CB> is true that people who want to privatize public education, perhaps 
CB> by 
CB> introducing vouchers, are exploiting the difficulties with student 
CB> achievement. But the fact that  conservatives exploit these problems 
    The main thing driving the exodus to private schools in some districts in 
North Carolina is not achievement, it's _disorder_.  Parents in the troubled 
Guilford County Schools know their kid will learn just fine if he's the 
(typical) upper-middle-class kid, because he'll be in the "bright" 
classes...but they are tired and _scared_ of the constant disorder.
    It's not a drive for vouchers.  These parents aren't waiting, just 
getting their kids out of the Guilford County Schools at their own expense.
    This is not an issue arising in counties like Alamance where achievement 
is no better but disorder is minimal.
CB> is no 
CB> evidence that conservatives have manufactured them. Neither do 
CB> problems 
CB> with achievement lead inexorably to vouchers. 
    Statistics on enrollment growth in North Carolina find private-school 
enrollment growing 13 times faster than public-school enrollment, without 
vouchers.  The middle-class exodus from public schools in troubled districts 
will continue without vouchers.
CB> none of these countries use vouchers.  
    Not exactly true.
    Israel has both a regular public school system and a religious tax-funded 
public school system.  France subsidizes parochial schools.
--- Simplex BBS (v1.07.00Beta [DOS])
---------------