[Vision2020] MSD Pay and Tenure--a reply

[Dale Courtney]

Ted wrote:

> Donovan's questions that Dale does not want to answer seem relevant to
> illuminating this debate over public vs private schools.  So Dale, why not
> provide at least some provisional concise answers?

First, see my post:
http://lists2.fsr.net/pipermail/vision2020/2003-July/002974.html about
Europe and vouchers. In the West, only Italy and the USA don't have an
educational voucher system.  FWIW, the WorldBank's study of the voucher
system in 20 countries
(http://www.worldbank.org/html/extdr/hnp/hddflash/workp/wp_00064.html) said
that there is "no clear support for the negative predictions". If
educational freedom would have led to the boogieman that everyone predicts,
we should have seen it in spades by now. Educational vouchers have been used
for decades in many countries (Australia and Britain, in France, the Low
Countries, Germany, Spain and Denmark).  Those for educational freedom are
trying to push what Europe has practiced for years.

Second, just because a service is privatized ("outsourced", to use the
current buzzword) doesn't mean that the services offered are lessoned. In
fact, when the government has done outsourcing contracts (with which I have
intimate familiarity with many), everyone comes out ahead -- the government
gets better service and the taxpayers pay less. There is no reason that all
of our current educational desires cannot be met -- just not met under the
stranglehold of the education unions.

Third, competition is *always* a good thing. It raises expectations and
results and lowers costs. One of the major problems we have is that the
government schools have no competition and no "consequences" for performing
poorly. It is always funny to me that those who scream the loudest against
educational choice are those who rant about monopolies -- yet they support
the worst one in existence!

Fourth, choice is a good thing. Parents are much more involved when they
have a choice in the education of their children. This has been demonstrated
in Cleveland and in Milwaukee.

Fifth, the US has this "one size fits all" mentality for education. There is
no differentiation between parents' and children's goals and desires.
Allowing parents to choose which education best fits their child will be
best for both the children, families, and society.

I could go on and on, but the bottom line is that a "public end" (education)
does not solely or even necessarily have to be met by a "public means"
(government teachers). Educational choice (vouchers or tax refunds) allow
for Freedom and Justice -- something I'd hope we would all support.

Best,
Dale Courtney
Moscow, Idaho