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Show Cit IZCns & A Philosophically Independent Journal of Opinion Wnt n by Utah's Citzens Davis Edition Salt LakeCity, Utah Wednesday, February | } Would increased competition help or hinder education? Public education would benefit from cooperation i] p While a tax creditfor education would be good, spawnedbya faultypolitical/cor- aralesview aa thal teechine and eeeee ecen! | schools will not really A tax-credit will improve public, private education . An educationaltax credit that will open up school of Utah havebeen publishing the not products ojafactory. Lynn Stoddard Farmington An essayin the Jan. 1, 1997, edition of Citizens,“Public Edu- cation Can Be Damaging To Stu- dents,” by Steven Barrowes, stimulated meto respondspecifically to two points the author made. He contends that public education has become a monopolythat often damages students, and that par- ents need alternatives. I agree with this, and would even go further in saying that public educa: tion nearly always impedes students from realizing their full potential. However, I disagree with the reasons 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 country is declining in com- parison to other countries. I betev history will someday show that standardized achievement tests do not measure educational quality. In the future educational quality will be measured not by low-incomefamilies and improve || will education a of the Legislature and State Of- ¥ A fice of Educationfor the purpose of fostering competition. This practice does indeed induce competition. The competition for a school to have thehighest scores : i forall. \ less. £ This competition causes un- healthy reactions among individual school administrators and . c “i tests may sometimes result in fi cel on standardized achievement teachers doing hurtful things to students. On the other hand, some principals are so sensitive to the negative feelings of teachers and students towards SATs that they eer . l am | fil y|| | § 4 ey ) | * ry { Oneprincipal confided to me t 4 1 4 : f : do things which distort the results. i ~ a! | 1 | k how he obtained copies of the tests and hadhis faculty teach stu- i tion. When school scored aboveall the other schools in the owe little or no taxes would re ceivethefull credit in the form of a refund Thus, it would make educational choice available to products. Our public school sys- valuablediversity give thetests, hoping to cause as little trauma to students as possible, and view the tests as a necessary thorn in their sides inasystem in which they feel powerless to make any change. Ihaveyet to meet a teacher who feels that feres withtheir time and ability to teach andguide children in their efforts to grow. Themajordefect of public education is that it is patterned after the political/eorporate view of standardized achievement testing helps students. On the other hand, capitali the ‘fatal flaw” of public educa- Fromthe bedroomI heard some- if not harmful, definitely inter- me intothehall. it? Not likely. mysocial security sock. (Okay, 1 By Don L, admit it’s not a very creative place youthink youcan just walk out of here with my money?” but where do you keep yours?) 1 Yesterday, some old guy came overto my house and robbed me. I'mplanningonletting himrob me again next month. But that's next month, Let me tell you about yesterday. Driving homefromwork, I was twice surprised by what I sawin 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 seeinga nice late model Cadillac next to it I recognizedthebike. It belongs to my neighbor's kid, Jason Jones was surprised. He wasnot What are you doing in my house, rifling through my social security sock?” I challenged the old man. ‘Allow metointroduce myself I’m Frank Townsend,” said the old man, matter-of-factly. ‘I'm hereto collect my monthly social security benefits. ‘Out of mysock? ‘Where else am I suppose to getit?” Frank responded ‘Out of your ownsock Theold man smiled, “Youobvi. ouslydon't understand howsocial No matter how manytimesI tell security works. | emptied out my years ago. The money my him, he always leaves his bike right whereI park my car generation paidinto social security is nowhere near enough to fund I didn't recognize the car, It looked out of place next to the 12 year-old rust-bucket I drive I went insideto see who wasvisiting. The house looked empty. A note on the fridge told methat my wife and kids were out shopping ourentitlements. Mostof us plan 1 for private school if they wish. It is {he families with more modest incomes that will _yenefit most fromthe tax credit The way a tax credit would work is as