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Public Vs Public Education: Private Vs. Public

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Meshack Mtango
Professor Kimokoti
Final Paper
April 27, 2014

“Private vs. Public”

Education is fundamental in today’s society. It has become a sought after medium for attaining success. Many careers have set specific educational requirements for a person to even be considered for employment. The education that one receives can be achieved through different types of institutes. Many parents face the conundrum of sending their children to the right institution that will aid in their child’s future success. The choices seem to be in abundance but many people find themselves limited to a short list of obtainable institutions. The parents have a great deal of things that need to be thought through. This may require factors that have to be considered. Some of the factors include the following: curriculum, class sizes, cost and school’s quality but these are some questions that stand out. Does the type of school really help performance? Are there factors that hinder one type of institution from thriving? These decisions are crucial and, for the most part, will determine the type of institution the child will receive his or hers knowledge from.

Education is defined as the “discipline that is concerned with methods of teaching and learning in school or school-like environments as opposed to various non-formal and informal means of socialization.”(Encyclopedia Britannica, 2008). If one really looks at education, he or she will realize how broad it actually is. Education extends beyond the notion that it is merely for knowledge alone. It is imperative that one view education in an analytical perspective. Mr. Smith suggests that “we must also ensure that students develop critical thinking skills.” Critical thinking is a definite must ...

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...school rather than public schools.”(School Vouchers, 2013) These scholarships provide an opportunity for low-income or disabled students to have a private alternative for his or hers education. The opportunity scholarships allow those who can’t afford a private education to experience being in a higher performing school but is this a guarantee? One might argue that public schools are governed by regulations that “inhibit performance.”(Christopher and Weitzel, 2008) It is true that public schools are governed by the federal regulations but they still offer a competitive edge against their private school counterparts. Vouchers have not been received so joyously by all. The controversy of using vouchers to “redirect public funds to private organization, including religiously affiliated private schools.” This controversy shows a depiction of linking church and state.

In this essay, the author

  • Explains that public and private schools have their similarities and differences that, in the end, develop a student’s mind.
  • Explains that education is a sought-after medium for attaining success in today's society, and that it is meant for the passing of knowledge and enhancing future generations.
  • Explains the differences between public and private schools. public schools are required to accept every child regardless of their academic ability. private schools, on average, maintain a low student body.
  • Explains that 90 percent of parents would not consider a private education if financial aid was not available. vouchers are state-funded scholarships that pay for students to attend private school rather than public schools.
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    • Argues that vouchers violate the first amendment of the constitution. the u.s. supreme court will address the cleveland scholarship program's constitutionality.
    • Compares the cost of tuition at a religiously-affiliated private school with that at non-religious private schools. the founders of the cleveland scholarship program argue that city parents are in no way encouraged to send their kids to religious schools
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  • What School Vouchers Are
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    Currently, there are only two voucher programs that exist within the United States. However, the topic is of much debate in communities around the country. Both the Milwaukee program and the Cleveland program are meant to help lower income families receive the best available education (Maranto, Milliman, Hess, & Gresham, 1999, p. 19). These school vouchers are supported on the basis that education will be improved for all children given parental choice and a competition between pubic and private schools (Coulson, 1998). This reform represents a “shift of educational auth...

