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Show IZCn A Philosophically Independent Journal of Opinion Written by Utah's Citizens East Edition Would increased competition help or hinder education? Salt Lake City, Utah Wednesday, Public education would benefit from cooperation While a tax creditfor education would be good, Schools will not really improve until we start looking at students as consumersofknowledge, not products ofafactory. LynnStoddard Farmington spawnedbya faulty political /corRecently the major newspapers of Utah havebeen publishing the standardized achievement test scores of the schools of each district. This is doneat thedirection of the Legislature and State Of- fice of Educationfor the purpose of fostering competition. This in the Jan. 1, 1997, edition of Citizens.Publie Edu- school to have the highest seores inthe district is fierce and relent- contends that public education has become a monopolythat often damages students, andthat par- ents need alternatives. I agree with this, and would even gofur- ther in saying that public educa- tion nearly always impedes students from realizing their full potential. However, I disagree with the reasons Barrowes sets forthinhis essay. Parents do need alternatives, but so do teachers. and they are victims of the bu reaucraticsystem just as much as are students. arrowes used to show that the quality of education in their teachers. The pressure on teachers for their students to excel on standardized achievement tests may sometimes result in mply ¢ school district, he was praisedin administrators’ meetings for outstand- if we really essary thornintheir sides ina sys andconsultant, I have foundthat to make any change. I have yet to helps students. Onthe other hand. I know there are hundreds of products. Our public school sys- bones, that standardized testing temis a replicatior of our ec if not harmful, definitely inter. feres with their timeand ability to teach and guidechildren in their efforts to grow The major defect of public edu cationis that it is patternedafter nomic the political/corporate view of capitalistic competition. Competi tion is the modus operandi of an economic system that produces system. Students are treat- ed as products to be shaped by hers who serve as workers in factories called schools. It is a hierarchical system wherein teachersare not respect ed for their knowledge and skills, but are expected to serve the education families with Many well-tc ford to pay for stu n public l . The same is being 5 Because of private will rking lives, but would now get part of that for their chil dren's education The tax credit ean be funded without any addition | cost to the fate simply by limiting the amount of the credit to the mon: eythat becomes available as addi: tudents choose private As more tudents opt for available to fund i of to tax tax redit would grow until it reache the two-th imit. This type of funding mechanism would mean that the amount of the tax credit not cost the what it alread: education The strength can be me the kind 4c treng educational milies with that will redit € would the school students continue to pay for public school through their taxes all of their dit work is as follow state would rebate about two-thirds of the state allot per ck ; public schools paren I schools. reater benefit ) pay more. Parents income can af children to money The publie s school if they wish. It is more modest inc benefit most fro: The way a tax send their See COMPETITION on Page2 lable modest f lies the ey to use for its schools, some of educational choice teachers who feel. deep in their of ili¢ schools to help public system. Ev tudents who wa th go to everyone who educates their believethat is important a nec rest a private school more money is children privately. Parents who owe little or no taxes would re ceive the full credit in the form of a refund. Thus, it w make cus on helpingstudents learn the sible. and view the tests you can ke “Yc for y go to the public schools and use it to send your child to a school Because a tax credit a credit (not just a tax deduction). it would scored give thetests, hoping to cause as little traumato students as pos- best tax moneys that wou aboveall the other schools in the meet a teacher who feels that standardized achievement testing tionis competition — competition child, dents the answers to each queshis to parents, public school tests and hadhis faculty teach stu- tem in which they feel powerless of public educa A tuition tax credi One principal confided to me how he obtained copies of the fatal flaw.” After more than 40 years as a public school teacher “fatal flaw” well knowwhat is best. If you feel t something other than your lc Fortunately, most teachers treat standardized tests for what they are worth. They dutifully elementary school administrator being ought to be able to exercise their judgment in this matter as way of saying material on the test lack of competition: he calledit a Par sults When lotment ove eve day about their children’s well do things whichdistort the re- how well we standardizestudents Barrowes placed blame for the decline of educational quality on ents who make decisions students towards SATsthat they tests do not measure educational but by how well we nurture their valuable diversity national movement towar¢ parents more discretion their children’s education. teachers doing hurtful things to ing accomplishment. Utah schools could easily score highest in the nation on SA's, if we wereto fo- standardized achievement children in private schools. This ideais a reflection of the growing