"Public Education is evil because...."
Its no longer simply education, its social engineering and indoctrination.

Oh good grief. If you agree with most of what wonk said you can't agree with everything I've said. I'm saying the complete opposite. eye roll.

Yes definitely retracted. I agree with everything you've said and most of wonky's too, I just want this conversation to move on lol.

I work around 'well educated' people all day long...and I can't get a stimulating conversation out of any of them. An education ain't always what it's cracked up to be. (Yep...I said ain't!)

Retract that first part. I said public schools do their damnedest to pump out socialist minions...and didn't say they were always successful...some students have parents who know who runs the schools and what their agenda is so they're on top of it (us for instance...our kids are not socialist minions and will points out or question things that teachers say in class. And I have called and questioned things also.) Did I mention I work at a school? I'm not making this stuff up to be McCarthy esque, as I've been accused of being. Many things are extremely subtle, but they're there all the same and have an impact on young minds.

Ok public schools don't always pump out socialist minions unless you want to lump me into that category. Yeah the government is pushing its agenda, no doubt about that.

I think the good middle ground for you and wonky rests on scholarships from private business. Privatize the schools, and those who can't afford the education can apply for those. I for one and I think communities in general value an educated child, whether we have kids our not. I know I'd donate a few bucks to a charity whose supplying scholarships if they give them out to the right schools. As long as no one is being forced, which I'm sure we all agree on, then we will have a moral educational system. No force to go to school no force to pay for school. Deal?

You value public education that does it's damnedest to churn out little socialist minions who think they SHOULD be robbed, and are happy of the theft of their earned money to pay for public school because the gracious gods of gov gave YOU a public education. (gov= fed, state, county or whatever other entity might be stealing your money.) I GOT IT! Thanks for clarifying...or revealing the truth and basis of your thought process. p.s. I think you just made my case. I'll give you a point for that. :)

I did quite a bit of backpedaling and rationalization above and beyond what you've pointed out here. This, has, in fact, been a learning experience for me.

It began with the comments: "So you think, and trust, that the gov's roll is to educate children? And to feed them too for that matter?"

I said no such things.

My original points were:
1. This is so hardcore (a difficult issue)
2. I am grateful for my public education
3. I cannot deny that public education is beyond the scope of a [federal] government's functions - my error was leaving out the word "federal"

The later point:
4. As beneficiaries of public education, we are perfectly happy to pay 60% of our $6K in property taxes to the education of children in our county. Admittedly, I would be much more happy to do it voluntarily. - again my error was failing to distinguish my county from the federal government.

I botched my attempt to point out that it is not a contradiction to be happy to pay county property taxes for public education within my county but not happy about the involvement of the federal government in education. I say "botched" because I again left out the distinction between federal and county, and further introduced the idea that I derived some satisfaction from paying county property tax as a "time insensitive trade of value for value with respect to my own public education" - clearly irrelevant rationalization that left a bit of blood in the water - maybe that was the beginning of the feeding frenzy.

The point I failed to make is:
5. I am proud to live in a county that values education as I do, and choose to remain in this county partly because of its great public schools. Yes, by living in this county, I am forced to pay higher property taxes to support those schools. Just because I am forced to do so does not mean that I do not choose to do so or that I cannot be happy about that choice. I could move out of the county if I wasn't happy with it.

My contribution is freely given, I am happy about it, and I am proud to live in a county that values education as I do. Is there anything wrong with this? Is it articulated clearly enough this time?

Poor kid.

Excuse me??

WW speechless? That's almost as good as having LS and KH in the same quandary.

Oh..they have Summer meals now too.

Hmmm. Something about that post strikes me as odd. Could your residence be related to the one in Canon City?

the fact that I cannot come up with anything even remotely resembling snappy repartee in reply means that it's time for a time out.

I think he's after my Rice Krispie days.

Geez, I miss a lot when I have to go away even for a little bit. The joys of a teenage daughter, Dad gets to act as her hair colorist.

Okay.

Me too.

wowee. thanks.

I actually dislike INTENSELY the whole "pointsRus" thang.

Up and at 'em , Atom Ant!

yes, you are.
and yes, it is "the cheese stands alone".

Thank you, kind mistress. Your condescension towards me is most munificent.

We had them but they were simpler and we called them SATs and ACTs. The tests we used to test our knowledge of what we were to have learned during the course of the school year were called 6 wks exams, semester exams and, if the teacher were truly sadistic, end of course exams. And they were for each subject and generally two hours long. Oh, the horror of it all, having to display our woeful ignorance of the subject matter we had been exposed to for 36 wks of school.

I just saw that comment somewhere.. "the cheese stands alone." Not bone.