TheMage

I dont disagree with you here, at least not with most of it. And thanks for being polite unlike some replies that are clearly coming from people with severe "issues".

No, I dont like the idea of fully private schools getting public money either. However, the current system of ALL money being diverted into the public school pot isnt working either. I like the idea of some choice and competition. It facilitates quality improvements, no question. Its not a money problem, it seems to be more of a "how the money is being used" problem. As for having the money for private schools and sending kids there - doesnt that butt heads with more education equality though? The rich kids go to nice schools and the poorer ones dont. No choice, no options. Charter schools were supposed to try and help with that, I thought. I still think there is a way to do this where standards and outcomes go up for ALL students.

Teachers are pretty well compensated overall as they should be. But, the post retirement benefits are a tad too good and very expensive for the state. Public pensions are a huge cost drain as most people will suck a ton of money out of the system that they didnt put in. Id rather they all get 401Ks and some % match like most people do now. Handle your own retirement like the rest of us have to. I also hate the tenure system and various things but you seem to somewhat agree on the union problems.

A wealth limit would be nice but hard to get through. What has to happen is term limits. Period. Two terms and you’re done. That’s it. I believe that right there will help quite a bit. Maybe not though, then The next rich guy or gal just gets elected, right? :(

I dont see why it’s harmful to simply move money away from one school to another. Kids are still being educated and usually in charter schools it’s better education. The public school system has had a monopoly on education for a long time and the results are iffy at best. We’ve thrown a gajillion dollars at it too and that never seems to amount to much. I do have a problem with politicians using power to draw kids into private schools that they have a stake in. That’s BS and crony capitalism. However, that’s not the norm.

The public education unions have always been a problem, at least here in NY state where I reside. They devour a ton of the money for their lavish benefit packages. Sure, they start at lower salaries than most with a masters degree but due to automatic raises and tenure they soon make great money. Oh and they only work about 2/3 of the time that regular full time people work due to all this "fluff" time off and breaks. They get all summer off too. Not a bad gig. Plus, the massive pensions here which are unsustainable are another separate issue. The unions always claim that tax increases and costs we have to eat are "for the children" except it appears the adults are the ones that actually benefit. Sorry, I have a problem with unions in general and the public education ones are some of the worst here.

Hard to say. I bet it came from teachers or parents from years back. 😉

The idea that whatever comes out of Govt's mouth should just be accepted as is. There are already serious issues arising with Fauci and Covid. Remember that guy? The battle cry was trust the science and shut up, little cretins. I dont want to go off on any Covid tangent but the idea that you just blindly accept what anyone tells you when it comes down to your lifestyle, standard of living, etc. should just be swallowed up without any questions is wrong, IMO.

Well - you're still making taxpayers pay for the greed and BS of colleges. Go after them instead. Just like you would if you bought a new car that was a lemon - you wouldnt ask taxpayers to bail you out, you'd go after the dealer or mfgr of the car. I dont get this "stick it to the taxpayers" paradigm being pushed here.

Also - an educated society doesnt have to all be college grads. There are tons of hard-working, successful people that didnt get near a college, or they just went for a few years. I know that many in society still snub their nose at trades blue collar work but guess who actually appears educated now? The kid making $45 bucks an hour as a welder with great benefits or the pissed-off gender studies grad with $200K of debt working at Starbucks? Sorry - Im sick of this "college or you're doomed" thing. Its been way oversold and they have saddled these kids with massive debt. Make them pay, not taxpayers.

Shouldnt the students that feel slighted go after the college then? Why let them off scot-free and force taxpayers to pay off the debt? Sue the college for false advertising which is pretty much what it was. Why go after the lenders? They didnt do anything wrong either. Its the colleges that started this mess with their ripoff prices, heavy handed sales pitches and false promises.