Last night’s news had me halfway between laughing and crying.
On the one hand, we have investigators cracking down on the number of students from one town (likely inner-city Hartford) catching rides, hopping buses, every weekday morning just to attend school in another town (in this case, Windsor) where their parents feel (rightfully–but that’s another story) that they will get a better education. The problem? They don’t pay taxes in that town where they attend. Of course, they likely don’t own property so they likely don’t pay taxes in their own city anyway.
However, it seems a bit ridiculous to me that we’re so set on keeping out-of-town kids out of "our" schools, yet open the doors further to students who not only are from out of state, but out of country.
I realize that these are two different government operations at work here, but come on, let’s get our act together and look at the real problem, particularly in the out-of-towners scenario.
I do not at all blame parents for attempting this; even while they know it’s wrong to give false addresses to obtain the rights to a better education, even while they know that the taxpayers in that town are paying the estimated $10,000 per child; I admire the fact that they value education so much that they’re willing to seek even this route. As the story states, because of the monies needed to cover the number of students, budget cuts in other areas such as programs and equipment suffer. So the level of education then goes down a notch for everybody. But doesn’t anyone ever want to address the real problem–just because it’s bigger?
GET BETTER EDUCATION in the inner cities. I’ve been against busing for the same reason–which, by the way, is merely government recognition and acceptance of their own problem–because it helps only a handful instead of fixing the system for ALL inner city kids. Easier said than done, of course, because the folks who want a better education for their children really can’t afford to pay tuition or help via taxable funds so that it’s really up to the state, federal, and city governments to better adjust their budgeting.
Borders may be a necessary way of life–there is no other way except to accept total federal government control. But we need to look at what’s within our borders and fix what’s broken rather than take the "grass is greener" attitude and abandon what we have to squat on someone else’s piece of life.
The Lost Children: A Charity Anthology
Getting better education into the inner cities presents problems beyond those of education, though. Security for one, both of person and property. When you have neighborhoods where even law enforcement doesn’t feel safe, what’s the draw for quailty teachers?
You’re already smarter than most people Anne; you’ve focused on one of the problems. What we need to do from there is work out how to fix it. Then tackle each problem one by one until the schools, teachers, and students are up to par to offer a quality education.
What’s the alternative–abandon the schools? No, we have to fix ’em up right.
You know, i cannot help but feel that there’s a connection between inner-city squalor, lobbyists, and the fact that when, for instance, a South American drug cartel is busted, all those drums that show up on the evening news containing the necessary chemicals to make the drugs come from U.S. chemical companies. Kinda like how our boys get shot overseas with weapons we sold to some country or other a few years back. In D.C., money talks loudest.
Anne, I agree. The answer is always money regardless of the question.