RE: Wilson's Kid on Government Schools

["Dale Courtney" <dmcourtn@moscow.com>]

Daniel wrote: 
> > Currently, the government spending on K-12 schools in the United 
> > States is higher than in any other developed country (average 
> > per-pupil cost of $6,857). I looked at the MSD's 2001 expense
report. 
> > The average spending in MSD is right at $8,000 per student -- 17% 
> > higher than the national average.  Yet 9-and-13-year-old American 
> > students rank last in mathematics and science among students from
the 
> > seven large countries that administered the most recent
International 
> > Assessment of Education Progress.
> >
> > Are you willing to concede that this is all because of children with

> > disabilities?
> 
> No.  Bill already answered this.  Public schools have the 
> responsibility to educate everyone, not just those who can 
> pay financially or ideologically.  

And this is where I would disagree with you 100%. 

>From a biblical worldview, the *parents* have the responsibility to
educate their children -- however they best see fit. 

It is a socialist worldview that says the state is responsible for
education.

> Does Logos have a bus system?

Not any more.  It was done away with 5 years ago. Parents carpool now.

But what's your point? If there were demand and financial capability,
Logos could if it choose to do so.

Under a capitalistic system, parents who don't need a bus system could
elect to send their children to a school that spends more of its
resources on other educational services. Parents who need that service
(and are unable or unwilling to carpool or do alternatives) could send
their children to a system that does provide that capability.  

Welcome to capitalism. If there is a demand, the supply will exist.
 
> In Japan, one of the countries said to have higher scores 
> than us (despite the many flaws in standardized testing), 
> they don't educate everyone. Only the best, the academic 
> elite.  This comes with a high rate of suicide for those that 
> don't make the cut.  But here, since we have to include the 
> scores of all our children, it lowers the average, not 
> because of the children with "disabilities" (I prefer the 
> word unique abilities) but because all children have the 
> right to an education (in theory) here.

I attended college in Europe. They distinguish between vocational
schools and educational schools (read: college-bound) at the junior high
level.  

In the United States we have chosen the lowest common denominator --
government schools *are* vocational schools now. Everything is
pragmatically oriented.

Again, those of us who are pro-choice see the state-sponsored monopoly
of education as dumbing down the entire masses to the lowest level.

Sincerely,
Dale