Apr. 18, 2003 - 12:03 MDT

THE WONDERING JEW

What's Next ?

In our past a town would come into being. Hard working folks, usually the majority of the populace would manage to get in a preacher and all by themselves build a church using materials they owned. Then they would see the need for their children to be educated so would hire in a school marm, a person who lived at the mercy and pleasure of folks in town. Often a teachers living space and food was in the home of someone who had a child or children in the school. The school building was built by the citizens, the money used to do so was from themsellves and the labor was by provided by them. As towns grew and there were more schools in town, school boards were born to more formally handle the affairs of education. Income of teachers was kept low even so. Tax money had come into being also.

Over the years the layer of administration of schools has become thicker but it seems the quality of education has declined radically. It is still a fact that the richer parts of town have the biggest, nicest school buildings, the most facilities and the very best teachers. As tax money is used for the school system it seems that the philosophy has been something like this. "Heck we pay the most taxes and therefore deserve the very best of everything scholastic."

When I was young (I was once) the hoity toity-est folk would send their children to private school, paying their tuition as a matter of course while still paying taxes. Those folk who wanted their children to be schooled religiously, founded parochial schools using their own money for that while still paying their taxes. Back then if you wanted something special in the way of education, you paid for it while still paying regualar taxes just like everyone else. Still seems fair to me. Provision must be made to provide schooling to every child I think. Those who want something special in the way of education should be willing and pay for those extras.

But over the years our school systems have been ailing and the quality of education provided has declined. They are and have been sick for quite some time. Bussing once thought to be a pancea didn't seem to improve things much. "White Flight," only built a new layer of priviledged schools in the outlying districts.

Money has been thrown at the problem without much effect.

Now the hue and cry is Vouchers ! Now our tax money will be split up and given to be spent on religious schools and private schools. I can't see where a voucher will cover the education of a child in one of the fancy upscale private schools. Either the parents will have to kick in more money or the quality of education provided by private schools will decline I think.

When I was a kid the folks who were being educated in a parochial school were at least a half grade ahead of those of us who went to public school. But with that they were also pretty much indoctrinated with the religion of that school. Which was okay because the parents of those in that school paid the tuition.

Now the big scream is, "It is my tax money, give me a voucher for us to put our kid where we want to send him/her."

I am against that. Splitting up tax money to go to private or religious schools looks to me like the end of public schools as we know them. Less tax money going to public schools and flying off to who knows where and to what good.

Rather than solve the problem of decaying public school systems, vouchers are thought to be the solution. I am not a person who believes in a federally governed school system, but do think that much more effort should be devoted to curing the ills of public schooling as they are now. Makes me chuckle a little this idea of mine. Giving the teachers who volunteer to teach in the poorer sections of town where the gangs reign, so to speak, and the dangers greater something like hazardous pay. Increasing the security where they work also perhaps.

I am sure there is no cure all, magic formula for this as their is none for anything else. Columbine for instance, is a school where the "upper crust' children go. Fantastic plant, great teachers in a wonderful part of the Metro area. But something sick there, existed too.

For my part I think that all effort should be made to save our public school system and make it what it should be. It has been a long hard fight through the ages of man to get public schools going to the point where everyone gets an education. I really don't think splitting tax money accomplishes a darn thing.

So later down the line something new will be thought of to hopefully advance education of all children here. As with many of us, I wait for the other shoe to drop with dread. My next question Mr. moderator is, What's Next ? . . . . . . . .

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