The education formerly known as “public”
It used to be that the perception of what distinguished public school education from private school education was the access based on cost. By this think, public school education was accessible to all because the cost was subsidized by the government, whereas private school education was only accessible to those that could subsidize the cost themselves.
This article on the current notion of desegregation, aka eliminating race-based standards for enrollment, got me to realizing that public education, as understood above, no longer exists. What exists is an educational system - public and private - based on private wealth and class standing. Nothing has changed in regards to private education, which at times can cross class barriers through scholarships. The class breaking opportunity is increasingly impossible, however, in the currently described “public” school system, which does not provide, nor pretend to ensure, equal access to quality education regardless of wealth or class.
Instead, the current system relegates educational opportunity based on private wealth, ie. property value and local neighborhood wealth - as espoused in (though not the “main point” of) the article - or worse, on a closed caste class system based on which side of the tracks you live on.
Case in point - my daughter. Currently, she would be under the jurisdiction of the LAUSD “public” school system, which is notoriously good at mismanaging its special education and at failing in the educational needs of its general student population. Everyone and their mother, to borrow the expression, recommends moving to a better area, where the “public” education system provides better access to special education.
Assuming, for a second, that I’m even interested in leaving my current neighborhood and domicile, the access to education isn’t “publicly” available to me without increased wealth to purchase property in those neighborhoods, thus making the education system really “private” after all. Until those in poor neighborhoods have the same access to quality public education as those in wealthy areas, we should dismiss the notion of a equal access to quality “public” education in our country.
As I see it, the best avenue for change and equity would be through a voucher/school-choice system for education that would allow low-income/low-”class” (w/o the stigma’d double meaning) families to access the same quality of education that wealthy families have. In light of the increased failure of so-called public schools to provide equal quality & achievement, I’m surprised that there isn’t a legal case being built for discrimination, not based primarily on race (though there are implications), but base on class.
October 11th, 2007 at 8:11 pm
P.S. just because I mentioned my daughter as an example in this situation, don’t assume that I’m to personally attached to my views hear to opposing views on this topic. If you’ve got a better or different angle than me, bring it.
October 13th, 2007 at 1:55 pm
In light of the increased failure of so-called public schools to provide equal quality & achievement, I’m surprised that there isn’t a legal case being built for discrimination, not based primarily on race (though there are implications), but base on class.
You would think so. But the mentality behind our education establishment is counterintuitive. In fact, equality is more often used in lawsuits against vouchers here.
In other words, because some kids might get better education (via vouchers through private schools) than kids in public education…that constitutes a violation of fairness…so screw us all. Crazy!
October 31st, 2007 at 6:32 pm
You are a conservative in sheep’s clothing. School choice or a voucher system would open up educational opportunities, and force public schools to compete successfully or close. Not surprisingly, teachers’ unions are the main constituency against school choice. After all, their government salaries and pensions are at stake.
Anyone who says that government entities can’t successfully compete with private services hasn’t mailed a letter or taken the bus recently.
I believe the view that fewer choices is better or that the government knows best is paternalistic. If school vouchers are available and no one uses them because local public schools are in fact better, then no harm is done. If parents believe their children can receive a better private education with the money government would otherwise spend on that child, then who are we (or the school board) to tell them otherwise. Aren’t parents in the best position to make educational decisions for their children? But what about those children who don’t have involved parents? They would presumably end up at their local public school, which is where they would be in any event.
December 12th, 2007 at 1:36 am
You could always look into inter district permit for you daughter. Check out El Segundo Unified http://www.elsegundousd.com/policies/registration.pdf
They expect a lot out of an out of district student. There requirements are so much stricter than sticking with in the district. You have to tell your daughter she has to be on her best behavior and be the best student or else she is out of the school district.
That is like winning the lotto to get into an out of district school. So then the only choice is to move to a better district.
Perhaps it would be better to have schools for students with behavor problems rather than letting the bad students ruin the education of everybody.
The problem with LAUSD is that they tolerate bad behavior from students and the problem is with parents that don’t care. The apathetic bring us all down. The worry is that students who use vouchers to escape to private schools is that good students will leave and public will get even worse and not better.
A lot of rich people may not want vouchers system because they worry the riff raff may ended up at their private schools with their snobby brats and bring their private school down. I think no private school would not want to except public school money depending if they are no strings attached.
“The parents of students attending a school in the El Segundo Unified School District must sign an Inter-District Permit Contract. Inter-District Permit Contracts are subject to cancellation at any time if scholarship (scholastic achievement and grades), attendance or behavior requires the District to expend excess cost services. Students who do not maintain these standards will have their permit revoked. Permits are also subject to review at anytime should class overloads occur. Refer to elsegundousd.com for further information.”