How dare a school have the money to buy supplies.

But, Mitt how the hell would you know you and I am sure your kids went to a private school where one years tuition would cover the cost of many maybe dozens of public school children.

By the way Mitt, teach 3rd World science, you get 3rd world education.

[Dont call me Shirley]

26. American kids are getting a 3rd world public education because of aholes like rmoney

[JDPriestly]

27. Maybe the problem is that, thanks to him and other takeover artists, many, many American

parents have third-world jobs.

The good jobs that supported our top-quality schools in past decades have been shipped overseas by greedy capitalists like Mitt Romney. Hence, too little money to pay the taxes to keep the schools going.

School vouchers are of no use because we can't afford the teachers and schools in which the vouchers can be spent.

[solarman350]

29. George Carlin Had the rePIGs pegged yrs ago

[edcantor]

30. He sure did! n/t

[spiderpig]

35. I miss George Carlin so much

Did anyone call out the utter ridiculousness of society more than he?

We quote him around the house all the time.

[Brigid]

40. Bravo, George!

God I miss him. Thank God we have plenty of videos and other recordings of him.

[MariaM83]

59. great Carlin clip nt

[tanyev]

31. Yeah! Why aren't they asking their parents for the money to go to Cranbrook???

Children these days are so irresponsible.

[politicasista]

32. lol

Last edited Wed May 23, 2012, 06:27 PM - Edit history (1)

Thanks Pander Bainbear.

[Texano78704]

33. Education system isn't working ...

So the solution is create another system, one that will benefit the well off way more than "low income and disabled" students? Yeah right! Show me one charter school that accepts "all students" in the same way that public schools have to do so.

[gratuitous]

36. Let them eat vouchers!

Anything to avoid having rich pricks like Romney pay a little more in taxes. Why should they be asked to subsidize the system that made them wealthy?

[Rosa Luxemburg]

37. Romney is completely dense (like his boss Bush)

[crim son]

38. Even if this were true, Romney right now is one of the last people

I'd choose to rectify the situation.

[Brigid]

39. Dear Mittens:

You do know why our schools are in such bad shape, don't you? It's nothing to do with teachers' unions. It's to do with 30 years of you Repugs using our schools as political footballs and starving them of funds. Even somebody as clueless as you ought to be able to understand that.

[spiderpig]

57. Robme just drives me up a wall

As I've said in other threads, I'm glad I'm old, because the thought of a future with people like him possibly running things makes me

I'm done with Tricky Dick, Ronnie, Shrubs I and II. Just go away already. That includes you, Mittens.

[bupkus]

42. Yeah, right Mitt. Some people get private school educations

Then use them to turn their country into a third world nation.

[MichiganVote]

43. Said the white rich guy who went to posh private schools for fucking ever.

[Zorro]

44. Republicans have been waging a war against public education since the Reagan era

because of the prayer in school issue.

That was the catalyst for vouchers and home schooling alternatives.

[unkachuck]

45. "...American children are getting "a third-world education"

....of course, slick willard, (slick willard, the rich wall-street Mormon, understander of economies and tax-dodger), if you and your 1% friends would pay your fair share of taxes, stop twisting the system for tax breaks, refrain from starting wars and quit melting-down our economy, we'd have plenty of money to provide the American children with a first-world education....

[cstanleytech]

46. So what does Mittens expect to happen when schools get less funding and

they try to pack more and more students into the classrooms and refuse to higher more teachers?

[wordpix]

50. wow, this is the first thread in a long time where everyone agrees! I think we have consensus!

Now if we could just wrest away some billions from the 1% and MIC, that would help.

[6000eliot]

51. Vile dickhead!

[riderinthestorm]

54. Mitt AND Ann went to private schools, so did their sons. So how the fuck does he know

anything about what a public school education is all about? He's never lived it personally, nor experienced it even vicariously through his children. It's disgusting that he can pass judgement on "what needs doing" when he has absolutely no first-hand experience with it. He's not even listening to public school teachers but is instead hiring charter school owners and consultants.

[wordpix]

56. Latest research on charters is they are no better overall than "regular" public & depends on city

In some cities (notably Boston and NO), charters do better, in others "regular" schools do better.

I have worked in them all; still do. There is no comparing public with private schools but public could be LOTS better with more teacher training, better use of technology and keeping class sizes down---basically, doing what private schools do.

[riderinthestorm]

58. Do you think American public school kids are getting a "3rd world education" though? nt