[Vision2020] Interesting Report by S&P on Michigan's Govt Sch ools

Thomas Hansen tomh@FNA.fsn.uidaho.edu
Tue, 4 Feb 2003 15:18:10 -0800


I totally agree with Ms. Huskey.  All parents want their children (whether
attending private or public schools) to receive the finest education
available.

A statement like "Children handed over to the government for the state
indoctrination . . . " only serves as a feeble attempt to polarize people
that are willing to openly debate that which is being voted on today.

Tom Hansen
Moscow, Idaho

-----Original Message-----
From: Melynda Huskey [mailto:mghuskey@hotmail.com]
Sent: Tuesday, February 04, 2003 2:05 PM
To: vision2020@moscow.com
Subject: Re: [Vision2020] Interesting Report by S&P on Michigan's Govt
Schools


Dear Ben,

Help me understand what you're trying to achieve when you offer this 
statement:

"Children handed over to the government for the state indoctrination will 
rarely have the same kind of parental involvement and dedication that 
families choosing private education have."

Is there a way for us to understand that assertion *except* as an attempt to

polarize the conversation into debate?

Could we try--as Carl Westberg asked just moments ago--to avoid having the 
old arguments, maybe even try to start a new and potentially productive 
conversation?

I suggest that we start by agreeing that (absent evidence to the contrary) 
Moscow parents are making the best educational choices they can for their 
children, and that we all have a stake in improving and broadening those 
choices.

