Should taxpayer dollars be used to fund private education?

[jbt]

I went to a Catholic school for grades 1 through 8. I could tell without a doubt that I received a better education. The teachers in 7th and 8th were very good, and I still remember my science teacher from those grades. (I believe that the teachers in my private school were paid less than other teachers in public schools, but liked the no-nonsense policies of the school. Also the money my parents spent on me to go to private school was less than what the state spent for each public school student.)

I felt that my freshman year in a public high school was a repeat of my 8th grade year at the Catholic school because everything that year just seemed very easy. (Just as a reference, I was never an exceptional student in public or private school because I would mostly get Bs and a C at times. The public high school that I went to was in a "rich" area and newly built. My class sizes at both schools were about 25 to 30 kids per class, except for special classes like PE or art.)

One example:
My freshmen year science teacher, in a public high school, was horrible. She constantly lost assignments to the point that my friend had the teacher sign a paper when he handed in assignments. He was eventually was given an A in the class because she couldn't produce his work. I personally never saw a report that I handed in at spring break and other assorted assignments. (I think she had to teach a class to be eligible to coach cheer.)

I would say that most of the teachers were good, it is just this one instance that always sticks out in my head.

One element mentioned in other posts is parent involvement. My parents always pushed me to complete every assignment and were able to help me when I needed it. Put simply, they cared about my success.

Based on my experiences in a public high school and summer school, I will try to send my kids, when I have them, to a private school for at least for the lower grade levels. To answer the question from the original post, I am not sure to what extent money should be given to private/charter schools, i.e. vouchers for only the poor or to anyone.

[xoxoxoBruce]

Originally Posted by jbt

snip~ (I believe that the teachers in my private school were paid less than other teachers in public schools,

Also the money my parents spent on me to go to private school was less than what the state spent for each public school student.)~snip

With lay teachers paid less and Clergy teachers not paid at all, it should be cheaper to operate. But don't make the mistake of thinking the tuition your folks(and Others) paid, came close to covering the costs of operation. Most funding is not tuition.

snip~
The public high school that I went to was in a "rich" area and newly built. My class sizes at both schools were about 25 to 30 kids per class, except for special classes like PE or art.)

New schools are a problem. They get hind teat when it comes to staffing because established teachers don't jump schools that often. So, you get newly graduated, disgruntled elsewhere, or transient teachers, a lot. Usually teachers do more than just teach. They get assigned all kinds of activities and in a new school that would mean getting those activities organized rather than taking over a set routine. Very time consuming stuff.

Based on my experiences in a public high school and summer school, I will try to send my kids, when I have them, to a private school for at least for the lower grade levels.

See, See, there's proof you were brainwashed.

Welcome to the Cellar, jbt. Good post.