Re: Campaign Against Public Schools

MDLedoux who-is-at aol.com
Fri, 14 May 1999 08:04:19 EDT

I know that vouchers and privatization will cause significant problems for US
public education. However, there are large "homogenization" problems already
present in our schools. Many private schools, especially Catholic and
religious schools, have as their mission the education of the poorest
students. Cardinal O'Connor in New York has regularly offered to take the
poorest students in the city.

I have no international data other than personal experience. In Honduras and
Guatemala I have worked in two private, Catholic, secondary schools. More
than 50% of the students were children of the non-working poor or children of
the street. While public education and the history of education overall is
very different from the US notion, and therefore comparisons are often
inappropriate, there are some examples of excellent private schools in
developing nations that have served the poor well.

My quandary has also been to wonder why higher education believes that
privatization is acceptable on the university level but not in basic
education. Obviously the issues of access to power, prestige and resources
make themselves manifest at the higher education level. Yet, there seems to
be an acceptance of "paying for what you can afford" at this level.

If we are attempting to strengthen school culture and build upon the cultural
strengths of individuals, shouldn't there be support of attempts at schooling
that enhances these areas of learning?

Vouchers may not be the answer. Then again, they may cause the demise of the
public education structure as we know it. None of us seem very happy with
"business as usual." Maybe beginning over would be advantageous.

Michael Ledoux
Duquesne University