02-14-2017, 12:06 PM
quote:
Originally posted by Rob Tucker
Our teachers have a tough boat to row and could use better pay. Better pay might attract or keep better teachers. It may just be a local rumor but I have heard that the state DOE has more managers than they have teachers. Anyone know if that is true?
Times like this I am embarrassed (more than usual) to be a teacher. The union takes some $50/month from my check (whether I actually join or not) and spends the majority on buildings, salaries, and "bribes" to politicians (most of whom I would never vote for).
And here we have a tax on the relative poor (renters) by way of the evil rich who own rental properties.
The state wide monstrosity that is the Hawaii DOE is notoriously top heavy. I personally wouldn't give the DOE a cent more than they get presently, quite the opposite. Reform would include a purge of the administration above principals, which, of course will never happen.
I am among a tiny tiny minority of teachers who favor vouchers. Indeed, I have never met another teacher who is pro-vouchers. Pros and cons to be sure but the "status quo" (even and especially with the federal government getting involved--NCLB and whatever its called now) has not produced quality.
Public schools are an entitlement. And a strange one, compared to foods stamps, social security, etc. The latter programs distribute a certain monthly lump sum to the poor and aged based on particular formulas (how poor per child, and work history respectively), but the sums can be spent according to the recipients' wishes. But parents (and non-parents' taxes) must send children to the government school monopoly, or pay extra for a private school. Food stamp users aren't required to spend at government run groceries--maybe they should be so required but that is another issue.
A revolution would be at hand if parents got an annual lump sum "school stamp" and went shopping for an education value for their children. "Private" schools would blossom with specialties limited only by the schools ability to attract students. Likely websites more sophisticated than Yelp would arise to share information and keep corruption at some sort of bay. Parents have real power with their voucher.
Keonepoko doesn't disappear. Parents would sign up for a particular teacher and that teacher would rent the classroom, playcourt/library/etc. time as desired. Perhaps even counselors, PE teacher, etc time as desired as part of their budget. This could be run via a principal or teacher led. Neighborhood schools would likely proliferate (yes I know, zoning and NIMBY and all that...).
Charter schools already have a very watered down version of this and operate at less than half the per pupil capita as the regular public schools.
I could go on and on, but the worst con I could see is putting up with white supremacist schools (or Hawaiian sovereignty schools here
). And there's the idea that public schools provide some sort of common core of Americana or something which would be lost.What most people know about voucher programs (as an idea really, since there has never been a widespread implementation that I know of) is a variation of the anti-voucher propaganda put out by teachers' unions with their fat pockets from mandatory dues.
A true voucher revolution would have a helluva transition, and lead to a whole new set of problems/challenges, but to my mind it is the only real way that anything new and better could happen in the compulsory education system the US deems valuable.
In short, if society feels that education is a worthwhile entitlement, it still uses tax payer money (likely much much less) to enable students the highest quality education of their choice. The difference is that they are not only forced to "shop" only at the government school that sucks on so many levels. Heck keep government schools around and see if they can attract enough quality teachers to keep their rolls up.
There are many reasonable arguments to be had for and against such ideas. And likely they are all theoretical since the government is not gonna give up control of the amounts of money currently dedicated to education without enough strings to fill a piano. But its fun to think about.
In any case, you can know that there is one off-kilter teacher that doesn't want to throw more money at education as a solution. It's like flooding the campground to put out a campfire--only in reverse!
Cheers,
Kirt