If you spend much time observing the school system behind the scenes you start to see some really odd things.
Year long weekly committee meetings to resolve issues like 'communication', the first six of these meetings outline the problems. Contract negotiations with budget busting agreements that both sides 'agree' on. Retirement packages that pay 100% of original salary. etc.
My personal feeling has long been the lack of a 'bottom line'. That is to say, in business, if you do not make x-amount of money to cover expenses you either cut back or go under. Voucher programs kinda can do that, however you run into really bad situations with special needs kids.
I ran across this interesting article Swedish School system. So I looked deeper.
in 1992 they moved to private run schools using public monies. The students are learning, the teachers, while concerned about job security, are enjoying being able to teach subjects, not to tests. Even the Swedish Teachers' Union now doesn't "have an opinion about which owner (i.e., the state or private enterprise) is better."
I have been unable to see how they handle special needs. But, I am still digging.
2 comments:
Do you think the best agency to deal with the special needs kids is the schools?
Most special needs kids go to public schools. Its the right for any child to receive education, and for those with "complex needs" that means a safe environment with goals and trained personnel to help these kiddos become as independent as possible.
I have never heard of any other situation other than an institution (also public) to handle the diabled children.
The only other option is to keep them home. Most parents opt for school.
Keeping Connor home all day would be very detrimental to him. He needs multiple people in his life to learn to be social.
With a voucher system - we'd have to make the special needs kids more 'desireable' to the schools - maybe their vouchers would be worth double or triple the regular one? To accomodate the extra personnel & training needed for these kids?
If that happened, I think we'd see schools with more specialized goals for kids with those needs.
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