Skoonj, and some others - don't worry, I've been reading from more than one source. I don't fall for propaganda very easily. Nor do I fall for "politically correct" BS.

Naw, I'm the smartest human on the whole goddamn earth. Now where is my beer....

I completely disagree. Roman Catholic schools have a reputation for providing a solid education in a no-nonsense disciplinary environment. My daughter is unlikely to be a discipline problem, but that doesn't mean she cannot be victimized by the distractions of others.

"You say you are an atheist. Why, because you know there is no such thing as God, or because someone told you there is no such thing as God?"

Do you think I'm incapable of coming to my own conclusions?

"To place the right wing correctly in the role of public education, you might reflect on how schools get built in the first place. And why. The "left" gets the run of the public schools only in order to prevent them from competing with the private ones. And this would be easy if anyone in the public educational system got their priorities straight. They are too busy passing out drugs to kids and babysitting the rest. Some private schools are better than others, you know. And they don't have to let anyone in they don't want to let in either. Ever."

You seem to be all over the lot here. You acknowledge the public schools are a mess, and that the left has the run of them, but don't seem to connect the problems with those who run them. I do.

"If voucher programs ever come into full effect, only the bottom rung private schools will be loosening their requirements to pick up the cash and keep up appearances."

Don't overlook the impact of competition if vouchers are made generally available. Both public AND private schools will improve because parents will have the choice of where to send their kids. You are right that there are good and bad private schools. Where I live, there is one particular chain affiliated with the Southern Baptists that has had many parent, and now criminal complaints over the treatment of children. Given a voucher, I think few parents will send their kids there. However, the school my daughter will go to will have a lot more applicants. They do not have the capacity to take many more students, so the impact of vouchers on public schools around here will be relatively small.

I am the product of a public school education. But that was several decades ago, graduating from high school in 1966. Not long after that the public school system went into an extended period of decline that was never reversed. I am satisfied I got a good education (though my father, who also went to school in New York City, had as good an education in high school as I did in college). I am quite sure current students are, by and large, not given as good an education as I was, and I'm also sure the left wing ideological content of that education has increased greatly. I know most of my teachers were liberals, though they were able to separate politics from educational content for the most part. That is not necessarily true today.

Skoonj

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Excelsior, Fathead!
--Jean Shepherd

I apologize for the existence of the US. I'm sorry it's so big and powerful. I'm sorry that you've had such a hard time dealing with us. Perhaps if you ignore us we'll cease to exist.

ps. It's obvious that you have never taken a history class in the US. Skoonj is right. It's all: the US did this bad thing, the US did this horrible thing...

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-Blackclaw

The whole voucher notion that somehow everthing will improve because of market forces is ridiculous. As I said before, private schools are not required to accept everyone who applies. This would be mandatory if market forces were to be in effect. There is no oversite to insure that even within the communities they serve they are fair. Children waiting to be educated are not consumers.

Skoonj

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Excelsior, Fathead!
--Jean Shepherd

Skoonj

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Excelsior, Fathead!
--Jean Shepherd

"Racism has its roots in many ill concieved places. Ignorance is one of these places. Being ignorant does not make you racist. But, speaking in a civilized and articulate manner does not exclude you from being racist either."

To which you replied,

"I resent the accusation of racism."

Skoonj

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Excelsior, Fathead!
--Jean Shepherd