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Show Cit IZCns A Philosophically Independent Journal of Opinion Written by Utal South Edition Salt Lake Clty, U! tah { Wednesday, February12, 1997 Would increased competition help or hinder education? Public education would benefit from cooperation education would be good, spawnedby a faulty political/cor porate view of the teaching and learning processes. schools will not really improve until we start looking at students as of Utah havebeen publishing the standardized achievement test scores of the schools of each district. This is doneat thedirection While a tax creditfor consumers ofknowledge, notproducts ofafactory. An essay in the Jan. 1, 1997, edition of Citizens,‘Public Education Can Be Damaging To Students,” by Steven Barrowes, stimulated me to respond specifically to two points the author made. He contends that public education has become a monopolythatoften damages students, and that parents need alternatives. I agree with this, and would even-go further in saying that publie education nearly always’impedes stu- dents from realizing their full However, I disagree with the réasons Barrowes sets forth in his essay. Parents do need alternatives, but so do teachers, and they are victims of the bureaucratic system just as much as are students. Barrowes used standardized achievement test scores to show that the quality of education in this countryis declining in comparison to other countries. I believe history will someday show that standardized achievement tests do not measure educational quality. In the future educational quality will be measured not by how well we standardize students, but by how well we nurturetheir valuable diversity Barrowesplaced blamefor the decline of educational quality on lack of competition: hecalledit a After more than 40 years as a public schoolteacher. elementary school administrator. and consultant, I have foundthat the “fatal flaw” of the Legislature and State Ofcompetition. This of public educa- tion is competition — competition working lives, but would now get back The tax credit can be funded without any additional cost to the state simply by limiting the their judgmentin this matter as amount of the credit to the mon- eythat becomesavailable as addi- Atuition tax credit is simply a wayof saying to parents, tional students choose private “You knowwhat is best. If youfeel that schools. As more students opt for something other than your local public school is best for your child, you can keep some of the a private school, more money is tax moneys that would normally credit would growuntil it reaches then available to fund the tax credit. The amount of the tax the two-thirds limit. ‘This type of goto the public schools anduse it to send your child to another tion. When his school scored aboveall the other schools in the funding mechanism would mean that the amount of the tax credit school.” district, he was praised in administrators’ meetings for outstanding accomplishment. Utah schools could easily score highest in the would be small at first but would not cost the state anything beyond what it already allocates to public Because a tax credit is a credit (not just a tax deduction), it would go to everyone 0 educates their children privately. Parents who nation on SATs, if we wereto fo- education The strength of a community can be measured in great part by owelittle or no taxes would re cus on helping students learn the material on the test . . if we really believethat is important. Fortunately, most teachers teachers whofeel, deep in their bones, that standardized testing, if not harmful, definitely inter- feres with their time andability to teach and guide children in their efforts to grow The major defect of public education is that it is patterned after the political/corporate view of capitalistic competition. Competition is the modus operandi of an economic system that produces products. Our public school system is a replication of our ec nomic system. Studentsare treat- ed as products to be shaped by teachers whoserve as workersin education factories called schools. It is a hierarchical system wherein teachers arenot respectedfor their knowledge andskills but are expected to serve the See COMPETITION onPage 2 part of that for their chil- dren’s education well One principal confided to me how he obtained copies of the tests and had his facultyteach students the answers to each ques- I know there are hundreds of out having to pay more. Parents of private school students will continue to payfor public schooling through theirtaxes all oftheir ents who make decisions everyday about their children’s wellbeing ought to be ableto exercise ai sensitive to the of teachers and SATsthat they distort the re- to makeany change. I have yet to meet a teacher whofeels that standardized achievement testing helps students. On the other hand. ers providegreater benefits with- their children’s education. Par- <i teachers doing hurtful things to students. On the other hand, some temin whichthey feel powerles: year are national movement towardgiving parents more discretion over tests may sometimes result in being spent on educationas before, so taxpay- ideais a reflectionof the growing teachers for their students to excel on standardized achievement essary thornin their sides ina dents who remain in public schools benefit as well. The same amount of moneyis Utah legislators this their teachers. The pressure on sible, and view thetests as a nec- tem has more moneytouse for it students so the parents and stu- discussing the merits of refunding money to parents who have their children in private schools. This ual school administrators and treat standardized tests for what they are worth. They dutifully give thetests, hoping to cause as little trauma to students as pos- Parents and students whowant a choice haveone. The publicsys- Murray This competition causes unhealthy reactions among individ- sults. stays in the public schools to help eryonebenefits. By David F.Salisbury, Ph.D. in thedistrictis fierce and relentless. principals are so negative feelings students towards do things