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Is Privatization Genuine Education Reform?

Sapiens

Polymathematician
Can it be improved by privatization? Of course, any change in system could, if done right, be done better ... but odds are it will be done wrong.

That is why I ask, "Will it be?" I rather doubt it.

From where I sit it appears that those looking for privatization in one form or other are not really putting the needs of the kids' first. They are pushing political or social or religious agendas or reacting to what they see as others pushing political or social or religious agendas within the existing system. Our country gave the know-nothings a go once before, lets not do that again.
 

metis

aged ecumenical anthropologist
Interesting article.

Can American education genuinely be improved by privatization? Why or why not?

Generally speaking, here in Michigan it has not brought improvement. Matter of fact, we seen an upsurge in scandals of certain charter schools fudging one way or another. The Detroit Free Press had a series of articles that lasted a week whereas they cited one problem after another after another...

Instead, "schools of choice" (students can apply to go to a different public school anywhere in the state than the one designated by the district they live in) seems to have worked out much better, although problems still persist.
 

metis

aged ecumenical anthropologist
Can it be improved by privatization? Of course, any change in system could, if done right, be done better ... but odds are it will be done wrong.

That is why I ask, "Will it be?" I rather doubt it.

From where I sit it appears that those looking for privatization in one form or other are not really putting the needs of the kids' first. They are pushing political or social or religious agendas or reacting to what they see as others pushing political or social or religious agendas within the existing system. Our country gave the know-nothings a go once before, lets not do that again.

Yes, and you bring up good points here.
 

Delta-9

Member
No.

Privative charter schools siphon off money from public schools. In the end it will just make public schools worse, introducing a two-tier education system, furthering the destruction of the middle class while keeping the poor down.

If you want to improve education first off get year-round schooling. Then you will need to revamp the curriculum as each kid will be further along by the end of each year. And finally you need to incentivize people good in the STEM fields to become teachers, which means that we will probably have to pay STEM teachers more money.

I say keep the public schools and reform them. Not saying private schools are evil, but I firmly believe that public schools are fundamental to the American dream.
 

dawny0826

Mother Heathen
Interesting article.

Can American education genuinely be improved by privatization? Why or why not?

Personally, I think that investing more federal tax dollars in public education and schools, establishing national standards and allowing for the hire of more teachers to meet the learning needs is a more effective solution. What would deter a family from sending a child to their local public school to being with? Fix what's broken. We're spending enough money otherwise.

I believe that private schools should remain private and continue to serve as an alternative for families that prefer a private education. I'm of the opinion that these schools should remain privately funded.
 
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Shadow Wolf

Certified People sTabber
American society, and it's students, simply cannot afford the mass degradation to education that would come with privatization. The battles to keep history secular and religious mythos out of science are bad enough as it is with regulation over them. Take away this regulation, and America will doom itself to generations of students who graduate high school thinking the world is only 6,000 years old, not knowing what a scientific theory is, and not having the critical thinking skills that are required for higher education. We already have a problem with this and the last thing we need is to send more kids to remedial courses, assuming they will even be able to get accepted into an accredited college in the first place.
We do need to make education better, but leaving individual schools to decide the ciricullum in it's entirety, with no checks and balances to assure the standards are good, will only make things much worse. They could get better in some places, but Indiana is already trying to legally work ID into the curriculum, and if it is all privatized there is literally nothing in the way to stop it.
 
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Alceste

Vagabond
In short, no. As a general rule private, for-profit business models for universally needed services are enormously costly and inefficient compared to public models.

Compare the cost of the for profit US health care system to the cost of the public models in every other country, and it should be clear that the private sector is not capable of delivering the necessary services for a reasonable price.
 

metis

aged ecumenical anthropologist
In short, no. As a general rule private, for-profit business models for universally needed services are enormously costly and inefficient compared to public models.

Compare the cost of the for profit US health care system to the cost of the public models in every other country, and it should be clear that the private sector is not capable of delivering the necessary services for a reasonable price.

The above is definitely a +1.
 

Buttercup

Veteran Member
The only thing I have to add that others haven't already said negatively about privatizing education is that the thought of corporations being heavily involved in school funding makes me want to puke. I'm sick of corporate America. Can you imagine the lobbyist associated with this reform? Ugh.

"The “reform” movement is really a “corporate reform” movement, funded to a large degree by major foundations, Wall Street hedge fund managers, entrepreneurs and the US Department of Education."
 

Alceste

Vagabond
The only thing I have to add that others haven't already said negatively about privatizing education is that the thought of corporations being heavily involved in school funding makes me want to puke. I'm sick of corporate America. Can you imagine the lobbyist associated with this reform? Ugh.

"The “reform” movement is really a “corporate reform” movement, funded to a large degree by major foundations, Wall Street hedge fund managers, entrepreneurs and the US Department of Education."

Oh my god, can you imagine? Class assignments like "Coke vs. Pepsi - which is more delicious? ", events like Dorito Day, tar sands themed school dances...
 

Buttercup

Veteran Member
Oh my god, can you imagine? Class assignments like "Coke vs. Pepsi - which is more delicious? ", events like Dorito Day, tar sands themed school dances...
For sure! I hate the idea of a school having a projected profit quotient. Would the hedge fund investors send recommended stock portfolios home with the kids? Somehow school dances with Wall Street promoters don't sound so fun. Lol
 

Shadow Wolf

Certified People sTabber
Oh my god, can you imagine? Class assignments like "Coke vs. Pepsi - which is more delicious? ", events like Dorito Day, tar sands themed school dances...
That would be if we are lucky. What I can see being more likely is kids being taught corporations are wonderful entities who can do no wrong, and without them we have nothing. I can see it creating a mentality that accepts corporations and their decisions and actions as being generally good, which will turn children into drones more willing to put up with global corporate exploitation and being exploited themselves. Welcome back, 16 hour work days, 7 day work weeks, and accepting it as a privilege to work anywhere you work, and good bye paid overtime, collective bargaining, and having self-worth and an identity outside of work.
 

Alceste

Vagabond
For sure! I hate the idea of a school having a projected profit quotient. Would the hedge fund investors send recommended stock portfolios home with the kids? Somehow school dances with Wall Street promoters don't sound so fun. Lol
[youtube]BaaIlfBZTKc[/youtube]
 

Sunstone

De Diablo Del Fora
Premium Member
Everything privatized is better imo, minus my wallet having to pay the price o-o

So when it comes to society, your basic approach is to see how much you can freeload? I mean, you don't want to pay taxes, but presumably you don't want to live in a nation of uneducated idiots, either, with a GDP of 200 a year.
 

Kilgore Trout

Misanthropic Humanist
Can American education genuinely be improved by privatization? Why or why not?

As with most things, it comes down to goals, planning, and implementation. One approach isn't inherently better than another.

Of course, when it comes to education, all approaches regarding education in our society seem to suffer from poorly-defined/misguided goals, poor planning, and inefficient/ineffective implementation, so I'll be taking it upon myself to ensure that my daughter is educated thoroughly and effectively, and schooling will be supplementary. I'd suggest anyone else who is decently educated to do the same with their children.
 
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