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Show IZCns West Edition Salt Lake City, Utah Wednesday February 12, 997 1 Would increased competition help or hinder education? Public education would benefit from cooperation While a tax creditfor education would be good, A tax-credit will improve public, private education spawnedbya faultypolitical/cor porate view of the teaching and learning processes An educationaltaxcredit that will open up school choice to middle-class and low-incomefamilies Recently the major newspapers of Utah have beenpublishing the Schools will not really improveuntil we start standardized achievement test ores of the schools of each dis- looking at students aS trict. This is doneat the direction consumers ofknowledge, of the Legislature and State Of- not products of afactory. eee Farmiiston petition. 8 An essay in the Jan. 1, 1997 edition of Citizens,“Public Edu- cation Can Be Damaging To Stu. dents,” by Steven Barrowes, stimulated me to respondspecifically to twopoints the author made. He contends that public education has becomea monopolythat often damages students, and that par ents need alternatives. I agree with this, and wouldevengo further in saying that public education nearly always impedes stu- i f in the district is fierce and relentless. £ | “aT & et" eh: g F = = cel on standardized achievement tests may sometimes result in teachers doing hurtful things to students, Ontheotherhand, some principals are so sensitive to the dents the answers to each ques. } ; | or for all. I 7 By David Murray i ’ ‘ ‘This competition causes unhealthy reactions among individual school administrators and their teachers, The pressure on teachersfor their students to ex reaucratic system just as much as that the quality of education in ! The competition for a potential. However, I disagree with the reasons Barrowes sets forth in his essay. Parentsdoneed alternatives, but so do teachers. and they are victims of the buarestudents Barrowes used standardized achievement test scores to show | will improve education r school to havethehighest scores negative feelings of teachers and students towards SATs that they do things which distort the results. Oneprincipal confided to me how he obtained copies of the tests andhadhis faculty teachstu- dents from realizing their full ‘ fice of Education for the purpose of fostering competition. This practice does indeed induce com- Salisbury, Ph.D. ! amount of 1 discussing the merits of refunding money to parents who t 2 a i | tion. When his school scored aboveall the other schools in the district, he was praisedin administrators’ meetings for outstand- go to the public the two-thirds schools and use it (not just atax | material onthe test.. ‘ dents mt f of ich lit funding mechanisr that th Would be Ofree deduction), it would that standardized achievement tests do not measure educational Het cestt What tt already allocates 1 Parents who i ¢dueatior owe little or no taxes would r¢ ceive the full credit in the form of if we really a refund. believe that is important standardized achievement testing helps students. On the other hand, 1 know there are hundreds of . ; iudont S¢hools. As 4 Private then avail Credit. The Credit would gr children privately. and consultant, I have found that the “fatal flaw” of public educationis competition — competition : ey to send your child to another school Because tax credit is accredit nationon SA's, if wewereto focus onhelping students learn the temin which they feel powerless any change. I have meet a teacher who feels that } know what is best. If you feel that something other than your local public school is best’ for your child, you can keep some of the tax moneys that would normally go to everyone who educates their fatal flaw.” After more than 40 rs as a public school teacher mentary school administrator, t a Co tinue tc ; Tr nah their t Ringilivest But woul fictor “You ing accomplishment. Utahschools Fortunately, most teachers treat standardized tests for what they are worth. They dutifully givethetests, hoping to cause as little traumato students as possible, andviewthe tests as anecessary thorn in theirsides inasys- ‘aut ‘i A tuition tax/credit is simply a couldeasily score highest in the quality will be measured not by how well we standardize students, but by howwell we nurture their valuablediversity Barrowes placed blamefor the decline of educational quality on lack of competition; he called ita ovide or theirjudgment in thismatteras tor the credit to.t well aythauhadeiaes av way of saying to parents, this countryis declining in com- quality. In the future educational educatio: ot childrenin private schools. This ideais a reflection of the growing BAROP AN MOre Een OMARGIE LAR parents more discretion over their children’s education, Pat ents who make decision: every day about their children’s well being ought to be able to exercise parison to other countries. | be- lieve history will someday show mn Utah legislators this year are t ema Thus, it would mak« educational choice teachers who feel, deep in their bones, tiat~standardized testix if not harmful, definitely intereres with theirtime and abilityto 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. Competitionis the modus operandi of an economic system that produces products. Our public school system is @ replication, of our economicsystem. Students are treated as products to be shaped by teachers who serve as workers in education factories called schools. Itis a hierarchical system wherein teachers are not respected for their knowledge and skills, but