Comments on: On “School Choice” http://blog.kamens.us/2008/01/23/on-school-choice/ Musings of an indignant mind Fri, 10 Feb 2012 18:10:50 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: abbasegal http://blog.kamens.us/2008/01/23/on-school-choice/comment-page-1/#comment-101418 abbasegal Thu, 24 Jan 2008 22:33:11 +0000 http://blog.kamens.brookline.ma.us/~jik/wordpress/?p=153#comment-101418 Though it wasn't the primary reason for our aliyah, the looming prospect of day school tuition certainly helped sway our timing. In particular, at some point I realized that the estimated startup cost of aliyah, including the pilot trip, packing and shipping our belongings, and getting settled in a new country was comparable to, in fact a bit less, than the tuition for one year of kindergarten at Maimo for one child. Note though that even in Israel there are a lot of semi-private schools that charge tuition to offer services above the governmental standard, and many Western Olim send there kids to these schools. But these schools still get state money, so the tuition for these schools is usually a pittance compared to the US. (I think the most expensive tuition I have seen is around 1000 shekels a month, maybe a bit more, which is less than $3K for the year (though approaching that as the dollar falls), and most places are quite a bit less). On your main point, I agree with you that the US (Frum) Jewish community's tendency to support vouchers does seem shortsighted. Though it wasn’t the primary reason for our aliyah, the looming prospect of day school tuition certainly helped sway our timing. In particular, at some point I realized that the estimated startup cost of aliyah, including the pilot trip, packing and shipping our belongings, and getting settled in a new country was comparable to, in fact a bit less, than the tuition for one year of kindergarten at Maimo for one child.

Note though that even in Israel there are a lot of semi-private schools that charge tuition to offer services above the governmental standard, and many Western Olim send there kids to these schools. But these schools still get state money, so the tuition for these schools is usually a pittance compared to the US. (I think the most expensive tuition I have seen is around 1000 shekels a month, maybe a bit more, which is less than $3K for the year (though approaching that as the dollar falls), and most places are quite a bit less).

On your main point, I agree with you that the US (Frum) Jewish community’s tendency to support vouchers does seem shortsighted.

]]> By: jik http://blog.kamens.us/2008/01/23/on-school-choice/comment-page-1/#comment-101414 jik Thu, 24 Jan 2008 02:34:11 +0000 http://blog.kamens.brookline.ma.us/~jik/wordpress/?p=153#comment-101414 There is no difference between tax credits and school vouchers. From the parents' point of view, it means that it costs them less to send their kids to private school. From the private schools' point of view, it means that they get the same amount of money per student. From the government's point of view, it means that they are spending money to support private schools (it never ceases to amaze me how many people don't understand that a tax credit is the same as the government spending money) and thus reducing the amount of money they have to spend on other things, including the public schools. From the public schools' point of view, students are encouraged to flee the public schools and hence their enrollment drops and their budgets are slashed. And finally, from the point of view of other taxpayers, they are being forced to subsidize private schools whose curricula they may find morally and religiously objectionable. It's patently absurd to claim that the government "saves money" by giving people tax credits to send their kids to private schools. That's just ridiculous. There is no difference between tax credits and school vouchers. From the parents’ point of view, it means that it costs them less to send their kids to private school. From the private schools’ point of view, it means that they get the same amount of money per student. From the government’s point of view, it means that they are spending money to support private schools (it never ceases to amaze me how many people don’t understand that a tax credit is the same as the government spending money) and thus reducing the amount of money they have to spend on other things, including the public schools. From the public schools’ point of view, students are encouraged to flee the public schools and hence their enrollment drops and their budgets are slashed. And finally, from the point of view of other taxpayers, they are being forced to subsidize private schools whose curricula they may find morally and religiously objectionable.

It’s patently absurd to claim that the government “saves money” by giving people tax credits to send their kids to private schools. That’s just ridiculous.

]]> By: matineeidol http://blog.kamens.us/2008/01/23/on-school-choice/comment-page-1/#comment-101413 matineeidol Thu, 24 Jan 2008 01:46:06 +0000 http://blog.kamens.brookline.ma.us/~jik/wordpress/?p=153#comment-101413 I'd take a closer look at those bills. Some are tuition tax credits--totally different ballgame. With a privately funded scholarship pool, and a 3-4K tax credit for the financially strapped to send their children to a private school, the state actually saves the difference of several thousand it usually spends per-pupil, and that can be invested back into public schools that aren't doing so hot. School choice is a pretty broad set of options, including that which you already exercise, including homeschooling and online classes. School choice, in that sense, seems to me to benefit both kids in private schools and those in public schools, especially those that struggle financially. I’d take a closer look at those bills. Some are tuition tax credits–totally different ballgame. With a privately funded scholarship pool, and a 3-4K tax credit for the financially strapped to send their children to a private school, the state actually saves the difference of several thousand it usually spends per-pupil, and that can be invested back into public schools that aren’t doing so hot. School choice is a pretty broad set of options, including that which you already exercise, including homeschooling and online classes. School choice, in that sense, seems to me to benefit both kids in private schools and those in public schools, especially those that struggle financially.

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