<p>Just a slight addendum to the “source” of the news. It so happens that the TIME picked up the story of the Guardian interview and that it was in turn placed on the first page of Pulse – for whomever is familiar with that outfit.</p>
<p>For the record, everyone is entitled to his or her opinion about Damon. I – obviously on a personal basis-- do not find any unexpected issue with his decision to use a part of his vast wealth to send his daughters to the best schools money can buy. In fact, that position does not offend people who also are in favor of parental choice to the degree that they’d like it to be available to more than the truly comfortable families. Perhaps, it was cynical, but one should know that the Catholic Online applauded Damon’s decision. </p>
<p>So much for his position. He should probably debate it at more length with John Deasy, who might find Damon’s allegation about the lack of progressive schools in LA quite surprising. This said, a lot fewer applause should be sent to Damon and his mother, Nancy Carlsson-Paige, the professor who has routinely attacked TFA and “induced” Damon to turn an award in a negative publicity stunt. If there is hypocrisy, it happens at THAT level! The same hypocrisy that afflicts the “good people” who sent their first daughters to a “friendly” school but see no problem of gutting one of the few “progressive” programs in DC for the sole purpose of appeasing their mighty union friends. </p>
<p>In the end, I remain surprised that in light of the recent events, many who love of our country for its freedom, are happy to endorse a continuous extension of the bureaucratic arms in all facets of our life. And this especially when the services provided by the “system” are abysmally inefficient and compare poorly to the vast sums of money spent. </p>
<p>But then we are also the worldwide experts on making excuses for our failures. After all, it is so much easier to blame the parents, the students, and … the teachers. In other words, all the current victims of the “system!”</p>
<p>Funny that the person calling Matt Damon a hypocrite is himself…a hypocrite. Former Florida governor Jeb Bush sent his own kids to the private Gulliver Preparatory School in Miami along with another private school in Jacksonville. Gulliver costs $12,760 for pre-K through third grade, and up to $28,250 for grades 6-12. </p>
<p>I happen to think that the attacks on Damon (in this case) and the attacks on Bush’s so-called hypocrisy are cut from the same cloth. And that is one that is highly pathetic. </p>
<p>While I don’t know anything about the qualifications of that illustrious WaPo contributor, I think the article is just the usual hodgepodge of cluelessness cum cheap vitriol. </p>
<p>As an example, why would anyone be surprised by this statistic:</p>
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<p>What schools are there to accept a “maximum award of $4,335 a year” if not for the schools that have demonstrated to serve the poorest in the poorest area and with the smaller budgets? Why would anyone find it surprising that religious schools are the ones extending a welcoming hand? Does anyone believe that the tony independent schools are supporters of vouchers? Seriously?</p>
<p>When it comes to discussions such as this one, it is hard to understand why people are seemingly so eager to attack an entire subgroup of schools with such a blanket. Not all schools are created equal, and some have threaded in dangerous waters. The overwhelming majority of the religious schools in our country are providing an extraordinary service (and a huge public savings) and are operating in the blighted urban areas that have been abandoned by the parents who can … vote with their feet, and move to the newish suburban Shangri-La, where budgets are as solid as the promises of schools within a school for the IB/AP crowd!</p>
<p>All I can tell you is that as someone who is a decade away from having to worry about elementary school, I do not see the repeated attacks and de facto elimination of parental choices as something really positive. What I do know is that I will be not able to offer my own children the same choices as I received from my parents! </p>
<p>Anymore than I would welcome the fact that all groceries would be found in government stores, all restaurants would be government cafeterias, airlines would would government companies, and more of the same! We know how those worked out in other parts of the world!</p>
<p>No one has been attacking these schools. My son graduated from a Catholic school and we are not even Catholic. And I live in one of the suburban Shangri-la’s where budgets are not only solid but increased every year. What people are objecting to is tax dollars going to private schools - whether they are religious or secular.</p>
<p>You’re right, it IS hard to understand why some people are so eager to lump all public schools together and dismiss them as failures! ;)</p>
<p>Wanting to maintain a separation between church and state is not an attack on religious schools. A few people on this thread have related personal stories of negative experiences at religious schools. At least as many have related positive stories. This seems to be self-proclaimed martyrdom.</p>
<p>The separation of state and church can be maintained without a monopoly of public education. All education is public; the only difference is that not all schools have to be governmental schools. </p>
<p>For an example, take a look at the education system in Belgium.</p>
<p>“The separation of state and church can be maintained without a monopoly of public education. All education is public; the only difference is that not all schools have to be governmental schools.”</p>
<p>No, public schools are free of charge. I have no problem with any private or parochial school admitting anyone for free and they are perfectly free to do that if they so choose.</p>
<p>^Completely agree. I don’t understand how you can argue against this, xiggi. Especially when you yourself ask “Why would anyone find it surprising that religious schools are the ones extending a welcoming hand? Does anyone believe that the tony independent schools are supporters of vouchers? Seriously?”</p>
<p>It is simply disingenuous to claim that poor kids will receive the same quality education as a tiny, underfunded Christian school as they would at a fancy college-prep day school. I would also add that the mission of many religious evangelical schools is first and foremost to “spread the word,” not to “educate the kids” and prepare them for the working world. There are no quacking canards here.</p>
<p>It is not always being a Chicken Little, with the sky is falling mentality. </p>
<p>You have a right to worry. If I had to do it all over again, it would be homeschool or private school for my kids. Many friends from different walks of life and politics, and have said the same - we were happy to get our kids out before the next educational trend hit - namely, The Common Core. We lived through Everyday Math which, well, was awful. </p>