which lotment, the rest of the money strengthenthe public system. Ev- for all, fice of Education for the purpose of fostering onlya portionofthe per-child al- An educational tax credit that will open up school choiceto middle-class andlow-incomefamilies will improve education Recently the major newspapers petition. The competition for a school to have the highest scores Farmington fatal flaw.” public,private education practice does indeed induce com- Lynn Stoddard potential. A tax-credit will improve ceive the full credit in the form of a refund. Thus, it would make educational choice available to families with modest income Many well-to-do families can af. the kinds of opportunities avail able to the people living there The strength of a state’s educa tional system is measuredby the kinds of educational opportuni ties and choices availableto par. ford to pay for private school if they wish. It is the families with ents and students. To ourdetri more modest incomes that will benefit most fromthe tax credit ment, other49states (only 2 percent of work is as follows: The state would rebate about two-thirds of school age children attend a pri vate school; the national average the state allotment per child in public schools to parents who send their children to private schools. Because the rebate Utah currently has fewer private schools that any of the The way a tax credit would is 11-12 percent is See CREDITon Page 2 Someone's beenrifling through your social security ‘sock’ andis cleaning you out Is the money you've paid into social security waitingfor you to collect it? Notlikely. By DonL. Milne Salt LakeCity Yesterday, some old guy came over to my house and robbed me I'm planningonletting him rob meagain next month. But that’s next month. Let metell 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 nicelate model Cadillae next to it Fromthe bedroom I heard some- nowsomewhat lighter thanI last Days Are Here Again.” remembered it, and walked past me intothe hall. “I'll see you next one unfamiliar whistling “Happy I walked into the bedroom and sawa well- dressed older gentleman holding mysocial security sock. (Okay, I admit it’s not a very creativeplace to keep mysocial security money, but where do you keep yours?) I was surprised. He wasnot 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 hereto collect my monthly social security benefits ‘Out of my sock? Where else amI suppose to get it?” Frank responded ‘Out of your own sock. Theold man smiled, “You obvi- I recognizedthebike. It belongs ously don’t understand howsocial No matter how many times | tell sock years ago. The money my generationpaidinto social securi to my neighbor's kid, Jason Jones. him, he always leaves his bike right whereI park my car I didn’t recognize the car. It security works. | emptied out my ty is nowhere near enough to fund our entitlements. Most of us plan month Wait a minute. What makes you think 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, youget to pay the difference.’ “But what amI supposed to do? That moneyis supposed to be for myretirement ‘That's not myproblem. By the time you retire, I'll be dead,” Frank chuckled as he walked out of the house and headed toward hiscar, “Can I at least ask what you plan to do with my money? Well, it’s not your money 7 any- moresonny, so whydoyou care It’s painful to see what's happening to mysocial security contributions, It would be niceto see that it's at least gong to a good looked out of place next to the 12 oncollecting four to seven times cause, like putting foodontheta- iting. The house looked empty. A noteon the fridgetold methat my wife and kids were out shopping think that money comes from? or paying the heatingbill for a year-old rust-bucket I drive, I went insideto see who wasvis: what we paid in. Where do you That's why I’mhere — to get my money from you ble for a destitute elderly couple rhs Suzarne Tornnpist homebound widow Theold man tossed me my sock See SOCK on Page 3 (Communit Calendorgy’{ey Mammography Unit will beof. Editor's Note: If you are inter ested in placing an itemin Citi ens’ Community Calendar, please mail, fax or e-mail your at locations in Salt Lake, Davis noticeto ‘Citizens, ‘135 S. Main Salt Lake City, Utah 84111 Fax; 2 19. E-mail: citizens @nacorp. For more informa ACRaccredited. FREE mammo: grams available for those who meet income guidelines. The unit tion, call NAC at 237-2716, All items should be submitted two wecks in advance. © Mobile Mammography Unit Salt Lake Regional (formerly Holy Cross Hospital) Mobile fering screening mammograms and Utah Counties. Our service is convenient, low-cost ($80) and is staffed by professional women. For location information and other questions call 350 4000. © Star Shows at the Planetarum: The Hansen Planetariumwill 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, will also present severalof its popularlaser shows, Information cal] 5382104 for star shows, 363-0559 for laser shows, or visit www.utah.edu/ Planetarium. @ Women's Group: Bible Study cation of the meeting ® Stutterers’ Support ee Monthly meeting © Host Exchange Students: The Mount Tabor Lutheran Church is beginning a new wom en's Bible study group called Deborah Circle. Women of all es invited; meeting heldon the fourth Tuesday of each month. Call the church office at 328. 0521 for information and thelo Feb p.m, at Granite High S herm. 107, Inform: b42 American Intercultural Student Exchange (AISE) is seeking local host families for high school foreign exchang students for 97-98 school year Information call AISEat 1-800 742-5464 or visit www.siblin gorg ® Are you co-dependent? questions, you may be co-depen dent. There are three meetings a week of Co-Dependents Anony mous in the SLC area, Informa tion call 359-HEAL © Help Te n Pregnancy Program Mommy! paredne I'm Going to Be a is @ pregnancy pre course designed to Do you find yourself taking teach parenting skills, coping methods, education and more Free to all males and females 13° | you? If you can relate to these Continued on Page 2 | care of everyone and neglecting yourself? Do you alter what you say or do to make people like |