students. Onthe other hand, some principals areso sensitive to the negative feelings of teachers and this country is declining in comparison to other countries. | be lieve history will someday show quality. In the future educational quality will be measured not by money to parents who have their This competition causes unhealthy reactions among individual school administrators and tion. standardized achievement test scores only a portion of the per-child al Utah legislators this vea re discussing the merits of refunding less cation Can Be Damaging To Stu- the An educational tax credit thatwill open up school choice to middle-class and low-incomefamilies will improve education forall. By David F. Salisbury, Ph.D Murray porate view of the teaching and learning processes. practice does indeed induce competition. The competition for a dents,” by Steven Barrowes, stimulated meto respond specifically to twopoints the author made. He that A tax-credit will improve public, private education Vm An e: February 12, 1997 tudents. Utah opportuni ailable to par To our detri currently has fewer hoc tates any of the (only 2 percent of ho nd a tional average private rebate See CREDIT on Page 2 Someone's beenrifling through your social security ‘sock’ andis cleaning you out Is the money you've paid into social security Days Are Here Again waitingfor you to collect it? Notlikely. By DonL. Milne Salt Lake City Yesterday, some old guy came over to my house and robbed me. I'm planningonletting him rob me again next month, But that’s next month. Let me tell you about yesterday Driving home from work, I was twice surprised by what I saw in front of my two-car garage. The first surprise was seeing a kid's bike lying in the middle of my driveway. The second surprise was seeing a nice late model Cad. illac next to it 1 recognized the bike. It belongs to my neighbor's kid, Jason Jones. No matter how many times tell him, he always leaves his bike right where I park my car I didn't recognize the From the bedroom | heard some- one unfamiliar whistling into the bedroom andsawa welldressed older gentleman holding my social security sock. (Okay, I admit it’s not a very creative place to keep my social security mon but where do you keep yours?) I was surprised. He was not What are you doing in my house, rifling through my social security sock?” I challenged the old man. Allow me to introduce myself I'm Frank Townsend,” said the old man, matter-of-factly. “I'm here to collect my monthly social security benefits. Out of my soc! Where else am I suppose to get it?” Frank responded Out of your own sock The old man smiled, “You obvi ously don't understandhowsocial security works. I emptied out my sock years ago The money my generation paid into social securi ty is nowhere near enough to fund car. It looked out of place next to the 12 year-old rust-bucket I drive our entitlements, Most of us plan on collecting four to seven times what we paid in. Where do you | went inside to see who was vis iting. The house looked empty. A note on the fridge told me that my wife and kid: were out shopping think that money comes from? That's why I'm here — to get my now somewhat lighter thanI last rememberedit, and walked past me intothe hall. “I'll see you next month. Wait a minute. What makes youthink you can just walk out of here with my money? The old man turned and shrugged. “It's the law. That's how the system works. Since I didn't contribute enough money during my working years, you get to pay the difference But what am J supposedto do? That money is supposed to be for my retirement ‘That's not my problem. By the time you retire, I'll be dead Frank chuckled as he walkedout of the house and headed toward his car ‘Can I at least ask what you planto do with my money? Well, it's not your money any more sonny, 80 why do you care? It’s painful to see what's hap pening to my social security contributions, It would be nice to see that it's at least go.ng to a good cause, like putting foodon theta ble for a destitute elderly couple or paying the heating bill for a homebound widow money from you ‘The old man tossed me my sock See SOCK on Page 3 VYCommunity Mammography Unit will be of fering screening mammograms at locations in Salt Lake, Davis and Utah Counties, Our service is convenient, low-cost ($80) and ACK accredited. FREE mammo: grams available for those who meet income guidelines. The unit is staffed by professional wo For location information que tions call 350: 4000 @ Star Shows at the Planetar jum, The Hansen Planetarium will men and other © Mobile Mammography Unit Salt Holy Lake Cross iona Ho pital formerly Mobile have two star shows during Feb. ruary, “The Sky Tonight," which features a display of that eve ning’s sky, and ‘From Out of the Darkness,” the story behind comets. Double feature rates are available, and the planetarium 15 South State, SLC, present several of its ser shows. will also popular la Information call 538. 2104 for star shows, 363-0559 for laser shows, or visit www.uta h.edu/ Planetarium Calendoargs”* @ Women's Bible Group: Mount Tabor Study Lutheran beginning a new wor en's Bible study group cs Deborah Circle. Women of all ages invited; meeting held on the fourth Tuesday of each month Call the church office at $28 for information and the lo Chareh i cation of the meeting Stutterers’ Support Group Monthly meeting Feb. 12, 7 p.m. at Granite High School, rm 107, Information call 272-6420 © Host Exchange Student — The American Intercul Student Exchange t king local host fa high school foreigt hat tudents for 0 school your © Teen Pregnaney » and more Continued on Page |