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Date: Tue, 22 Jul 1997 11:47:11 -0700
To: (Recipient list suppressed)
From: Paul Andrew Mitchell [address in tool bar]
Subject: SLS: State Educational Funding (fwd)
<snip>
>
>>>From the August (Education) issue of Freedom House
>>
>>
>>State Educational Funding
>>
>>I read the other day that our kid's public school education costs more
>>than $5,400 per child per school year. That does not include the
>>facilities or maintenance, just the academics, special programs, and
>>administration. That is over $10,800 per year for my two children.
>>
>>The thought of being able to buy my children 100 books each, a
>>computer, a room full of crafts, tools and supplies seems within
>>reach. I figure the total cost would be about $3,500. The other $1,900
>>could be spent on museum visits, tours, and several hikes through the
>>mountains and along the beaches, including carfare, meals, and motel
>>rooms on our visits. It would also pay my neighbors to help teach the
>>kids about electronics and chemistry and biology and physics when my
>>own skills began to fall short.
>>
>>The other child's share would finance a wonderful trip through the
>>great cities of Europe for about $2,500, and pay private tuition for
>>dance, special lessons, self defense, quality concerts, theater,
>>sports events and a YMCA membership. There would be plenty left over
>>to feed them both gourmet school lunches that they could cook for
>>themselves under supervision, and walk or drive a mile to the park,
>>where they can also swim, play volleyball, baseball, football, soccer,
>>lacrosse, tennis, and play on the swings in their spare time, for a
>>total of about $350 per year. They do more than half of that already.
>>
>>My kids also read about $300 per year in books that are not bought by
>>the school. They also read dozens more from the library. They also go
>>to concerts and plays, and participate in youth choir and activities
>>at the church, and take lessons and play sports, have hobbies and
>>recreations galore. They also make things, and think, and dream, and
>>plan. They even learn math and science.
>>
>>Where would we keep all the stuff? Surely, the facilities costs and
>>maintenance expenses of the public schools would pay for an addition
>>on our house, or a much larger apartment! There would undoubtedly be
>>enough left over to pay our utility bills *and* rent a storage locker,
>>too.
>>
>>Come to think of it, what do they do in school all day?
>>
>>Well, they leave home at 8:00 and return at 3:45. They get an hour and
>>a half of "bus education." That is where they learned how to "moon,"
>>and how to act disinterested when a bully pulls your hair. They also
>>get 45 minutes for lunch. That leaves five and a half hours.
>>
>>They get 45 minutes in gym and in the library, where they play and
>>read like they do at home. They get 45 minutes each in music and art,
>>where they sing and listen to tapes, and color and cut out shapes,
>>like they do at home. There are about two and a half hours left over,
>>during which trained instructors do their level best (sometimes) to
>>impart knowledge to a wide variety of children, some who can not
>>read, and others who have finished the book three years ago.
>>
>>The corporate teaching includes rigorous discipline (sometimes) so
>>that all 30 kids keep reasonably quiet together (occasionally) while
>>about six (maybe) learn something. The balance of the time they are
>>reading or writing by themselves (supposedly) while the (purportedly)
>>trained instructor devotes time to individual students. In a class of
>>30, with an hour to dedicate to this vital business, that allows two
>>minutes per child.
>>
>>I am a firm believer in the power of a good teacher. There are some.
>>During my days in school, there were a half dozen who really stood
>>out.
>>
>>My grandfather was superintendent of Detroit Public Schools, and a
>>college professor; my grandmother and both of my parents were
>>teachers; my brother taught, as did my aunt. I greatly admired them
>>all. While most kids would excel outside of school, there are many
>>fine teachers.
>>
>>30 kids per class, $5,400 per kid: that's $162,000, not including
>>the facility or maintenance. I know about what a teacher earns, and
>>how poorly supplied the classrooms are. Closest I can figure, there
>>is about $100,000 missing from every class ... You do not even need
>>an elementary education from a public school to know where it went.
>>
>>Dave Delany
>> New Email Address! freedom@hancock.net
>>
>> Reprinted from the real thing.
>> Copyrighted material. You may forward or print this article,
>> intact and with the author's name, if credit is given to:
>>
>> Dave Delany's Freedom House
>> PO Box 212
>> Conklin NY 13748
>>
>>Subscribe today! The printed version of Dave Delany's Freedom House
>>contains the very best in headlines, editorials, and literature from
>>the greatest of America's Free Thinkers -- past, present, and future.
>> $27 per year (10 issues) beginning August 15!
>>
>>
>
>
>The true philosopher should
>pay homage to the gods of all nations, becoming "a priest of the entire
universe." Proclus ,circa 400A.D.
> http://www.flinet.com/~biophilos
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>
>
========================================================================
Paul Andrew Mitchell : Counselor at Law, federal witness
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