orb@whuxl.UUCP (SEVENER) (10/31/84)
Ronald Reagan has been tossing out lots of rhetoric about the
"Opportunity Society". I think Mario Cuomo's splendid speech at the
Democratic convention pointed out quite properly that it is the
Democratic party that has promoted opportunities to millions of
Americans of all ethnic groups, races and sexes.
** THE OPPORTUNITY SOCIETY OF REAGANITES **
> I don't think we should be shelling out money to support abuses to
> the system such as some students who could well afford to pay
> their own way instead of letting everyone else foot the bill.
> T. C. Wheeler
*******************************
For example, immigrants were aided immensely in adapting and
succeeding in our society by the public school system. My grandfather
came to this country from Ireland, my mother and her brothers and sister
went to public school and I have gone to college. The only way I could
afford to go to college, despite taking two years off to work fulltime
and working parttime every year in college was because the government
provided lowcost student loans. I am grateful for that opportunity
and I wholeheartedly support extending such opportunities to future
generations of students from working-class families.
Unfortunately Ronald Reagan does not. Ronald Reagan wants to cut
college student loans by $4 billion. Does this mean he wants to
save money? Not in the least. Because he has also supported a plan
for tuition tax credits to private schools that would cost $6 billion.
I do not think it is fair that taxpayers should pay for Fundamentalists,
Catholics or other groups to provide their own private schools imbueing
students with their own philosophies at our expense.
I went to Catholic school for eight years but that was a decision my parents
made because my mother wanted to insure I had a Catholic education.
If parents wish to send their children to their own religious schools,
or (often this is the real motive) to schools that are white-only then
they should pay the price. If we begin funneling funds away from public
education then pretty soon there will be a rigid class hierarchy of school
systems--well-endowed private schools for the rich and well-off and
impoverished public schools for those who are less well-off.
And education is the key to opportunity in our society, now and in the future.
If the poor are not well-educated then they will never be able to rise
above their poverty or enjoy the opportunities provided for past
generations of immigrants by the Democratic party's support for education.
vote for the true "Opportunity Society", vote for Mondale
Tim Sevener whuxl!orbwetcw@pyuxa.UUCP (T C Wheeler) (11/01/84)
Straw man, Sevener, Straw man. If you would care to look into who gets the student loans, you might find that, because there were students getting these loans who came from families that can be considered 'rich', students from 'working class' families were being short-changed because the well went dry. There has towere being short-changed because the well went dry. There has to be a limit on the upper income amount. There is just so much money to be passed out. If the kids from more affluent families are grabbing off the bucks, what's left for the kids further down the scale? Often as not, the richer families could hire CPAs and other money finders to do all of their leg work to get the money. The poorer families had to scrounge the bucks the best way they could. As for your assumption that all private schools are just places to hide kids from racial mixing, hogwash. Sure it happens, but to what extent? I would say about 10%, maybe less. (I'm sure there will be lots of flames on this one, but it really isn't my point.) What most folks are concerned about today is the quality of education. Public schools in many places are just not up to snuff any more. I have one child in a Catholic school right now and will have two next year. It was their decision. The school is fully integrated. The only thing you have to have to get in is grades and the tuition. The school is Catholic, yet there are plenty of protestants and even a few jewish kids. There are blacks, hispanics, Indian (eastern), and Asian in the school. The only problem, though not too my son who is quite happy with the situation, is that there are Three girls for every boy. (Maybe that's why he wanted to go there?):-) The main thing about most private schools is the quality of education. Therefore, since I have to hustle my tusch to pay the tuition, I would like to see tuition reimbersment. Then, I would like to see a modification to the idea in that perhaps half of that reimbursemnt be turned back to the school to help pay Teachers salaries since most private school teachers are notoriously underpaid as compared with their public school counterparts. (Please, no flames. Our school pays around 30% less than the local public schools.) I could go on on this subject for quite while, but I will spare you for now. T. C. Wheeler
orb@whuxl.UUCP (SEVENER) (11/02/84)
> Straw man, Sevener, Straw man. If you would care to look into > who gets the student loans, you might find that, because there > were students getting these loans who came from families that > can be considered 'rich', students from 'working class' families > were being short-changed because the well went dry. > T. C. Wheeler I am afraid it is not a "Straw man" T.C. The program under which I went to college no longer exists. Reagan's proposed cuts in student financial aid will hurt working-class and lower-income students--they are not restricted to upper-income groups. When I applied for student aid my parents had to fill out financial statements based on their income tax returns every year. Those financial statements were then monitored by a national organization similar to the National Testing Service. If my parents made over the eligible income levels I would have been ineligible for any student aid. Moreover, aid levels are graduated so that those with less income are eligible for more aid. Obviously some parents will lie and cheat on these forms, just as some people lie and cheat on anything (as they would do for tuition tax credits). That does not mean that programs which have helped unprecedented numbers of Americans afford to go to College should be summarily cut. Reagan's concern is the wealthy and affluent. He has no desire to "waste money" on programs like student aid which might allow those less fortunate to become wealthy and affluent. Tim Sevener whuxl!orb
bmt@we53.UUCP ( B. M. Thomas ) (11/02/84)
Fact is, the public schools have just about written their own demise. However socialistic it may be, I really like the idea of public education, but with the do-your-own-thing mentality of educators in the last decade or two, the overall quality of public schools has dropped to a level that has caused parents who can afford it(and many who can't) to choose private schools instead. The enrollments of public schools now have fewer children whose parents care about their education, so there is less participation on the part of parents, resulting in even lower quality, more private-school emigration, and soon you have a real mess. Remember that some of those parents are the ones paying for the schools via their taxes, and when the ballot issue comes up, guess what? Less money, fewer children, less support for school money issues, more people asking for tuition tax credits, less money....
bnapl@burdvax.UUCP (Tom Albrecht) (11/07/84)
In article <we53.263> bmt@we53.UUCP ( B. M. Thomas ) writes: >Fact is, the public schools have just about written their own demise. >However socialistic it may be, I really like the idea of public >education, but with the do-your-own-thing mentality of educators in the >last decade or two, the overall quality of public schools has dropped to >a level that has caused parents who can afford it(and many who can't) to >choose private schools instead. The enrollments of public schools now >have fewer children whose parents care about their education, so there is >less participation on the part of parents, resulting in even lower quality, >more private-school emigration, and soon you have a real mess. ... Did you know that public school administrators make up the largest group of professional people who send their children to private schools? Certainly something to think about. -- Tom Albrecht Burroughs Corp. ...{presby|psuvax|sdcrdcf}!burdvax!bnapl