http://www.starbulletin.com/editorials/20090719_Going_public.html
From that article
As part of her research, Bayer, a professor and chairwoman in the Educational Psychology Department at the University of Hawaii, interviewed dozens of parents — doctors, lawyers, college professors, military officers and business executives — who could afford to pay private-school tuition but resisted the peer pressure to do so.
Instead they enrolled their children in Hawaii public schools and ended up being satisfied with the quality and scope of the academic and extracurricular activities, the condition of the facilities and the safety of the campuses. "They didn't feel like they were sacrificing their children for some greater cause. They were simply satisfied with the overall quality of the experience," said Bayer. "Their kids went on to the same colleges as their friends who had gone to private school."
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I'm a public school graduate! I remember joking around about how private school students are "overly sheltered"! ( I know, an exxagarated stereotype. Sorry for offending private school alumni!)
I have aligned myself with libertarians on many issues! Many libertarians hate the public school system! But I am a public school grad, and a public school employee!
So where do I stand?
Here's what I wrote to Dr. Ann Bayer
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Hi Dr. Bayer,
I read the article about your book in yesterday's edition of the Honolulu Star Bulletin. It really hit home with me.
I am a graduate of McKinley High School, which has been labeled a "dropout factory".
I do think McKinley High School does a GREAT job with well-motivated students. Many do well in math meets and do go on to top-notch universities!
However, the great flaw of McKinley High School when I was there (late 1990's) was that it didn't do well with un-motivated students! Many of those students were either gang-affiliated, gang wanabees or just didn't care!
If we want to talk about the failures of the public education system, it has ALMOST NOTHING to do with well-motivated students. It is the failure of the system to make un-motivated students into well-motivated students!
I do currently work as a substitute teacher in various schools. I did work at Central Middle School as a substitute a few years ago! That school had a reputation for being "rough", "dangerous" and "not being a good school". However, that school did have modernized computer labs, air conditioned classrooms and plenty of EAs. Also, not everyone was a victim or a predator! Some are well-adjusted students headed for success!
While I haven't been back to that school in a while (due to the difference of philosophy between me and it's administration under Brian Mizuguchi) if someone ask if I'll send my future children there, I'll tell them "I 'll give it a year's chance. If it goes well, I'll continue, if not, I'll find another school".
Another flaw of the public education system is the "one-size-fits-all-for-all-students-in-the-district". That's NOT true! Some students will do well in a large public school. Other students would've been better off in a charter school, alternative school, private school, homeschool, etc."
As for vouchers, I think government-funded vouchers would too much of a hassle politically, but I am in a favor of privately funded vouchers for those children who are struggling in their district public school and might be better off in a school like (for example, ASSETS or Academy of the Pacific), or any private school!
So I am in favor of school choice, NOT because "public schools are always bad" but parents need more choices in where to send their kids. If their public school works well with that student, GOOD! If not, let the parent choose another school!
Anyways, I wrote about "dropout factory" issue on my blog a few years back and you can check it out at
http://pablowegesend.blogspot.com/2007/11/i-graduated-from-dropout-factory.html
If time permitting, let me know what you think about what I wrote in that blog post!
Anyways, in case you want to write another book or article on this issue, feel free to quote ANYTHING I wrote in this e-mail or on my blog-post linked above!
Pablo Wegesend
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I hope that explains what I think about the government education system and school choice!
