General Discussion

JDPriestly

(57,936 posts)

90. You are thinking in the abstract.

Sun Feb 19, 2012, 03:46 PM

Feb 2012

In reality, the schools that the poor would use their vouchers for either don't exist, are too far from the homes of the poor or would not accept very many children who are poor. That is, at least, true in a city the size of Los Angeles. The poor and the rich live in very different areas of this large city.

The reality is that, noble as the idea of vouchers for the poor sounds, it doesn't work well. I have done the long-distance-communting-to-school with my kids. It was horrible.

5 p.m. and your kids are still not home. You call the school district and learn that their bus had a small accident and the kids are waiting for the arrival of a replacement bus to pick them up.

Vouchers are not the answer. Good, local schools are. And to improve our schools, we have to improve our culture -- starting with television.

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Could Federal Educational Vouchers Aimed at the Poor and Useable in Public Schools Work? [View all] BrentWil Feb 2012 OP

In a word, no, except if by 'work' ProgressiveEconomist Feb 2012 #1

How is providing an additional funding stream robbing? If the money comes from a new federal BrentWil Feb 2012 #5

If the feds do it, why wouldn't ProgressiveEconomist Feb 2012 #8

Because they are already running schools BrentWil Feb 2012 #11

Yes, I read the OP. But I don't see ANY ProgressiveEconomist Feb 2012 #15

Here are the portions of the OP BrentWil Feb 2012 #16

The only alleged BENEFIT for poor children I see in your posts is ProgressiveEconomist Feb 2012 #18

Where am I suggesting that? BrentWil Feb 2012 #23

See post #17 below. You are ProgressiveEconomist Feb 2012 #30

While not popular on this board, there is plenty of evidence that some Dems do support BrentWil Feb 2012 #31

I DARE you to find a WH.gov link ProgressiveEconomist Feb 2012 #35

That isn't what I said BrentWil Feb 2012 #43

Is that support for a national voucher program ProgressiveEconomist Feb 2012 #49

What I said is that if you read some of their statements BrentWil Feb 2012 #50

So you admit your ultimate goal is to destroy public schools-- ProgressiveEconomist Feb 2012 #51

I would assume the ultimate goal is education... BrentWil Feb 2012 #53

Arne Duncan is the worst thing to have happened to education for a long time. sabrina 1 Feb 2012 #75

Maybe... BrentWil Feb 2012 #82

There's plenty of evidence that some "dems" support all kinds of RW policies. So what? Edweird Feb 2012 #96

How is a federal program that gives money to the poor, "RW"? NT BrentWil Feb 2012 #97

Privatization is RW. Edweird Feb 2012 #100

Who is providing privatization? BrentWil Feb 2012 #101

If you can get this money, why no provide money to the schools that are poor? MattBaggins Feb 2012 #22

Because it gives the power to the poor family and actually does give them a some economic power over BrentWil Feb 2012 #24

And the kids whose parents don't bother to apply are out of luck. proud2BlibKansan Feb 2012 #34

The school would have a self interest in insuring the money is there.. BrentWil Feb 2012 #39

And what happens if every family accepts these vouchers? sabrina 1 Feb 2012 #78

Everyone in the income will and most of the money will go to Public Schools BrentWil Feb 2012 #79

How would this be a "NEW" federal funding stream? ProgressiveEconomist Feb 2012 #17

Not just no, but hell no! white_wolf Feb 2012 #2

WHy? BrentWil Feb 2012 #7

I firmly oppose any attempts at privatization of formerly public services. white_wolf Feb 2012 #10

Why? BrentWil Feb 2012 #12

because privatization doesn't work DisgustipatedinCA Feb 2012 #41

Rich kids like private schools and it seems to work for getting into Harvard, for example BrentWil Feb 2012 #44

Why don't you check out the history of the Public Schools, and maybe you can sabrina 1 Feb 2012 #80

I don't have a problem as long as they are only good at public schools and that's it. limpyhobbler Feb 2012 #3

This would not work because there is not enough room in the top schools for all the JDPriestly Feb 2012 #4

But it does give a means to pay and a reason for people to develop "topnotch" schools in poorer BrentWil Feb 2012 #13

I do not see that it would get more funding into schools that have to educate a poorer JDPriestly Feb 2012 #37

