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Why We Need Public Schools
Public schools are under the most vicious attacks of their existence. Many religious leaders and conservative politicians feel that students would be better served in either private or home bound schools.
Some groups wish to place private schools on the same footing as public schools in securing tax funds. We must remember that all students deserve a good education but all students cannot afford to attend a private school.
The danger of decreasing the public school system tax base is that it would affect disadvantaged students the most. A decease in financial resources to the public school system translates into a loss of educational and employment opportunities. Economic prosperity is diminished when educational and employment opportunities are decreased.
Many minorities feel that privates schools in some ways would diminish their educational opportunities because many private schools are selective in who they admit and dismiss from the school. There are times when disadvantage students who have no advocate to plea their case are dismissed from various school systems in higher numbers. Public schools appear to be a little more tolerant in finding ways to meet the needs of all students.
The lack of education and high unemployment is a recipe for disaster which usually leads to crime and incarceration. This is why concerned citizens should be aware of the importance of working together to improve the public school system rather than supporting efforts to destroy the system.
The public school system has an accountability plan in place for administrators and teachers. It is in the form of End of Grade Test and other student appraisals instruments. Teachers, administrators and school systems that fail to meet expectations are penalized financially and sometimes removed from the system. It is time to support teachers by paying them enough money where they can fully focus their attention on the students rather than working on a part time job to make ends meet.
In a civilized society it is more economical to spend tax dollars on education rather than incarceration. Jails are filling up at an alarming rate. It is time to review our present system and focus on preventions rather than cures.
Preventive programs such as a good education will save money in the long run. There is an old saying "an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cures. This is a profound idea that has not been emphasized in America. We must find ways to decrease our prison population. Education is the preventive cure that we cannot afford to abandon.
A society that placed a man on the moon in 1969 and developed a communication system which is the envy of the world can certainly find ways to educate all of its youth. Let us work together and not give up on our public schools.
Reverend Micheal J. Darby