Melynda Huskey

"The things that make us happy make us wise."  John Crowley





>From: "ben merkle" <benmerkle@moscow.com>
>To: <vision2020@moscow.com>
>Subject: Re: [Vision2020] Interesting Report by S&P on Michigan's Govt 
>Schools
>Date: Tue, 4 Feb 2003 13:50:20 -0800
>
>Bob,
>I grant your point.  It's apples and
>oranges. Silly thought of mine to even try and compare them.
>Ben Merkle
>
>
>
>----- Original Message -----
>From: "Bob Hoffmann" <escape@alt-escape.com>
>To: <vision2020@moscow.com>
>Sent: Tuesday, February 04, 2003 12:30 PM
>Subject: Re: [Vision2020] Interesting Report by S&P on Michigan's Govt
>Schools
>
>
> > At 12:09 PM 2/4/2003 -0800, ben merkle wrote:
> > >A closer look could be very rewarding. Would anyone be up for comparing
>the
> > >Moscow High numbers with a local private school to see who is getting
>more
> > >out of their dollar?
> >
> > Sounds like the same false logic that I mentioned.  The proper 
>perspective
> > would be, Who is willing to compare Moscow High numbers with a local
> > private school, taking into account family income, parental involvement,
> > student nutrition, etc.?  If you look at high school student performance
>in
> > Potlatch it seems like you are looking at two different schools:  One 
>that
> > is low-performing, given student grades, and one that is
> > high-performing.  The fact is, Potlatch only has one high school, but a
> > rare double-bell curve in terms of student performance, due in part to 
>the
> > vastly different backgrounds that the students come from.
> >
> > >----- Original Message -----
> > >From: "Bob Hoffmann" <escape@alt-escape.com>
> > >To: <vision2020@moscow.com>
> > >Sent: Tuesday, February 04, 2003 11:53 AM
> > >Subject: Re: [Vision2020] Interesting Report by S&P on Michigan's Govt
> > >Schools
> > >
> > >
> > > > It would be interesting to take a closer look at the numbers.  I 
>know
>for
> > >a
> > > > fact that many inner city schools (in "slum" areas) have higher
>expenses
> > >in
> > > > some categories.  For instance, they frequently must pay a higher 
>wage
>to
> > > > attract teachers.  This cannot compensate for students who come to
>school
> > > > hungry, who have uninvolved parents, who may have a higher drug use,
> > > > etc.  In complicated areas like health and education, a simple look 
>at
> > > > spending vs. performance is quite pointless.  Speaking of which, the
>U.S.
> > > > government is said to spend more on health care than any other 
>Western
> > > > nation, but it gets less for it.  That's obviously not a case of
>"we're
> > > > spending too much," but a case of "we're not having the intended
>effect
> > > > with our dollars."
> > > >
> > > > Bob Hoffmann
> > > > 820 S. Logan St.
> > > > Moscow, ID  83843
> > > >
> > > > Tel: 208 883-0642
> > > >
> > > > At 09:44 PM 2/3/2003 -0800, John Harrell wrote:
> > > > >Standard & Poors releases data on state's public schools
> > > > >
> > > >
> > >
>
>http://www.mlive.com/newsflash/regional/index.ssf?/cgi-free/getstory_ssf.cg
> > >i?g9383_BC_MI--SchoolRatings&&news&newsflash-michigan
> > > > >
> > > > >The Associated Press
> > > > >2/3/03 5:27 PM
> > > > >
> > > > >LANSING, Mich. (AP) -- More than half the school districts that 
>spent
> > >more
> > > > >per
> > > > >student than the state average had below-passing rates on the
>Michigan
> > > > >Educational
> > > > >Assessment Program test, according to an analysis of the state's
>public
> > > > >schools.
> > > > >
> > > > >Standard & Poor's School Evaluation Services released a report 
>Monday
> > >that
> > > > >analyzed trends in the state's public education system from 1996-97
>to
> > > > >2000-01.
> > > > >It's the second comprehensive report about Michigan's public 
>schools.
> > > > >
> > > > >The division of Standard & Poor's, known for rating businesses,
> > >government
> > > > >agencies and even other countries, tracks where taxpayer dollars go
>and
> > > > >analyzes
> > > > >if spending increases boost student performance.
> > > > >
> > > > >The Statewide Insights report showed that of the 181 school 
>districts
> > >that
> > > > >spent
> > > > >more per student than the state average, 92 had below-average 
>passing
> > > > >rates on
> > > > >the MEAP. Of the 343 school districts with below-average spending,
>171
> > >had
> > > > >above-average MEAP passing rates.
> > > > >
> > > > >Other highlights of the report:
> > > > >
> > > > >--The graduation rate increased from 80.7 percent of students in 
>1997
>to
> > >86.3
> > > > >percent in 2001.
> > > > >
> > > > >--Per-student operating expenditures grew by 19 percent from 1997 
>to
> > >2001,
> > > > >nearly twice the cumulative inflation rate of 10.2 percent.
> > > > >
> > > > >-- The average administrator's salary rose 12.3 percent while the
>average
> > > > >teacher's salary increased by 8.4 percent.
> > > > >
> > > > >Cheers!
> > > > >John Harrell
> > > > >
> > > > >__________________________________________________
> > > > >Do you Yahoo!?
> > > > >Yahoo! Mail Plus - Powerful. Affordable. Sign up now.
> > > > >http://mailplus.yahoo.com
> > > > >
> > > > >_____________________________________________________
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> > > >
> > > >
> > > > _____________________________________________________
> > > >  List services made available by First Step Internet,
> > > >  serving the communities of the Palouse since 1994.
> > > >                http://www.fsr.net
> > > >           mailto:Vision2020@moscow.com
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> > > >
> > >
> > >_____________________________________________________
> > >  List services made available by First Step Internet,
> > >  serving the communities of the Palouse since 1994.
> > >                http://www.fsr.net
> > >           mailto:Vision2020@moscow.com
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> >
> > Bob Hoffmann
> > 820 S. Logan St.
> > Moscow, ID  83843
> >
> > Tel: 208 883-0642
> >
> >
> > _____________________________________________________
> >  List services made available by First Step Internet,
> >  serving the communities of the Palouse since 1994.
> >                http://www.fsr.net
> >           mailto:Vision2020@moscow.com
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> >
>
>
>_____________________________________________________
>  List services made available by First Step Internet,
>  serving the communities of the Palouse since 1994.
>                http://www.fsr.net
>           mailto:Vision2020@moscow.com
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