If the money is only given to the poor to use, BrentWil Feb 2012 #38

You are thinking in the abstract. JDPriestly Feb 2012 #90

No I am not... BrentWil Feb 2012 #91

You don't need vouchers for public schools. LiberalFighter Feb 2012 #6

Public schools by law have to provide a "free and appropriate education" PA Democrat Feb 2012 #9

How does it drain funds, if the funding comes from a different source? BrentWil Feb 2012 #14

Because special education is not fully funded by the federal and state governments. PA Democrat Feb 2012 #20

The tax base and the current funding streams are still there.. BrentWil Feb 2012 #26

$10K to educate a child with special needs? That is a drop in the bucket PA Democrat Feb 2012 #29

There's a point you're missing: most states fund schools based on the number of students attending Lydia Leftcoast Feb 2012 #36

If you have less students.. BrentWil Feb 2012 #46

If a private school... zoechen Feb 2012 #19

There are certain departments I believe shouldn't be privatized newspeak Feb 2012 #21

Take my word on it nadinbrzezinski Feb 2012 #28

10k could buy you a whole year at Sidwell. The average tuition award there is over 20k. msanthrope Feb 2012 #32

Why would anyone use such a voucher in a public school KamaAina Feb 2012 #25

Because it offers a better value then other schools in the area.. BrentWil Feb 2012 #48

This ProSense Feb 2012 #55

Because this puts the power into the hands of the poor BrentWil Feb 2012 #56

Nonsense ProSense Feb 2012 #58

A child that brings 10K to a public school would not be irrelevant. BrentWil Feb 2012 #60

Wait ProSense Feb 2012 #64

Do you know what 10K of free money to a poor school or school district means? BrentWil Feb 2012 #66

What? ProSense Feb 2012 #69

Federal money for local districts with no strings is free money, for them NT BrentWil Feb 2012 #76

That's ProSense Feb 2012 #81

Maybe... BrentWil Feb 2012 #83

Local schools and districts are the means to do that... BrentWil Feb 2012 #71

Hell must have frozen, but I could not agree with you more. n/t sabrina 1 Feb 2012 #84

We agree on most things, actually... BrentWil Feb 2012 #88

Because ProSense Feb 2012 #54

Do you really think the GOP would support a program as outlined above? BrentWil Feb 2012 #57

Actually ProSense Feb 2012 #61

Arguing something is RW doesn't make it so... BrentWil Feb 2012 #63

Do ProSense Feb 2012 #65

Why would a federal block grant to public schools that educate poorer kids be bad? BrentWil Feb 2012 #67

I ProSense Feb 2012 #68

How does does this "denigrates the concept of public education and opens the system to abuse" BrentWil Feb 2012 #70

Well, ProSense Feb 2012 #72

I woud argue that giving more funding to poor public schools allows the local school the tools BrentWil Feb 2012 #73

It's ProSense Feb 2012 #74

Still haven't answered why more funding for poorer schools is a bad thing. BrentWil Feb 2012 #77

Vouchers are a means to privatize education nadinbrzezinski Feb 2012 #27

No. We should help ALL of our low income kids. proud2BlibKansan Feb 2012 #33

I would want no real application process... BrentWil Feb 2012 #40

133% of poverty is fucking poor, those folks will not have the rest of the money for private school TheKentuckian Feb 2012 #59

Accreditation for Private schools are done by independent private bodies, I thought BrentWil Feb 2012 #62

They have to have money to operate, they operate across state lines, and credibilty is TheKentuckian Feb 2012 #86

To what end? BrentWil Feb 2012 #87

No, no, no, TEN THOUSAND TIMES NO Hugabear Feb 2012 #42

Then this would solve that problem. So there we go. NT BrentWil Feb 2012 #47

+1 proud2BlibKansan Feb 2012 #52

No! The poor need to be confined to their own Snake Alchemist Feb 2012 #45

Either very good sarcastic remarker or really bad post NT BrentWil Feb 2012 #85

School vouchers always have been and always will be a nutty idea Major Nikon Feb 2012 #89

You would outlaw private schools? BrentWil Feb 2012 #92

I'm fine with private schools just so long as I don't have to help fund them Major Nikon Feb 2012 #93

Then you will have a poorly administered national school system that only the middle to poor class BrentWil Feb 2012 #94

Local control of the school system is what has created the mess we have Major Nikon Feb 2012 #95

No Child Left behind is federal control... BrentWil Feb 2012 #98

Exactly Major Nikon Feb 2012 #99