follows: The state would rebate about two-thirds of the state allotment per child in public schools to parents who send their children to private schools. Because the rebate is “I'll see you next ‘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 paythe differen “But what amI supposed to do? That moneyis supposedto befor my retirement.” ‘That's not my problem. By the time you retire, I'll be dead, Frank chuckled as he walked out of the house and headed toward his car Can I at least ask what you plan to do with my money? Well, it's not your moneyany more sonny, so why do you care? It's painful to see what's hap. pening to my social security con. tributions, It would be nice to see that it’s at least going to a good cause, like putting food on the ta blefor a destitute elderly couple think that money comes from? or paying the heating bill for a That's why I'm here — to get my money fromyou.’ Manywell ford to “Wait a minute. What makes on collecting four to seven times what wepaid in, Where do you OF SNE fives. bul 10" at oi The : eave ta 1 nd : i students of &Schools. Pv As more |. more mi er eae I credi anitf homebound widow The old man tossed me my sock (OCK on Page 3 Se BMOOME? Quality Features: By brother PS-1000 FREE ARM 13 STITCH SEWING MACHINE WITH ELECTRONIC dtopdn hobbin FOOT CONTROL th ONLY ORECK COMMERCIAL 8 POUND HOTEL UPRIGHT VACUUM dials for stiteh Tength and stiteh width lever for free hon or fre used In quilting, © ONLY lower ging your ARTA a aD WISS : boada 3]9 OY SEWING AND VACUUM CENTER 298-3656 ‘After the sale, it's the service that counts Hours Mon-Fri. 9 6 Sat 2 ul 5 COME : IN AND TRY IT TODAY! can be meas the kind: income remembered i. aud walted past dressed oldergentleman holding Salt Lake See COMPETITION onPa; families with modest now somewhat lighterthan I last month.” to keepmysocial security money, but are expected to serve the ompetition. Competi- Days an Here Again.” I walked waitingfor you to collect nomic system. Students are treat- ed as products to be shaped by teachers whoserve as workers in education factories called schools. It is a hierarchic tem wherein teachers are not respectedfor their knowledgeandskills, tion is the modus operandi of an economic system that produces into the bedroom and sawa well- Witho Cae Seat tat becon tional stude discretion over education. Pardecisions children's every weil children privately. Parents who nation on SATs, if we were tofo- cus on helping students learn the material on the test . . if we really believe that is important. ore intamitiar whistiing “Happy f Becausea tax credit is a credit temis a replication of our eco- 7 ° aes being ought to be able to exercise their judgment in this matter as well. A tuition tax credit is simply a way of saying to parents, “You Parents more their children’s ents who make day about their 1 go to everyone who educates their teachers whofeel, deep in their t f (4 se WN" spel (not just a tax deduction), it would bones;that-standardizedtesting, age on educat 7 ne " school.” district, he was praised in administrators’ meetings for outstanding accomplishment. Utah schools could easily score highest in the treat standardizedtests for what into social security 5 faehy oe athe M8070 if GEE pubuel sehool|s- Destisfor/ your child, you can keep some of the tax moneys that would normally go to the public schools and use it to send your child to another they are worth. Is the money you've paid °°. °°" hav ideais a reflectionofthe growi national movement toward giving other than your local dents the answers to each ques- I know there are hundreds of children in private schools. ‘This know what is best. If you feel that something ep howwell westandardizestudents, tion is competition — competition 4 discussing the merits of refunding moneyto parents who have their but by how well we nurture their Barrowesplaced blamefor the decline of educational quality on lack of competition; he called ita “fatal flaw.” After more than 40 years as a public school teacher, elementary school administrator, and consultant, | have found that coe td Utah legislators this year are " F wh their teachers. The pressure on teachersfortheir students to ex- They dutifully d t Murray 4 in thedistrictis fierce andrelent- Fortunately, most teachers ild By David F. Salisbury, Ph.D. } * consumers ofknowledge, choice to middle-class Aee GIGLI dona nt he diceeuen a ee WEL ea looking at students as ‘ 5 ie major newspapers yap Iie tays 7 iy ' kinds y ASUre of edu ties and choices availal ents and students. 1 ment, Utah current private schools that any « Other 49 st: 5 r School ag ale school, the natior 11 See CREDIT on F |