Thread: If public schools are doing such a good job. . .

I've seen comments on a number of threads defending the job that public schools are doing. They insinuate or even outright claim that public schools do a good job of educating children.

My question is, if they are doing such a good job, why is there even a market for things like Hooked on Phonics, Sylvian Learning Centers, Math Academy or any of the other tutoring centers?

The existence of these types of programs indicates that public schools must be failing to provide sufficient education for children to such a degree that parents have to pay more money out of pocket to buy a good education for their child.

Originally Posted by hiimjered

I've seen comments on a number of threads defending the job that public schools are doing. They insinuate or even outright claim that public schools do a good job of educating children.

My question is, if they are doing such a good job, why is there even a market for things like Hooked on Phonics, Sylvian Learning Centers, Math Academy or any of the other tutoring centers?

The existence of these types of programs indicates that public schools must be failing to provide sufficient education for children to such a degree that parents have to pay more money out of pocket to buy a good education for their child.

What we see are professional job keepers who do teaching as a title. In the USA, they like their administrators develop and work in a safe, secure, structured and privilaged environemnt which they pass on generation to generation. Public shools in the USA do not have a good track record, often is is disguised by studies, surveys and other tax payer funded ammenities to divert the focus of their failures on other things to blame.

We all know, the public schools system in the USA will evnetually break the backs of taxpayers in each of the US States as it is currently doing in these economicaly difficult times. Their Unions are the most powerfull and the taxpayer and politician has no say in it's operation or funding. However, the problem is the public school system in the USA has not been able to accept accountability for their failures. To them, the lack of money is the problem. Yet, they can't account for the tens of billions they spend each year in each State. When they talk about too big to fail they should apply this to the Public Schools system and DOE.

Too bad, intelligent caring parent who are concerned about their children's education must pay for more education via private schools.

The only solution to the mess of public school education in the USA is to abolish it and create private schools with heavy regulations and standards to improve student performance and outcome. We shold not let lazy administrators and teachers dictate the standards to which they want to work. If we did that they would be working with smaller classes, more money, better pensions, less hours, more time off, and no accountability (The same privillages they have now).

Originally Posted by hiimjered

I've seen comments on a number of threads defending the job that public schools are doing. They insinuate or even outright claim that public schools do a good job of educating children.

My question is, if they are doing such a good job, why is there even a market for things like Hooked on Phonics, Sylvian Learning Centers, Math Academy or any of the other tutoring centers?

The existence of these types of programs indicates that public schools must be failing to provide sufficient education for children to such a degree that parents have to pay more money out of pocket to buy a good education for their child.

I've known private schools students taht went to Sylvan, as well.

Public schools do an adequate job of teaching children who have been prepared for education by their parents. Could they do better? Of course, things can always be done better.

Also, if you look at the countries (like Japan) that shame us educationally, you will notice that most of those countries have an elaborate system of after school tutors.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Juku

Originally Posted by hiimjered

I've seen comments on a number of threads defending the job that public schools are doing. They insinuate or even outright claim that public schools do a good job of educating children.

Government run public schools are doing exactly what they were designed to do. Academic education is, at best, secondary to the primary purpose and it's mainly used as a ploy by school officials to demand more money and more control of children.

Hahaha @ the idea that use of tutors at all represents the quality of education someone is receiving.
I'm willing to bet that if you look at some of the best private schools in the US, a lot of the kids there have tutors (especially SAT tutors). I have a friend who worked as a tutor, most of his students were privileged private school kids. Their parents paid my friend to basically do the kids homework and "counsel" them on getting into an ivy.
Sometimes he was paid to just sit there for a couple hours and watch them take an SAT practice test.

Originally Posted by BleedingHeadKen

Government run public schools are doing exactly what they were designed to do. Academic education is, at best, secondary to the primary purpose and it's mainly used as a ploy by school officials to demand more money and more control of children.

You are correct. Public schools and their unions have become a huge burden on the individual States of the USA that almost every State had to turn to huge debt to financially maintain their schools. And worst off all the added money that they consumed over the past decade has resulted in a weaker, less effective education system. In addition, public schools have not changed to focuse on the global opportunities of the rapid changing world and, it emerging countries.

As a result, the USA public school system has become a genuine threat to national security.

When you look at who benifits from public schools it is only the banks. As more and more debt mounts in public school costs, the banks and investment corporations have been lending massive amounts of money to each States' public schools system. In addition, these public schools are paying interest and most of their muni bonds are rated at BB to A+ depending on the State. So, investment banks are taking in 8 to 10% interes on the short term, and 6 to 8% on the long term.

I don't know of any private school that is that far in debt to need loans. With the public schools consuming over 65% of established State tax revenue, there is no other entity in any State which consumes more tax money.

Public Schools and their Unions are the largest government group in each State, and they use any excuse to rake in more tax money. They do this to hire more staff to build a larger membership of union supporters. Over the past 12 years they hve grown too big to fail.