Posted on 01/03/2002 6:20:12 AM PST by summer
I don't know why.
She would certainly endorse the principle of formulating policy based on what is "fun."
....my point is, they often don't have the income to pay private school tuition.
And my counterpoint to that is that the public schools' capture of the mass of students prevents the economies of scale that would allow these parents to pay private school tuition.
Name one private school in Florida -- just one -- that wants to accept non-English speaking kids for a K-12 education.
Couldn't tell you of one. But then, I lived in Pinellas, which wasn't exactly burgeoning with Latin Americans. I can tell you that they exist in south Texas, for Spanish-speaking kids. The point, though, isn't the existence per se of non-English private schools, but rather the possibility. This has been addressed above.
LOL...tuition at many private schools are sky high because the owners are BUSINESS PEOPLE in BUSINESS to MAKE MONEY. They will charge as much as they can. This has nothing to do with public schools.
Standard teachers' union cant. Of course they're businessmen. Of course they want to make money. Horrors. But this line of argument ignores some very basic economic principles: economies of scale, and competition. In a truly free educational market, competition would drive down prices. However, we don't have that at any level (elementary, secondary, or collegiate), for the same reason that undercuts the economy of scale -- the public schools capture the consumers. By your logic, the makers of Coke would charge $100 per can simply because they held a monopoly on Coke, and they wanted to maximize profits. This isn't true, though -- Coke costs $1 a can, and why? Because it is far better, and simpler, to sell many units at low profit then few units at high profit. This proves true in virtually every industry, and it has proven true in education. It can again.
You complain about high private school tuitions, but you misdiagnose the cause. It isn't profiteering greed -- it's the distorting influence of government.
And, how did you pay? Via "impact fees"? -- the Homebuilders Association is AGAINST such fees, as they clearly state in the 2nd article I posted above. So, you are not on their side.
I don't recall offering any opinion on impact fees, or proper methods of taxation. Fill me in.
And, you later mention "planning" as a solution. You seem to agree with Gov. Bush, without wanting to say so.
That was pure, undiluted sarcasm. I'll be more explicit next time. I think "planning" is a joke.
(1) the rate of population growth is phenomenal. This is not a normal rate of growth. What is happening in FL is happening at a very high speed in terms of population.
Florida=Texas=San Jose=Northern Virginia. Florida is exceptional, not unique.
(2) the demand by these new consumers is NOT for private schools
Why not give them a real choice, not only by not making them pay the requisite taxes for funding public education, but also by allowing the elementary and secondary education market to flourish? Then you'll see what the real demand is. As it stands, asserting that people "want" public schools is like asserting they "want" Amtrak -- there's no effective alternative for most.
(3) FL voters are very anti-tax. People here don't want to pay more taxes for anything, even though taxes are relatively low. Yet, something has to give with this incredible increase in population.
Something does indeed. I suggest that what must give is the government's self-assumed educational monopoly.
Somehow, there has to be a way to coordinate this constant growth with the need for more public schools.
Schools can keep up with growth as best they can. Making growth keep pace with schools is to hold the economy hostage to a government bureaucracy with a wholly dubious track record.
But, if you think there is absolutely NO relationship between (a) the increased burden on public schools, and (b) new businesses and new homes, then: IMHO, you are living on another planet.
But I don't think that at all. I simply think it's no reason to stop, or slow, building.
Well, you have the anecdotes, and then you have the empirical evidence. I'll go with the latter.
And, for my own anecdote, I'll offer my brother, who is a first-year private school teacher, and doing pretty well off of it.
Well, then vote for someone else in this FL gov race, because I think more and better planning can only help in this area. And, any candidate who thinks like you do -- that "planning is a joke" -- would never get my vote.
You're a strange breed of Republican. We're the party of individual freedom, not centralized bureaucracies. Strange indeed.
Pure ignorance. You have no real answer to my explanation of the economics, do you?
I think your brother is telling you a big FIB about his salary to IMPRESS YOU.
And now you accuse my own brother of lying. You're pathetic.
people DO want public schools, and some people choose public schools over other options.
And this affects my argument how? The real question here is who has a choice to begin with.
And a recent GOP candidate in NJ LOST because, IMO, all he could talk about was vouchers, while the suburban voters in NJ are quite PROUD of their public schools.
You didn't follow that campaign very closely, did you? It was hardly lost on vouchers; McGreevy ran a campaign that was thoroughly more professional than Schundler's, and won accordingly.
I happen to believe private schools should be one of the options, as should public schools, along with homeschooling, and every other kind of educational environment supported by parental choice.
Well, good. Unfortunately, that's not going to happen so long as the public school juggernaut continues to exist in its present form.
No offense intended to you personally, but your above statement is [Schools can keep up with growth as best they can.] downright pathetic.
Why don't you back that up some?
I suppose you can use the Hussein method, and declare victory even as your armies lay in smoking ruins. When you have substantive responses, let me know. You're all doctrine and no rationale. It's the memory of teachers like you that convinced me to homeschool.
PS Tell your brother who is a first year private school teacher that you'd like to see one of his paychecks, and let me know how that goes!
I don't know how your family works, but I tend to trust members of mine. You have my pity.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.