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    • Examines the effects of school vouchers, as a type of educational reform, on all aspects of society.
    • Explains school vouchers are a form of educational reform that redirects the flow of funding from school districts to individual families. they give parents the opportunity to send their child to private school with the help of state money.
    • Argues that school vouchers should not be favored since they take money away from a public service.
    • Argues that instead of giving money to some children to help them succeed, the government should support public schools and provide an adequate education for all children.
    • Argues that vouchers promote competition in education, but there is no evidence that this is true. public schools must accept every child regardless of social, economic or physical disabilities.
    • Explains that voucher programs threaten values vital to american democracy. voucher programs force citizens to pay for religious education in schools with narrow parochial agendas. the wisconsin supreme court ruled that the milwaukee voucher program does not violate any constitutions
    • Explains that school vouchers are the least practical form of reform for education. they take money away from public schools and are opposed by much american society.
    • Argues that if voucher programs were to be integrated into american society, many of our children's education would be compromised.
    • Analyzes how coulson discusses the pros and cons of school vouchers. he does not give an opinion, but states the facts that both sides of the argument use.
    • Cites gibelman, lens, and lens's article, "entering the debate about school vouchers."
    • Explains that gibelman and lens say that it is hard to debate whether or not vouchers really work. there is little research done on the effects of voucher and their success.
    • States good, t., and braden, j. the great school debate. mahwah, new jersey: lawrence erlbaum associates.
    • Analyzes how good and braden discuss why school vouchers are not a good choice for american schools. they argue that instead we should look into the reasons that children are failing at certain tasks.
    • Explains that the national education association discusses the idea of keeping money within the public school districts. they strongly agree in improving public schools rather than giving money to private schools through the voucher program.
    • Opines that senate gop sets new voucher strategy. washington post, b01. retrieved november 17, 2003 from www.washingtonpost.com
    • Cites hsu, s., "republicans revive d.c. voucher plan". washington post, b01. retrieved november 17, 2003 from www.washingtonpost.com
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    • Opines that macedo, tamir, y. (2002). moral and political education.
    • Explains that macedo and tamir argue that instead of taking money from the public schools and giving it to private ones, money should be used to help create better schools.
    • Explains maranto, milliman, hess, and gresham's school choice in the real world: lessons from arizona charter schools.
    • Explains that the book consists of many articles about charter schools, a concept similar to school vouchers. s discussed the many types of reform in relation to the publics opposition to them.
    • Opines that no to school vouchers: don't tax americans to pay for religious schools.
    • Explains that voucher programs support church schools, and that the constitution bans taxation for religion, but taxpayers are being taxed to support churches.
    • Explains that americans united for separation of church and state discuss the myths that people perceive when they hear about school vouchers.
    • Explains raywid, m., the case for public schools of choice. bloomington, indiana: phi delta kappa educational foundation.
    • Analyzes how raywid discusses the idea of school choice within public schools, which is different from school vouchers.
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    • Opines that smith and meier strongly oppose school choice as a means of school reform.
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  • voucher program
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    • Opines that the voucher program is targeted at low-income families in urban settings. they argue that it is a responsibility for school options to take part in these settings, to the advantage of students desperate for high standard schools.
    • Explains that voucher programs are subsidized by tax-creditability contributions instead of directly by the government.
    • Argues that vouchers will enhance educational opening for voucher users and prompt development in public schools that compete for students with private schools.
    • Describes the florida tax credit scholarship program, which offers dollar-for-dollar tax credits to organizations that make contributions to scholarship funding organizations.
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  • Critical Thinking Theory
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    It is a source of education and a powerful resource in the life of every individual and in social life. Despite the fact that the identification and analysis of critical thinking skills are beyond the boundaries of a single discipline or subject, the learning and application of these skills require possession of certain knowledge. The value of critical thinking is lost if it is treated as a list of logical operations, and the possession of certain knowledge is regarded simply as a collection of information. The investigation of the relationship of a value judgment and the actual use may lead to a new assessment of the need for common concepts of critical thinking and the possession of certain knowledge in education (Paul,

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    • Explains the explanation and proof of the position (arguments "for" or "against") on the basis of acquired knowledge (word processing).
    • Explains the critical analysis and assessment of the political, economic and social situations in the region, country, foreign countries, and the world (management, production, finance, education, health, sports, culture).
    • Analyzes the discussion of scientific and journalistic articles, reviews of the internet, a comparative analysis of theories drawn from specific occupational fields.
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    • Explains that critical thinking develops productively during writing assignments, such as essays, research reports, abstracts, creative writing, job synthesis, a summary of the reading material, and review of own and others’ works, essays and theses.
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    • Describes the second stage of critical thinking, which included emotions, intuition, and imagination. the third phase began in the 90-ies of 20th century.
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  • What Parents Look at When Choosing a Public/Private School
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    What Parents Look at When Choosing a Public/Private School Education is an institution that parents want to control as a way to insure/provide their children with the best education possible. Parent control/choice has slowly regressed from the colonial era where they could choose not only the school their child attended but also the textbooks used and the curriculum taught (McDonald 2001). Parents still obtain the right to choose the school that best tailors their child’s special uniqueness and educational needs, but due to social diversities and expansions parents have many factors that they now must take into consideration before choosing the best kind of school for their child (Russell 2001). Complexity, diversity, and financial status are some of the main denunciating factors many parents look into when choosing a public or private school for their child. Complexities such as size, distance, and classes are huge factors that parents look at when choosing their child’s school.

