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Can't believe I live in a country where the Sec of Education

Posted: Feb 18, 2017

And what is her crime? She wants poor and disadvantaged children to have the same opportunities for a good education that others have. Vouchers that follow the children to the school of their choice, thereby funding good schools so they can take more children instead of perpetually pouring more and more and more money down the drain with failed schools.

Imagine that we decided tomorrow that reliable personal transportation was a right. It's not inconceivable. Without transportation for many it's impossible or extremely difficult to get to a job, to shop for groceries, take your kids to the doctor, go to church and lots of other of life's necessities.

But for some, reliable transportation is unaffordable, so the Secretary of Transportation advocates vouchers that would enable these people to purchase a decent car, just as others can do. The voucher would follow the person, who would be free to find the dealership that gives him the best car for the money, thereby rewarding dealers who offered people the most value, and not rewarding dealers who did not - either because they're badly run/inefficient, or perhaps just plain greedy.

...and then we have to guard the Secretary of Transportation because he receives death threats. We'd find that more than passing strange, wouldn't we?

;

Her crime - Resist

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is that her beliefs, if implemented, would destroy public schools. Charter schools and religious schools can pick and choose their students leaving behind the most difficult and most vulnerable in public schools with less funding to teach and take care of them.

well said! - She is out to

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the public school system, although she doesn't seem to know very much about it.

"...would destroy public schools." Hyperbole much? - But it still begs several questions.

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1. Destroy which schools? Even the most wild-eyes liberal loon can't deny that we have many schools that should be dismantled and replaced with something better.

2. The only two pieces of substantial voucher legislation that have come close to making it out of committee in recent years (during the Bush administration) BOTH had provisions that would require any school that accepts ANY vouchers to take ALL comers...there would be no "picking and choosing" as you so falsely claim. It's highly unlikely that any such legislation today would not also include such a requirement if it had any hope of becoming law. So, you beg the question of what such legislation would actually look like, substituting your wild speculations - or those of others whom you so faithfully parrot.

3. And the biggest question you beg is not a policy question. There may well be differences of opinion on how to move our schools forward. The question you beg is whether we are a nation that discusses, debates, and resolves policy differences by lawful legislative means or by threats and intimidation. I know the left has come to much prefer the latter, but I didn't realize HOW much.

From what I understand - ...

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Charter schools cost more than the vouchers will cover, so usually only better-off families can afford them. And at this point, they do NOT have to take all applicants. They can pick and choose. Legislation may change this, but who knows?
The main benefit, as far as I can tell, is not for the students but for the people who run these charter schools (profit). The charter schools do not seem to give a great education for money spent. And especially the on-line schools have a miserable graduation record. You bet our public schools have problems, but it seems to me we would be spending our tax dollars more effectively by trying to improve the public schools rather than trying to run 2 parallel school systems, both supported by taxes. Does this make sense?

We have a different administration now - Resist

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with a Republican house and Republican senate who believe in privatizing everything. DeVos has no experience with public schools and from what I read about her, does not believe in them but feels rather that a better education is achieved in religious and charter schools, the latter of which are definitely for profit. If no religious school is available to students and they can't afford a charter school they will now be left in the public schools which may have even less funding than before. Yes, I agree that some of our public schools are failing but I, too, would rather try to fix them than go the other way.

Resist - mt

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Anything "Resist" likes I know is totally leftist and racist, so I dislike!!

I readily admit to being liberal - Resist

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but the racist label belongs to the right; it's part of the definition of being right wing.

I would be interested - Hail Caesar

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in your definition of "racist."

Life is so simple. good thing huh? - nm

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x

That's a crock about religious schools picking and choosing their students - Truthhurts

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My girlfriend had trouble learning in PUBLIC school. They wanted to put her in qhat is today's IU school. Back then they were special education schools where mentally disabled and physicially disable students were dumped.

Her parents went to the local Catholic school to see if they would take her. They did and she made all A's and graduated with honors.

Religious school are not funded with taxpayer dollars or didn't you know that? It's called separation of church and state.

The statement you made is far from the truth.

