Letter to the Editor
To the Editor:
As an educator who has worked in both public and private schools for over 25 years, I am responding to the “School Choice is Ideal” column in the July 3rd edition. I have followed the development of this bill for a couple of years and believe it is more of a political issue and putting money into the pockets of politicians than it is about our students, but this is a subject for another day.
Your comparison of a bad teacher to a chocolate thief is ridiculous. Theft is easy to define and these employees, even in public schools, are fired. What is a good teacher? Is it someone whose students are the best at regurgitating facts and do well on tests? Is it someone who encourages creativity? Is it someone who encourages students to set high standards and may sometimes fail? It should be all of these and more. Defining a good teacher is difficult. Public schools have rigorous standards. If this is a major issue, the district may have an administrative problem.
Your comparison of schools to butchers is gruesome, but I will continue with it.According to you, butcher number one has poor beef and high prices, Butcher number two has good beef and reasonable prices, Since I am already paying butcher number one, I might as well take his meat. Something has changed. I am no longer required to buy from butcher number one. I can buy from butcher number two. I will tell you the rest of the story. Both butchers are well trained, hard working, honest people. Butcher number one is legally required to purchase his beef from suppliers geographically close to him and from other randomly selected providers. He cannot negotiate price. Because of legal and other requirements, his costs are higher, so his prices are higher. Butcher number two is not restricted on where to purchase his beef. He finds the best suppliers at the most reasonable rates.. If he purchases substandard beef, he will not buy from that supplier again. Butcher number one is working at a distinct disadvantage.
Public schools have many requirements. All students must be served, This includes the ones who are gifted intellectually as well as those who are intellectually challenged, This includes those who come to school ready to learn and those who don’t. The Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) are the standards. All students take the STAAR, which greatly influences the grade the school is given by the state. Attendance and graduation rates influence this grade also. Accountability paperwork is staggering.
To receive Vouchers, Private schools must be accredited by a state recognized agency.and need to be in operation at least 2 years.These agencies vary in their requirements for accreditation.. They must administer a nationally recognized norm-referenced test to students in grades 3-12. They are also required to submit financial records. There are no TEKS or any grade level standards required. They are not required to make any accommodations for students with various learning styles or disabilities. They can refuse to accept any student or dismiss any student at will. At this time there are no attendance requirements. How wcan we compare when the standards are so different?
To receive tax payers money, private schools should be required to administer the STAAR, use the TEKS, and accept a percentage of disabled students.
I predict that soon private schools will be required to administer the STAAR or whatever test the state chooses next. This will definitely even the playing field, but this will not be the reason, It will be required because the companies that develop and sell the tests to TEA will lobby for it for financial gain.
Do not simplify this issue by saying it is just about teachers. It is far more.
Aurlie Crosthwait Strealy OHS class of ‘68