What is the best way to educate our children?

By Michael Marino We are wasting our time and treasure attempting to educate young people who either cant be or dont want to be educated. Why are we using such vast amounts of resources, about ten thousand dollars per year per child, educating our children? The problem with the education system today is it is bloated. It is a branch of the government strangling with red tape and drowning in bureaucracy. A lot of education today has lost sight of its own purpose. What is the purpose of education for children in the U.S.A.? If the purpose of education in this country is just to prepare our children for the job market then maybe we should let industry educate each child to be productive workers in that particular market segment or industry. Since industry would teach the skills needed for their workforce, this would best prepare each child to work in a given occupation while pledging promising work. Is the purpose of education solely to benefit the individual? If so, then should the cost of the childs education be the burden of the parents alone? Maybe the purpose of education is to benefit government? The government provides education to children in order to provide it with active, engaged citizens. I believe that the purpose of education is a combination of each of these things and more. I believe education is a civil right a great equalizer that should be provided equally to each citizen? Education is a right of everyone for their intellectual benefit, in order to prosper in a career of their choice and to become active, engaged citizens What is the best way to educate our children? The problem as to what is the best way to educate our children begins with the fact that our education system today is run by local governments with federal mandates. It stems from a mostly industrialized society where the goal of daily child care was as important as education. Part of the question of the best way to educate our children is what is the best way to provide education to our children? Education providers today come in many forms. Home school, traditional public, traditional private, magnet, charter or online schools are all different types of education options available today. Home schooling your children may seem like a logical choice however families who home school children often pay high school taxes with little benefit. Home schooled children are isolated from the general school population so increased socialization methods must be employed. Traditional public schools offer little choice or creativity in their methods. Since they are funded almost solely by tax dollars and administered by local school boards comprised of elected officials public schools are considered part of the government. While there are many excellent public schools, most are barely meeting minimum standards and almost all are overburdened with administrative costs and debt. Traditional private school which includes parochial schools has had good success educating our children. By far traditional private school students exceed their public school counterparts in test scores and acceptance to four year universities. However families that send children to private

schools must do so at great expense with some private schools costing more then some colleges with little or no tax breaks. Since most private schools have barriers to entry such as admittance exams and probative costs they are available to only a few children. These exclusionary measures, while beneficial to the schools themselves are a major shortcoming to the private school system entirely. Magnet schools are public schools that specialize in certain areas or curricula. Most Magnet schools specialize in Math & Science while there are a few that focus on government. "Magnet" refers to how the schools draw students from across school zones. Some Magnet Schools are established by school districts and draw only from that district while others are set up by state governments and may draw from many districts. There are magnet programs within larger comprehensive schools a sort of "school within a school." Magnet schools are a good alternative to a traditional public school however most do have admissions testing requirements to entry and long waiting lists. Some Magnet schools are criticized for the narrow focus of their curricula. Charter schools are public schools that may also receive private donations. Charter schools have had some of the rules, regulations, and statutes that apply to other public schools lifted in exchange for accountability to produce the results set forth in each school's charter. Charter schools provide an alternative to other public schools and since they are public education they are not allowed to charge tuition. Enrollment in most charter schools is over subscribed and admission is frequently allocated by lottery-based admissions. While some charter schools provide a curriculum that specializes in certain fields such as arts and mathematics most attempt to provide a better and more efficient general education than nearby public schools. Some charter schools are founded by teachers, parents, or activists who feel restricted by traditional public schools. State-authorized charters are often established by non-profit groups, universities, corporations and some government entities. Of the education providers available today charter schools offer the most well rounded method of educating children. They offer school choice, accountability and a well defined goal. Charter schools are a hybrid of public and private interests with a common goal of educating our children. Improvements to the existing school modules may be to expand the use of School Vouchers or student education vouchers and the use of tax-rebates. A school voucher is a certificate issued by the government which parents can apply toward tuition at a private or public school. School Vouchers are used today in Vermont and Maine. One way to expand the school voucher program would be to apply it to home school and on line school programs. This could be accomplished by giving a stipend or grant to home schools as well as on line school students. Proponents of the student education voucher program claim it could be used in all education provider programs, would increase school productivity and cost efficiency while isolating the worst performing schools. Critics of the school voucher program say that competition at that level would not benefit all students, that it may leave the poorest students, the students who need a strong school the

most, with a weakened shell of a school struggling to cover costs. School tax rebates may be used to recognize those students and parents who volunteer their time in school. Parents who spend a certain amount of time in an approved school volunteer program can qualify for a tax rebate. Students due well academically when their parents are actively engaged in their school. Children feel safer, more secure, have more respect and accept more responsibility for their own education when their parents are involved. When they know that their parents accept the education program provided for them. Critics of this program might point out that while there is truth to the merits of the program not all parents can volunteer. Also, if every parent were to volunteer, that can have a negative effect on the school tax base resulting in reduced funding for each school. Proponents for this program can point out that a large turnout is a positive effect and that the program should have a cap and a rotation I believe that the best way to educate our children today or the best way to provide education to our children today is the use of education vouchers. Vouchers give parents choice to decide the best education for their children. The use of vouchers as outlined above enables parents to match the best education alternative to each individual child. A robust school voucher program can enhance all aspects of education. It will deliver funding to the most progressive schools, the schools with the best track record as well as allow new ideas to flourish, Ideas such as hybrid schools or micro-schools. Schools vouchers will allow existing districts to open new or enhance their existing Magnet and Charter school programs. This, I think is the best alternative today to educating our children. What is the best way to educate our children? Well who has the definitive correct answer to that? Maybe no one does. What is best for one student, school, district or community may not be best for others. Aristotle said that education should best be provided to the best learners, yet how can we know who the best learners are until they are educated. Charter schools seem to be the best answer to a brick and mortar education. Charter schools have more flexibility in education then other public schools but are not available to everyone. School vouchers can increase competition amongst schools thus improving education. Vouchers can facilitate all aspects of education working across the entire spectrum. While no one is advocating turning teachers lounges into the sales floor of Glengarry-Glenn Ross, increased competition may hurt the children that need more individualized education the most. School tax rebates can offer some relief to families willing to volunteer in their childrens school while improving education however may be hard to implement on a large scale. Perhaps all of these ideas and more implemented in a combined way, in a product mix of sorts, for each school district to draw on, is the best answer. We owe it to our children to keep asking the question What is the best way to educate our children? For one day one of our children will come closer to answering it then we have.

References: Charter school. (2010, April 14). In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 17:42, April 24, 2010, from http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Charter_school&oldid=355927220 Magnet Schools. (2006, March 1). In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 17:43, April 24, 2010, from http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Magnet_Schools&oldid=41688998