DH> MS>     The second-grade student is no more the "customer" of the 
DH> K-12 s
DH> MS> attends than a dog is a veterinarian's "customer".  Only the 
DH> person 
DH> MS> either paying the bill (taxpayer) or choosing the supplier 
DH> (parent) 
DH> MS> taken seriously as a "customer" in K-12 schools, for the same 
DH> reason
DH> MS> the dog's owner can be seen as the veterinarian's "customer".
DH>  
DH> A dangerously narrow paradigm.  But one you quite obviously subscribe 
DH> to.  I disagree with you Matt, but rather than get sucked into a host 
DH> of messages that beat this topic into the ground I'll concede that we 
DH> see things differently.  Fortunately many of my kids teachers (4 
DH> daughters in grades 1 through 11) *have* treated them as customers 
DH> and 
DH> it has been a part of why the girls have thrived in school and 
DH> continue 
DH> to enjoy it.  I will also admit that they've had teachers that 
DH> treated 
DH> them no better than (to use your example) a vet would treat a dog 
    My vet treats my dog _very_ well, which is why he keeps seeing her.  His 
quality has a lot to do with why customers with _choice_ (unlike public 
school parents) keep bringing their dogs back and made him this town's 
most-used vet.
    I don't know about this county, but the superintendent in the neighboring 
county says 3/4 of citizens there do not have kids in public schools.  You 
cannot win a tax referendum based solely on the votes of the other 1/4, which 
is why public education must show some value to its full customer base 
(taxpaying citizens) or _die_.
DH> BTW, I don't think I ever asked...do you have children in the K12 
DH> system?
    No kids, and don't want any.
--- Simplex BBS (v1.07.00Beta [DOS])
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