AllTheSubsidiesThat
FitVille
Erin Miller has an in-depth article in BIV up on why so many folks are opting out of the public system and are instead sending their kids to private schools.
There is a lot in there and a lot of it is worth considering including the advances that can be made when a kid's education is 'personalized'.
But then there is this part, especially the bolded part, which Ms. Miller just leaves hanging:
...But this (personalized education) is a heck of a lot easier to achieve with the advantage of specialist teachers, ubiquitous technology and teacher training. Public school districts receive about $7,800 per student for operations (not including capital expenditures) from government. Private schools receive up to half of that amount in government subsidies—in addition to the $10,000 to $20,000 parents pay annually. In short, policymakers will need to invest more in specialist teachers and teacher training if they hope to make personalization a reality in public classrooms...
Why do I say 'hanging'?
Well, if we, the public plucked that low hanging private school subsidy fruit, which many reckon amounts to $250 to $300 million province-wide every single year, just imagine the good we could do on all fronts, including the one labeled 'personalized education'.
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I went back and read Erin Millars article.Of course it's the "big bad teachers union" b.s. again. I know that our strike was to stop the erosion of the public school system. We lost wages but I think we earned the respect of the public. They know that for the last 12 years scamble and chrusty have done so much damage to the public system by defunding and creating an adversarial climate that will take years to fully repair. You"re right about the300 million per year. It could go a long way.Monday of this week I became a retired teacher after 33 years of teaching. The last 9 I spent in an inner city elementary in Mission. Our students came from poverty,single parents, and some abusive backgrounds. We gave them a safe place to be.Many of my former students sat with me on the picket line this summer. An example of defunding in Mission meant that we went from 10 elementary counsellors to just 1 for the entire district. Students in B.C. are not getting the resources they need and it breaks our hearts as teachers. I'm 64 and knew it was time for me to go.A generation of our children have been ROBBED of their right to a quality education and we all know why. Liebrals! No more PUBLIC money for religious or for profit (charter and private) schools!
ReplyDeleteits how the well to do get to ensure their kids get a better education and it is the well to do who contribute to political parties. Nothing is going to change.
ReplyDeleteI have nothing against private schools, its that we the tax payers have to pay for it, that I object to. It is also objectionable that private schools get to skim off the top students and the public school system has to accept all. If private schools are to receive tax dollars they ought to be required to accept children with learning and physical disabilities also. if they don't I'd suggest a nice complaint to the Human Rights Commission might be in order.
300 k tplus per private principal.?
ReplyDeleteprivitize prisons
ReplyDeleteprivitize schools
privitize profits
p3 BC
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ReplyDeleteThanks for that great comment. And have fun with all that extra time...Maybe you should do something crazy like, oh I dunno, start a public-ed blog or something!
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e.a.f.--
I agree entirely. That is the crux of it for me also.
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Thanks Anons-Above.
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Thanks for the suggestions Ross. About a blog,you,Grant,and Bob have set a pretty high bar on-line . If I think I can contribute 1/10 th of what you guys do, I might give it a shot.
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ReplyDeleteFair enough, but...
Niche expertise is everything...And extremely useful/helpful like for non-experts looking for context.
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