We have vouchers for higher education

This is from one of my favorite blogs about an argument for school vouchers.

The Washington Monthly

And yet, despite its thoroughness, it somehow fails to address the single biggest problem with school vouchers: oversight. If you’re going to receive taxpayer dollars, then you have to agree to taxpayer oversight. That means that NCLB applies to you. It means that minimum state curriculum requirements apply to you. It means that teacher union rules apply to you. It means you have a lot less authority to pick and choose which kids you’re willing to accept.

Well, what Kevin Drum says would appear to be true except that it doesn’t seem to apply to higher education. Right now, the federal government will give you money to attend a private college, perhaps even run by a religious organization with no oversight in terms of graduation rates, teacher qualifications, or curriculum. Basically, the colleges have say they don’t discriminate and that they’re accredited by one of a number of accrediting agencies.

Individuals have to take a certain number of hours but I’m not even sure they have to pass all of their classes to receive the grant. But there’s no guarantee that they will be admitted to selective schools and if the money you get from the government isn’t enough to pay for some schools, too bad.

Of course, the higher education system could probably use some more accountability but it is an example of government financing private schools with minimal oversight.

Technorati Tags: school vouchers, accountability

Teaching them to think right

MySA.com: Metro | State

Writing research papers with citations, explaining plate tectonics and probing why historians have competing versions of the past.

Such high level skills could become part of the statewide K-12 public school curriculum if state education officials adopt a draft of college readiness standards released Thursday by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board.

You mean that the Texas State Board of Education is willing to give it’s emphasis on indoctrination for the development of actual thinking skills? You can read more on the Board’s attempt to control “doctrine” here.

I can already see it though. McLeroy and his fellow conservatives could use this as the springboard for “teaching the controversy” about evolution and intelligent design. Somehow, it wouldn’t be appropriate to “teach the controversy” over the role of slavery in the US or something like the internment of Japanese Americans in World War II. Nor, I suspect, would he be eager to teach the different approaches to reducing teenage pregnancy.

And what does he mean by the following:

MySA.com: Metro | State

“We really don’t need to do any of this for our advantaged (youth) and high achievers,” said Don McLeroy, chairman of the State Board of Education. “I look at it from the aspect of what do the disadvantaged, low achievers need? Those are the ones we want to pull up.”

Does he have evidence that students from well-to-do districts aren’t showing up in any of the colleges remedial classes? If he does, he better show it otherwise he has made the same sort of assumption about the value of money that got our former TEA commissioner to leave office.

Technorati Tags: Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, Texas State Board of Education, TAKS, Don McLeroy

San Antonio School District College Nights

Announcements

Judson ISD College Fair

The 21st annual Judson ISD College Fair is Oct. 9 at Wagner High School from 7-8:30 p.m. The fair is designed to help families begin planning for college. Ninth through twelfth grade students—and their parents–can visit with representatives from dozens of state and national colleges and universities.

“College representatives will provide educational information about their campuses and share helpful tools to plan for college,” said Blanca Muniz, Wagner High School college counselor.

“All area high school students are welcome to attend,” Muniz said. For more information, contact Ms. Muniz at 662-5000, ext. 1594.

San Antonio Homeschool Event

NISD College Night at UTSA

10/9/2007 Tuesday

6:00:00 PM

Northside ISD will hold its annual College Night at the University of Texas at San Antonio Loop 1604 campus from 6 to 8:30 p.m. Oct. 9. Please refer to the publicity flyer (More Info link) for recommended times. Please plan to park at the Farris Athletic Complex on Loop 1604. Buses will shuttle participants to and from UTSA every 15 minutes from 5:45 to 9 p.m. http://www.nisd.net/calendar/eve/2556

San Antonio Homeschool Event

NEISD Hosts College Night

10/10/2007 Wednesday

6:00:00 PM

Students and parents are invited to attend College Night on October 10, 2007 from 6-9 p.m. at the Piper Bass Student Center and Littleton Gym at Blossom Athletic Center. College Night is an annual event that brings more than 100 colleges from around the United States directly to North East ISD students and their parents. Local-area colleges will have representatives in the Piper Bass student center, and out-of-area colleges will be in Littleton Gym. For more information on College Night, contact Linda Pratt at collegenight@neisd.net.

Technorati Tags: College Nights, San Antonio

San Antonio SAT Prep

Announcements

SAT Prep Class

Offered by: Pauline Bauml (math) and Cayce Yarbrough (language)

Both of these teachers are well known, respected and valued in the home school community. Studies have shown that prep courses will boost students’ test scores significantly and, with these two teachers, your student will look forward to these beneficial classes.

Location: Our Lady of the Lake University, Metz Building

Dates: Oct. 27, Nov. 3, Nov. 10 and Nov. 17, 2007

Time: 9:00 am – 12:00 noon

On-time fee: $150 plus $20 registration fee

Walk-in fee: $150 plus $40 registration fee

All material provided.

To register: mail $20 registration fee to Pauline Bauml. Must be postmarked by Oct. 17, 2007 to be “on-time.” Please do not mail after this date.

For questions or to register, please contact Pauline Bauml:

9130 Oak Downs

San Antonio, TX 78230

(210) 287-1898