<HTML><BODY BGCOLOR="white" STYLE="font:10pt verdana; border:none;background-color:white; "><P class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /><o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Re: <A href="http://moscoweducation.org/">http://moscoweducation.org/</A></SPAN></FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"></SPAN></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face="Times New Roman, Times, Serif"><FONT size=1>Dear Visionaries,</FONT></FONT></P> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=1></FONT> </P> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face="Times New Roman, Times, Serif"><FONT size=1>I don't know about ya'll, but I'm obliged to wonder exactly where Dale learned his methods of statistical analysis.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>If it was in the public school system, then perhaps I should pay closer attention to what he has to say about the efficacy of charter schools as his analysis seems, to put it kindly, unsophisticated.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>When it comes to logic, someone, somewhere has let Dale down rather badly.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN></FONT></FONT></P> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o:p><FONT face="Times New Roman, Times, Serif" size=1> </FONT></o:p></P> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face="Times New Roman, Times, Serif" size=1>What I suspect, however, is that Dale pulls most of his facts and figures out of what my prison guard brother-in-law genteelly refers to as "nature's suitcase."<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>(For those of you lacking a graphic imagination, here's a clue -- you're sitting on it.)<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>BTW, you'd be surprised at the amount of "luggage" that nature's suitcase will hold.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>In the course of his searches, my brother-in-law has retrieved everything from small caliber handguns to an entire twelve-ounce bottle of Pantene shampoo.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Now that's an inmate who's really concerned about his split-ends.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>But I digress.</FONT></P> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o:p><FONT face="Times New Roman, Times, Serif" size=1> </FONT></o:p></P> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face="Times New Roman, Times, Serif" size=1>Does the <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" /><st1:place><st1:PlaceName>Moscow</st1:PlaceName> <st1:PlaceType>School District</st1:PlaceType></st1:place> spend an average of $9000 per pupil?<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>I have no idea.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>I do know that the Renaissance Public Charter School, which recently went tits-up, leaving behind a $42,000 deficit, spent considerably less, but then they offered considerably less in the way of education.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>They under-performed on standardized tests (as do charter schools nationwide -- go ahead, Google it for yourself), they failed to provide standard vision screening, they paid their teachers very poorly, and they cut corners wherever they could and always to the detriment of their students.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>What Dale's bullshit-baffles-brains argument fails to address is the idea that perhaps you get what you pay for.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>My daughter spent three years attending <st1:City><st1:place>Moscow'</st1:place></st1:City>s assorted charter schools and, as a consequence, her educational needs were systematically shortchanged -- not by the teachers, who were wonderful, but by the charter schools' administrations.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Two years ago, we'd had enough; we moved her into a district school and never looked back.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>She has thriven under the care of our district's professionals, and if that costs $9000, then I consider it money well spent.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN></FONT></P> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face="Times New Roman, Times, Serif" size=1><SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"></SPAN></FONT> </P> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face="Times New Roman, Times, Serif" size=1><SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"></SPAN>As far as education is concerned, I want a Lexus for my child, not a Volkswagon Bus.</FONT></P> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o:p><FONT face="Times New Roman, Times, Serif" size=1> </FONT></o:p></P> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face="Times New Roman, Times, Serif" size=1>Waving to Dale through the exhaust fumes and bong smoke,</FONT></P> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT size=3><FONT face="Times New Roman"><FONT face="Times New Roman, Times, Serif" size=1>Joan Opyr/Auntie Establishment</FONT><SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"><FONT face="Times New Roman, Times, Serif" size=1> </FONT> </SPAN><SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN></FONT></FONT></P></SPAN></FONT></DIV></BODY></HTML><br clear=all><hr>Get more from the Web FREE MSN Explorer download : <a href='http://explorer.msn.com'>http://explorer.msn.com</a><br></p>