A Comment About Our Educational System

[Oldgringo]

It really fries my shorts to know that more than half of my annual property taxes go to support an ISD system in which I have never, nor ever will have, any of my offspring or my offspring's offspring.

Did you go to private school or were you home schooled?

Huh? I went to public schools in MO, IL and TN before putting myself through college. I paid property taxes while my kids were in public schools. How 'bout you?

[Cedar Park Dad]

So what are you complainaing about? You went to public school.

[Oldgringo]

So what are you complainaing about? You went to public school.

That was over a half century ago and I'm still paying for it?

[Cedar Park Dad]

So you're ok with public school, you just don't want to pay for it? Mmm...ok.

[mojo84]

This is part of the cost of living in a society. There are plenty of countries where you wouldn't have to pay school taxes.

I live in what is considered a "wealthy" district. Our little district has to pay about $12,000,000 a year to the state so they can distribute it to the "poor" districts via the "Robin Hood" scheme. I have no idea where the money goes and know it doesn't help my kids. I don't like it but its what we have until a better solution gets implemented.

The education system needs and a necessary start is getting the federal government out of it. You fools that abolishing the public school system is the only answer are delusional. You think we have a problem of uneducated people now. Wait till the public schools are eliminated (which will never happen).

[anygunanywhere]

"We don't need no education, we don't need no thought control. No dark sarcasm in the classroom."

Pink Floyd - Another Brick in the Wall.

Anygunanywhere

[cb1000rider]

Huh? I went to public schools in MO, IL and TN before putting myself through college. I paid property taxes while my kids were in public schools. How 'bout you?

Public school. Kids go to public school. If you had kids that were in public school, your property taxes and your neighbors property taxes supported those kids. Why get upset when you've got to help support someone else's kids, if your neighbors did the same for you?

It really fries my shorts to know that more than half of my annual property taxes go to support an ISD system in which I have never, nor ever will have, any of my offspring or my offspring's offspring.

That was over a half century ago and I'm still paying for it?

It's cumulative. Sure, you'll pay more than someone else if you live longer, but your neighbors helped pay for your education and your kids education. You're largely returning the favor. If you didn't have to pay, the system would break down. The alternative is paying *a lot* more - quite a bit more for "your kids". Think college level costs and simply put, that won't work with compulsory education and high "kids only" education costs.

I just don't get how people that attended public school are upset that they have to fund public school. It makes no sense to me.

Our education system does need reform. I read yesterday that a little more than 50% of the salaries in most ISDs go to non-teachers... Having parents pay for only the time where their kids are in school isn't the answer. And it simply can't work.

[mamabearCali]

Have y'all been to a public school in the last ten years? Some of them are great. Most are mediocre. A few are horrendous. Now where are the horrendous schools? Right where you think they would be. The projects, the inner city. Now where are the amazing schools, right where you think they would be upper middle class neighborhoods. They get similar levels of funding. I know that the teaching staff is similar in nature. So what is the difference. The people attending the school. Sad to say it but some of the lower end schools will never catch up because the children are chemically damaged from birth. It is just a sad fact of life that those who love their children and value them will invest more in them from the very start.


If you took away public schools you would get a more dramatic situation than what we have now but the end results would be similar. Those who love their children and value them would take $$ that they now have back from property taxes and would invest it in their children's future. Those who had their children to get a bigger welfare check would simply spend it on more drugs and the children would suffer even more.

I don't know what the answer is. What I do know is that schools at minimum need to be left to the community, and the Feds with their testing need to be kicked out. If you kick the federalis out and the community can decide for themselves what curriculum to use and what model to work from you will get a much better product.

[mojo84]

Have y'all been to a public school in the last ten years? Some of them are great. Most are mediocre. A few are horrendous. Now where are the horrendous schools? Right where you think they would be. The projects, the inner city. Now where are the amazing schools, right where you think they would be upper middle class neighborhoods. They get similar levels of funding. I know that the teaching staff is similar in nature. So what is the difference. The people attending the school. Sad to say it but some of the lower end schools will never catch up because the children are chemically damaged from birth. It is just a sad fact of life that those who love their children and value them will invest more in them from the very start.


If you took away public schools you would get a more dramatic situation than what we have now but the end results would be similar. Those who love their children and value them would take $$ that they now have back from property taxes and would invest it in their children's future. Those who had their children to get a bigger welfare check would simply spend it on more drugs and the children would suffer even more.

I don't know what the answer is. What I do know is that schools at minimum need to be left to the community, and the Feds with their testing need to be kicked out. If you kick the federalis out and the community can decide for themselves what curriculum to use and what model to work from you will get a much better product.

Absolutely correct! AMEN!

The primary problem with the schools is federal government involvement and the disinterested disengaged parents.

[MotherBear]

It's cumulative. Sure, you'll pay more than someone else if you live longer, but your neighbors helped pay for your education and your kids education. You're largely returning the favor. If you didn't have to pay, the system would break down. The alternative is paying *a lot* more - quite a bit more for "your kids". Think college level costs and simply put, that won't work with compulsory education and high "kids only" education costs.

How do you figure you'd pay more for your kids' education than you'll pay in property taxes over the course of your lifetime? That math doesn't add up.

[Cedar Park Dad]

Have y'all been to a public school in the last ten years?

Yep. Ours regularly stomps hard in sports, band, and academic achievements. Top 10% typically go to UT, A&M, and Ivey League schools. They're doing math and science at levels that put my old school to shame.

[mamabearCali]

Have y'all been to a public school in the last ten years?

Yep. Ours regularly stomps hard in sports, band, and academic achievements. Top 10% typically go to UT, A&M, and Ivey League schools. They're doing math and science at levels that put my old school to shame.

Give yourself and your kids a pat on the back. You could have the best school in the world and if your kids were not willing to put out the effort it would all be for naught. Their success speaks to theirs and your character. Like everything else in life, if you are lucky, you get what you give out in effort.

[SewTexas]

I vote Cali for Head of Dept of Education!

[Cedar Park Dad]

Have y'all been to a public school in the last ten years?

Yep. Ours regularly stomps hard in sports, band, and academic achievements. Top 10% typically go to UT, A&M, and Ivey League schools. They're doing math and science at levels that put my old school to shame.

Give yourself and your kids a pat on the back. You could have the best school in the world and if your kids were not willing to put out the effort it would all be for naught. Their success speaks to theirs and your character. Like everything else in life, if you are lucky, you get what you give out in effort.

True that. It is however and excellent school district. Back in ancient times when I went to school the school district I was in, in Texas would spend different levels for different schools. Poor kids went to one school, middle kids to another, and rich kids to a third.

[cb1000rider]

It's cumulative. Sure, you'll pay more than someone else if you live longer, but your neighbors helped pay for your education and your kids education. You're largely returning the favor. If you didn't have to pay, the system would break down. The alternative is paying *a lot* more - quite a bit more for "your kids". Think college level costs and simply put, that won't work with compulsory education and high "kids only" education costs.

How do you figure you'd pay more for your kids' education than you'll pay in property taxes over the course of your lifetime? That math doesn't add up.

He's suggesting that we should just have to pay if we have kids and only pay when those kids attend school. If those parents are the only ones paying for education during the years where the kids are in school, expect the cost of that education to be very very expensive...