Shea asks:
"Dana, I really see what you are saying on the whole homeschooling issue, however when you say that about a tax credit for schools you are paying for and not using, I guess I wonder...should childless individuals be forced to pay for failing schools? Just wanted to get an opinion on that...thanks! and good luck with the move!"
I can't really answer this without first explaining my view on government and education. I personally believe that the two are separate and should not be symbiotic. I'm a staunch "tiny government" sort-of girl. I don't want to feel as though I'm dependent upon our government to teach my kids. I think education should be led by the parents. I don't mean to say that EVERYONE should homeschool; I think parents can set up co-ops and still use a teacher's association, etc. to administer to their children without the government involving itself and screwing everything up. I think we can regulate ourselves and establish our own standards.
I understand that not everyone shares the same viewpoint as me, it irks me that I have to punctuate my answer with a disclaimer but there are some who show no signs of reading comprehension and take my opinion as personal offense. It's not. So don't.
Obviously, I believe that parents are first and foremost responsible for their children's education. I think that if others wanted to contribute their time, talents, or cash, WOO! Give them a tax deduction. But I don't agree with the notion that everyone should pay for the choices of others. I chose to have two kids. I don't expect Shea to pay for their healthcare or textbooks. I also don't buy into the "it's all for the good of society/those kids will run our world someday" assertion. It's a fabulous assertion but I think that if we want a better society we should put the time and effort in ourselves to make it one and not depend on the government to create our utopia. And yes, I'm fully aware of the word's Latin meaning, which is why I used it.
The hand that rocks the cradle is the hand that rules the world. My two cents. Thus, I want to rock my own cradle. METAL!
If that doesn't make sense it's because I still have moving-lag.
I realize that my opinions would work in a perfect little kittens and sunshine world where we all live in gingerbread houses with roads made of candy canes. A world where politicians are honest, where teachers' associations stopped the political affiliations, where people weren't inherently selfish and could see the greater good. Because the world is not like this and because our society is in some sort of live-to-work mode, we have a Big Babysitter.
So! After a huge tangent, no, I don't think you should pay for a school unless:
a) you are using it. This will spark competition and competition equals progress and better services. Don't believe it? How would you rate the services from the USPO or the DMV?
b) you want to contribute and help.
Again, I totally get that not everyone thinks what I think and I want those commenting to realize that not everyone thinks what you think, so I think we should all be nice. This isn't an invitation to slam anything. This is a big, diverse world.