<p>I am thrilled that we have private schools willing to stay in those hardest hit areas and doing good work with those students in the area. Charter schools are filling a need, as are magnets, but the one size fits all school isn’t working for too mAy kids out there. </p>
<p>Testing complicates the issue. </p>
<p>A whole new thread should discuss the Common Core and what will happen there. I don’t see the positives - it just seems like NCLB on steroids. Ask school administrators the problems they foresee, and so many are public cheerleaders while at the same time wringing their hands about the issues involved, such as testing. </p>
<p>Group collaboration sounds good, so does developing critical thinking skills. We will see how it all shakes out. I am just glad my kids are done.</p>
<p>Free of charge if you mean that our tax dollars go to support them, that is. </p>
<p>Good schools are why most of us are here on this board - we care about this subject, no matter what our zip code is. If we didn’t have good schools as a kid, we want better ones for our kids. If we had excellent ones, we want the same for our children. </p>
<p>It is only normal, whether it is Jeb Bush or Matt Damon to vote with their pocketbook. I don’t fault either for giving their kids the best. </p>
<p>One of the finest kids I know, a recent local graduate and a Millennium Gates Scholar left his underperforming neighborhood school to come to my community. His parents sacrificed much. It paid off. He was lucky. He could have gone elsewhere and not had the same level of success. If he stayed in his local school, he may not have even made it out alive. </p>
<p>Many public schools are failing their students.</p>
<p>All of the schools with the best math scores around here used Everyday Math. There are some well-known issues with it, such as the need to supplement here and there and a big problem if teacher training is skimped. Reportedly, gifted kids tend to like it a lot.</p>
<p>I am thankful that S did not suffer through elementary school with NCLB. Our state had testing in 4th, 8th, and either 11th or 12th grade, I can’t recall. It was generally not multiple choice, and therefore expensive to score. It was diagnostic: I attended a session where the principal of the K-3 school explained how they were able to use it to find weaknesses in their program and correct them; for example, at one point they determined that the kids were not doing well on multiple-step problems. They would do the first part correctly, and just stop. These tests were deliberately calibrated so that MOST children would be scored as “partially meets standards.” The idea was to improve, not create false success stories a la Texas. When NCLB came along, I believe that this had to be replaced by some standard thing for cost reasons. And of course more time was lost to annual testing. In addition, NCLB slices and dices the student population in ways that are completely unsuitable to small districts that do not have many students in all categories. The absence or poor performance of one student in one category can easily put a school on the “failing” list. A complete boondoggle.</p>
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<p>It was the SOCIETY surrounding that school that was failing the kids. You can’t blame the school for being unable to make up for that.</p>
<p>“Free of charge if you mean that our tax dollars go to support them, that is.”</p>
<p>Taxes are not tuition. Taxes are simply the mechanism the state uses to establish and maintain a public school system which is free to anyone who wants to attend and that is required in every state’s constitution.</p>
<p>You have to live in the zip code to go to these schools, unless a “permit” student or in some sort of bussing redistribution arrangement. </p>
<p>By that nature, it is those who have the means to afford to rent or buy in the neighborhood who get the privilege of attending those schools. </p>
<p>Of course, throw in those schools that offer lotteries for attendance, and then it’s just luck. </p>
<p>Yes, public schools are free and mandated. Yet, they are not all alike. </p>
<p>I just read in today’s LA Times that Forrest Whittaker’s parents put down a fake address so he wouldn’t have to attend Compton High School, instead being able to go to school in Pacific Palisades using his cousin’s address. I have done volunteer work in Forrest’s old neighborhood - not much has changed since he attended school. I can see why his parents did it.</p>
<p>:You have to live in the zip code to go to these schools, unless a “permit” student or in some sort of bussing redistribution arrangement."</p>
<p>So what? That doesn’t make it any less free of charge to attend. One can be homeless in that zip code and attend a public school. They could be living in a home in foreclosure and haven’t paid property taxes in years and the kids can attend the public school. </p>
<p>You just don’t like the way we, as a society, have chosen to pay for the public school system but you are not paying tuition for your children to go to school, and you pay the same amount whether you have 2 children, 4 children or 6 children attending the school in your district.</p>
<p>Instead of providing vouchers I want the public schools to be able to boot out disruptive students, require parental involvement, have consequences for failure to do homework etc. </p>
<p>If private schools accept public funds are they going to be required to play by the same rules as the public school? Just having parents that are involved enough to make the selection puts them one step ahead of the public schools in regard to parental involvement.</p>
<p>I support public education. I have worked paid and unpaid as a volunteer in it for years, sending my kids to local schools to help not just my kids, but other people’s kids. </p>
<p>I simply am sad that so many kids have terrible schools that aren’t giving them what they need to be successful in life. </p>
<p>It isn’t always the teacher or the school to blame, either. It is the student, the parents and the community around them. We are setting up way too many kids to fail.</p>
<p>Yes, tom. Without parent support and the game is lost, no matter whatbkind of school it is. </p>
<p>Too many schools retain problem kids…because they have to educate them. Not every kid wants to be in school, and they make it tough for those that do. </p>
<p>^ I’m sorry if I misunderstood you. I am glad you support public schools and that your children have a school they can attend for free. </p>
<p>Tom, public schools can suspend, expel and even permanently expel student if the offense is serious enough - though the laws on this do vary by state.</p>
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