Government Schools: Not Just Bad For Poor Kids

[Matt Collins]

"Proponents of educational choice tend to focus on the underprivileged, which is understandable given that low-income kids are overrepresented in failing inner-city public schools.

"But an emphasis on the plight of the poor can leave the impression that middle-class public school students are doing fine. And that would be a false impression, according to a new book-length study by the Pacific Research Institute, 'Not as Good as You Think: Why the Middle-Class Needs School Choice.'

"Conventional wisdom holds that upscale communities tend to have 'good' schools, and parents often buy homes in expensive neighborhoods so their kids have a shot at a decent public education. But the PRI study, which focused on California, found that in nearly 300 schools in middle-class and affluent neighborhoods, 'less than half of the students in at least one grade level performed at proficiency in state math and English tests.'

"Many of these schools were located in the Golden State's toniest zip codes, places like Orange County, Silicon Valley and the beach communities of Los Angeles. In areas such as Newport Beach, Capistrano and Huntington Beach, where million-dollar houses are commonplace, researchers found more than a dozen schools where 50% to 80% of students weren't proficient in math at their grade level. In one Silicon Valley community where the median home goes for $1.6 million, less than half of 10th and 11th graders scored at or above proficiency on the state English exam.

"Schools serving middle-income kids are also doing a poor job of preparing them for higher education. Some 60% of freshmen in the California State University system need remedial courses."

http://www.theadvocates.org/liberator/vol-12-num-21.html#GBU

[Malakai0]

Gotta love the simplicity!


Problem: Government

Solution: Less Government


A shame most people studying the education problems in America can't accept this fact!

[rfbz]

Wait, I thought the solution to government problems was more government.

guess I need to stop watching fox news all day long

[Man from La Mancha]

If people would treat the responsibility of parenthood like they should. It doesn't mean shipping ones children off to state baby sitters and programmers, but enjoying ones children and guiding them in life adventures. Homeschooling. Don't have children unless one wants to be responsible parents. For 1000's of years till recently the butcher, baker, candlestick maker, farmer or goldsmith had their business and home together and taught their children, they didn't ship them off to the state. And for those children that didn't want the family business they work as apprentice's of others guilds for little or free to learn a new trade. Here as good example by a great guy Wayne Green. I bought his books and they are great. Basic he says to find a business you like and find a successful one and tell the owner one will work for nothing or a small salary in exchange for learning every thing and agreeing not to open a competing business nearby. He says drop out of school to do it. He is the father of the personal computer and the cell phone and is 86 now.

Wayne Green is the founder of 73 Magazine, Byte, CD Review, Cold Fusion, New Hampshire ToDo and dozens of other magazines.
Wayne is an international speaker as well as being a guest speaker on popular radio shows including Art Bell's late night program. Wayne speaks about amateur (ham) radio, health, nutrition, wealth, world travel, politics, cold fusion, submarines, education, new/future technologies, unusual books, ET's, and most any other topic a listener wants to discuss.
Making Money
http://www.waynegreen.com/wayne/says.html#makemoney


Most people who want to get rich are doing it to compensate for an inferiority complex. But whether you want to be rich or not, there are virtually no benefits to being poor. And, once you know the secret it's not only easy, but it's fun making a lot of money.

The fact is that though you've been brainwashed by your family, your teachers, and the media, a college "education" is a ghastly waste of time and money. That's for suckers. The beauty of brainwashing is that the washee (you) doesn't know it happened. It's like post-hypnotic suggestion. 95% of high school is a waste of time, which is why I'm so enthusiastic about the Sudbury Valley School and the few others like it.

If you have worked for others for more than five years in your life you're a sucker. If you are commuting more than 10 minutes to work you're a sucker. If you aren't making enough money to travel around the world once or twice a year you're a sucker. If you are saving to put your kids through college your whole family are suckers.

Top of Article
I'm sure you'll get mad at me rather than finding out that I'm telling the truth. Hey, I was a sucker too. I did the college grind because there was no one out there to wise me up. As far as I know, and I've read an awful lot of books and listened to more talks than any human should, no one else I've ever found has wised up and is spilling the beans.

My booklet spills the beans. I should charge $5,000 for it and it would be a bargain, but I just want to cover my costs and have some left over to promote my books. At 75 I only have maybe 25-30 or so years left to get the word out, with the hope of opening enough eyes to change our whole country.

But step one is to get you healthy and able to live a lot longer. Step two is to help you make enough money to be able to help me change our country. Step three will be to change our school system, our medical system, our legal and prison system, and the other things our corrupt Congress, Administrations and court system have screwed up.

.

[Matt Collins]

A shame most people studying the education problems in America can't accept this fact!
Because most of them were educated in government schools!!!!!!!!

You don't think the government want's an educated population do you? :rolleyes:

[nexalacer]

Gotta love the simplicity!


Problem: Government

Solution: Less Government


A shame most people studying the education problems in America can't accept this fact!

Better yet:

Problem: Violence caused by government (250 million dead in the 20th century)

Solution: No government

It's a shame most libertarians studying the problems of government in America can't accept this fact!

[tnvoter]

Excellent article.

[Primbs]

There is a steady business for private schools in California. Even in the most elite neighborhoods, many smart but problem children are taken out of public schools and put into private school where they eventually shape up.

I have seen where some promising students who had to leave private school for public schools become complete idiots by the time they graduate from public schools.