Discuss Jonah Goldberg's Nov. 25 Op-Ed column

I believe that Jimmy Carter sent his daughter to public schools.

Max Plank @ 9:29 AM PST, Nov 26, 2008

Hey, if these 'wingers' want to raise their taxes and put that money towards some talibani religious school but these public school bashers still refuse to deal with the structural problems that public schools have no control over but which are affected to the point of not being able to do their jobs everyday. You cant teach reading, writing, and arithmatic if the kids are starving, terrorized, unsocialized, and undisciplined. Lets let public schools pick and choose who they want to educate just like private schools do and see if on the whole more people wind up with quality educations.

John @ 9:11 AM PST, Nov 26, 2008

Here's your second problem (and my second point): what about the parents that don't care? Why do you think some of these people are poor in the first place? Some of them can't organize their lives, which includes being bad parents. If you filter out all the gold and silver, what are you going to do with the rocks? Then you find that your public schools are *even worse,* only now the parents don't care. Then what?

MIchael @ 8:42 AM PST, Nov 26, 2008

I respond to this in two ways: One - Why doesn't some wealthy conservative (Melloan; Pickens) create a scholarship fund for one city and instantly give all those kids the option of going to private school? Here's your first problem: not enough private schools.

MIchael @ 8:42 AM PST, Nov 26, 2008

Schools are political institutions. If they are mediocre, or worse, then it must be that a majority of the public support them being that way. When we force children into environments that actually cripple their lives we are showing where our values are, and our lack of understanding of human development.

John Roseman @ 8:05 AM PST, Nov 26, 2008

I think some of you people have serious reading comprehension problems. Mr. Goldberg is not saying that the Obamas should not sending their kids to private school. He is pointing out that it is a shame that because of the state of PE in America, they have to to be good parents. Right now we can't agree on the solution, but we can agree that the current status quo sucks. And if anything, the teachers unions are for the status quo. BTW, my wife is a teacher.

Mike @ 7:16 AM PST, Nov 26, 2008

If you were in the shoes of the first family to be , would you risk the idea of sending your kids ( if you have one) to an unfamiliar ground? Wouldn't you do the right thing for the security of your kids? It only implies you have not come close to your senses by now after the election has come and gone. Wake up. People send their kids to an institution that is secured and worthy of the kids future, aren't you doing the same except you have love for your kids (if you have any)?

Pu @ 10:54 PM PST, Nov 25, 2008

The problem with vouchers is that poor inner city parents of ANY race often don't have the time to research other school options or the ability to get their kids to a school thats not within walking distance. They are busy just trying to SURVIVE. School test results are primarily a factor of socio-economics and nothing else. Wealthier parents have the time to check over their kids homework papers and help them out if they need it, their kids have more books available in the house, ect. There are just as many good and bad teachers in rich and poor schools, just as there are good and bad in any profession.

WE @ 10:49 PM PST, Nov 25, 2008

As a teacher who works with other teachers I can honestly say that there are more good teachers than there are bad. There will always be a few bad teachers but this is the fault of administrators who do nothing to get rid of them (despite our union tenured teachers can still be 'gotten rid of'). And trust me most of us are not in it for the paycheck since our paychecks are not so big! By the way it is a rare day that I get to sit on butt for more than 20 minute...

gwendy @ 9:58 PM PST, Nov 25, 2008

You guys can keep arguing why the education system fails until the end of time. You've all overlooked a major reason - Americans are getting more and more dumb with each generation. Why? Because we're taking more and more low quality, uneducated immigrants who don't value education. How can we help kids who don't even want to be in school? There's no cure to this problem no matter how much money you throw to it.

skip @ 9:39 PM PST, Nov 25, 2008

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