are expected to serve the See COMPETITION on Page 2 available ni to families with modest income Many well-to-do families can af ford to pay for private school if they wish. Il is the families with more modest incomes that will penefit most from the tax credit, The way a tax credit Wes and ents and ment. | privat work is as follows: The state would rebate about two-thirds of the state allotment per child in other ! ate public schools to parents wh send their children to. privat schools. Because the rebate I 4 hild I See CREDIT Someone’s beenrifling through your social security ‘sock’ and is cleaning you out waitingfor you to collect Fromthe bedroom| heard some one unfamiliar whistling “Happy Days Are Here Again.” I walked into the bedroom and saw a well dressed older gentlemanholding it? Notlikely. By DonL. Milne admit it’s not a very creative place to keep my social security money Is the money you've paid into social security my social security sock. (Okay, I Salt LakeCity Yesterday, some old guy came over to my house and robbed me. I'm planning onletting himrob me again next month. But that’s next month. Let me tell you about yesterday Driving home from work, | 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 driveway. middle of my The second surprise was seeing a nice late model Cad illac next to it I recognizedthe bike. It belongs to my neighbor's kid, Jason Jones. No matter how many times I tell him, he always leaves his bike right where I park my ear I didn't recognize the car. It looked out of place next to the 12 year-old rust-bucket I drive I went inside to see who wasvis iting. The house looked empty, A note on the fridge told me that my wife and kids were out shopping shrugged. how the system works. Since I didn't contribute enough money What are you doing in my house, rifling through my social security sock?" I challenged the old man. Allow meto introduce myself I'm Frank Townsend,” old man, matter-of-factly, ens’ Community Calendar fax or email you please tomail, notice ‘Citizens,'135 8. Main, City, Utah s41it 7 Fax: 237-2519. E-mail: citizens q@nacorp. For more informa, tion, call NAC at 237-2716 AU items should be submitted two wevks in advance Salt Lake Mammography Unit Regional “I’m here to collect my menthly social security benefits. Out of my sock? Where else am I suppose to get it?” Frank responded Out of your own sock The old man smiled, “You obvi ously don't understand howsocial security works. | emptied out my sock years ago. The money my generationpaid into social security is nowhere near enoughto fund our entitlements. Most of us plan on collecting four to seven times what we paid in. Where do you think that money ce from” That's why I'm here to get my money from you The old man tossed me my sock “It's the law. That's during my workingyears, you get to pay the difference But what am I supposed to do? That money is supposed to be for my retirement That's not my problem. By the time you retire, Frank chuckled as of the house and his car Can I at least I'll be dead he walked out headed toward ask hat you plan to do with my mone Well it’s not your money more sonny, so why do you ¢ any 2? It’s painful to see what's hap Pening to my social security con tributions. It would be nice to see ‘hat it's at least going to a good cause, like putting food on the ta ble for a destitute elderly couple or paying the heating bill for a homebound widow See SOCK on Pa ee ? = -e Ww Aq* CommMunit4Y Colendorgs ("4 ested in placing an item in Citi, ®@ Mobile said the ii;| Editor's Note: If you are inter’ Holy Cross What makes but where do you keep yours?) 1 , be seeaenn Wait a minute. you think you can just walk out of here with my money? Phelold amid farnedeand was surprised. He was not ees Salt Lake now somewhat lighter than I last remembered it, and walked past me into the hall. “I'll see you next month (formerly Hospital) Mobile Mammography Unit will be of- have two star shows during Feb: fering screening mammograms pyar at locations in Salt Lake, Davis and Utah Counties, Our service convenient, low-cost ($80) i ACRaccredited. FR grams available for those who The Sky Tonight,” which Darkness,” the story ind comets, Double feature rates are eet income guidelines, Theunit available, and the planetarium, is staffed by professional wo 1§ South State, SLC, will also men, For location information present several of its popular la and other questions call 350. PFesen' a wana 4000 er shows: Informationcall $38 @ Stor Shows at the Planetar jum: © Women’s Bible 1104 for star for laser shows, shows, 363-0559 or visit www, uta The Hansen Planetarium will hedu/Planetarium: Deborah Circle. Women of all ages invited; meeting held on the fourth Tuesday of each month, Call the church office at 3289521 for information and the lo cation of the meeting © Stutterers’ Support Group Monthly p.m. meeting Feb. 12, 7 at Granite High School, rm 107. Information call 272-6420 1 © Host Exchange Students American Intercultu The Study Group: Mount Tabor Lutheran 4 display of that eve features Church is beginning a new wom. i sey and “From Out of the Neen ! ‘ behind Bible study group called tudents for 97-98 Information call AISE school year, at 1800 742-5464 or visit’ w sibline gor © Are you co-dependent Do you find yourself taking care of everyone and neglectingou alter wh ourself? “ay or do Do you to make people I 4 AISI nilies for hange Student Exch eeking local b high school fe lik you" If you can relate lo these ' weeh th non tion cal 350 @ Peon Pregnancy Progra yy He ; 0 oe eds (ach paret Methods, ed Freet Cor ' |