In article ,
 "Hyerdahl"  wrote:

> peoplesim wrote:
> > mark_sobolewski{at}yahoo.com wrote:
>
> > > Indeed.  And it's the private sector supplying them.  Decent public
> > > schools, when they are available, come at a huge cost
> > > in the form of property taxes that make it more difficult
> > > for the middle class.
> >
> > Not only that, despite skyrocketing house prices and property
> > tax revenue, municipalities still can't keep their school
> > districts funded. Since taxes are rising much faster than
> > inflation + population growth, insufficient funds can't be
> > the reason for this problem.
> >
> > Another problem is the constant harping on "class size" as a
> > panacea for scholastic excellence, when it's really about
> > expanding union membership. In the private sector, an employee
> > who demanded more pay and less work would get laughed out of
> > the office, yet teacher's unions agitating for smaller class
> > sizes mysteriously retain respectability.
>
> I don't really think the problem is smaller class size per se.  Schools
> need to be run more like businesses.  :-)  I know Mark will like this.

Indeed.  Since businesses largely are voluntary and non
taxpayer funded enterprises. :-)

Also, one problem may be the lack of "diversity":
There are few men teachers.  Perhaps discrimination by
female teachers and administrator is to blame? :-)

> Basically, one teacher can control four classes while the other three
> teachers do pull out programs.  I've seen this work in Utah schools.
> It's a team approach, allowing all of the teachers to do what they do
> best, serving the needs of each student who may learn in a different
> way from each other.    The other way to accomplish the same thing is
> to make sure each teacher has an aide.

By "pull out programs" are you talking about "special ed?"

And how are you talking about pull out programs as somehow
making a school system more "businesslike?"

regards,
Mark Sobolewski


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