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    • Analyzes the factors parents look at when choosing a public/private school for their child, including complexity, diversity, and financial status.
    • Explains that parents look at factors such as size, distance, and classes when choosing their child's school. private schools have more complicating factors involving student admission than public schools.
    • Explains that private schools are located farther away from students' homes, thus causing the complicating factor of transportation, which can complicate parents' decision for their child's schooling drastically.
    • Explains the factors parents look at when choosing a school for their child, such as the type of teacher, the teaching style, and staff quality.
    • Explains that block scheduling is when each semester is broken into time frames where certain classes are taken. alternating and consistent daily schedules restrict the number of courses students can take.
    • Explains how the supreme court ruled that religion could no longer be taught in public schools, while private schools maintained a lack of diversity.
    • Explains that self-selection bias states that people choose to go to schools with other people of similar social/ethnic backgrounds. private schools flourished to heighten peer influence in aspirations, vocabulary, and academic bias
    • Explains that diversity can weaken education because parents of middle-class families would rather have their children go to school with other middle-high-class families than low-income families. private schools cannot be the only ones to blame.
    • Explains magnet schools are schools that focus on particular subjects and choose their students by lottery/testing. many parents with children who need greater challenges/assistance in math are drawn to attend these schools.
    • Explains alternative schools are similar to magnet schools, but they focus on specific needs. charter schools accept state funds to provide higher-levels of schooling in low-income areas.
    • Explains that money is an arbitrating factor in life. parents want the best schooling for their children but no matter what in one way or another, money calls the shots.
    • Explains that federal income tax credits/deductions help parents offset the cost of textbooks, tutoring, home computers, and school tuition, but they cannot offer students as much money as educational vouchers can.
    • Explains that scholarships can be seen in the same negative/positive view as vouchers. the children's charitable trust and pave (parents advancing values in education) have helped many low-income families.
    • Opines that private schools produce better cognitive outcomes than public schools because each school varies with the area and the amount of financial support they receive.
    • Explains that brookings discusses the cause and effects of public/private community schools, backed by statistical information.
    • Explains that schools and staffing in the united states: a statistical profile, 1993-94, explores cognitive public/private school results in academic achievement and effectiveness.
    • Reviews good's book, the great school debate: choice, vouchers, and charters. thomas compares public education to how productive today’s society is in the united states.
    • Analyzes viteritti's book choosing equality: school choice, the constitution, and civil society.
    • Analyzes how johnston's article portrays a parents opinion on the public and private school systems in the united states.
    • Analyzes how kahlenberg discusses james coleman's theories expressed in his 1966 educational report.
    • Explains mcdonald's article in wilson select conveys his belief that parents in the united states base their children’s public/private educations on two concepts: compulsory government in education and financial factors involving alternatives.
    • Analyzes poetter's wilson select article, which provides a wide range of pros/cons that agree/disagree with america’s position on school choice.
    • Analyzes russell's article, found in wilson select databases, on school choice, religious settings, and parent run advocacy groups.
    • Analyzes how elliot compares parents' complacent attitudes on the educational systems in different countries.
    • Analyzes how smith page discusses the positive outcomes (both academically and in the home) of allowing parents to choose their children's teachers.
    • Compares the canadian educational system to the school systems found in america.
    • Explains that the book of public polling conveys united states citizens changing opinions over the last three decades.
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