Don't you realize that not all charter schools - are religious schools? nm

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.

Republicans want to fund private, religous - Charter schools

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By voucher or even more directly. DeVos is just starting the first volleys of demeaning and devaluing to justify funding the 1% form of education. Of course, it is exclusive...even if you know some ONE who benefited.

That is what liberals are worried about - Indivisible

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that this administration will try to get around the separation of church and state. In fact, that is what DeVos wants to do.

Yep, because Conservative Christians always - know what is best...

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and feel free to impose their values on everyone. This is not freedom. This is not what America was based on. This is not even what the founding father's wanted, if you want to go there; however I believe in evolution of ideas also. There are way too many people in this country who do not want to subscribe to Republican/Conservative restraints. They have no right to control the rest.

Surely you jest. American kids are at the bottom of the - class globally

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Common core is a joke. The kids I am watching and listening to are focused on trends set by entertainers who should be in lounge bars or county fairs. There is so much focus on sexuality and expression of desires, wearing ones heart on their sleeve leaves them open to hurtful discrimination of the school yard type.

Secretary of Education - uniquemonique

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DeVos has absolutely ZERO teaching experience. She has NEVER been a teacher, NEVER been in a public school, NEVER had ANY position related to education. What she and her family DID do was donate tens of thousands of dollars to members of the house and Senate who voted for her.

Not every student can afford to go to a private school. And the students who have learning disabilities, etc., a private parochial school does not have the resources to teach those children, so they have to transfer to a public school where the resources are. Common core or any standardized testing is a joke. The teachers are made to "teach to the test" which leaves the slower students behind. And the standardized tests are also given to those with learning disabilities, at least in my state, so right off the top the scores are not accurate. And what really amazed me was that when the "slower" students take the standardized tests, they are not given extra time.

Schools are only going to suffer with this administration. DeVos recently visited a public school in D.C. and she had no clue that the teachers buy their own school supplies. Why did she not know that, because she only went to PRIVATE schools where supplies are bought with tuition. Someone who is QUALIFIED to be the Education Secretary would know that.

Secreary of Education - mr

[ In Reply To ..]
Guess what? The graduates who become teachers are not cream of the crop, especally with the salary! I support a higher salary and harder qualifications to becoming a teacher!!

Oh right- because the teachers union has done so - much to make things better?

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You don't need teaching experience to be able to fix the school disaster. In fact, it would be better NOT to be part of that indoctrinated crowd. Teacher's union is running scared. They know their days of ripping off the teachers may be ending, and about time. Teachers need to wise up and realize they have been screwed for years by that corrupt organization.

Just look at what has happened in Wisconsin - Resist

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Scott Walker set out to destroy unions in his state. Teachers are making less, fewer benefits, larger class sizes. Now Wisconsin is having trouble finding teachers and there are fewer students taking teacher training. I'm sure there have been problems in teachers unions as in any large organization but clearly this is not the answer.

Teaching degrees are dummy degrees now. - Takes no brains.

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nm

teaching degrees - uniquemonique

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Maybe in some states, but in my state, ALOT goes into getting a teaching degree. My daughter went to a local university, who has the most rigid curriculum in New England for teaching. She graduated summa cum laude, top 12% of her class, and was invited to join 3 honor societies. She was required to take the licensing test for History and passed that on her first try. She was also recently licensed in Special Education (another test required) and she teaches special ed at an inner city school. She has 6 students. She buys her own supplies, as all of the public school teachers do. Yes, there are some teachers there who are still taking their licensing tests, but the majority of them are very smart and work very hard. My daughter makes good money but she also deals with a lot. She pays union dues. The only job of the teacher's union is to provide free legal advice should there be any legal charges filed against a teacher. She works long days and is in the process of getting her Master's Degree. Perhaps she is the exception, but I take offense when someone calls teaching degree a dummy degree now.

What an awful thing to say - Sueb

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Just terrible.

Awful or not...those that fail at other degrees get a - Degree in Education

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It is one of the easiest degrees on campus.

What is not being said here, though, is that some people want to be teachers, go to college to teach school, and are good at it...just not enough people

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