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[Tvoivozhd <tvoivozd AT infionline.net>]

DSanner106 AT aol.com wrote:

> The fact is, money is not nearly the factor it is considered to be by 
> a large portion of the liberal political machine. Parents and their 
> level of care and involvement with their childrens education, are the 
> largest determing factor. Parents, rich and poor, can produce good 
> students, regardless of the money spent in their school district. As 
> long as the money is there to put books in their hands, a chair to sit 
> in , and an adequate instructor, the child can excell. Why do private 
> schools traditionally do a better job of turning out good students? 
> Because the parents have made an investment in their child and are 
> more likely to follow up on that investment. They want to be sure 
> their money is well spent. When parents send their child off to public 
> school and the money spent is government money, they unfortunately, 
> don't even bother to show up at pta meetings, converse with teachers, 
> or help their children at home. Is a used car purchased from a former 
> owner more or less likely to have been mistreated than a rental car? I 
> think we all know that the attitude of people changes when they have a 
> financial stake in anything and education follows that pattern. How do 
> we solve it then? Not by throwing more government money. We have to 
> involve the parents in the process somehow.
>  
> Drew
>
> tvoivozhd---as always there is the carrot and stick approach.  In some 
> countries there is a financial penalty to voters that don't show up at the 
> voting booth, reward if they do.
>  

It would work equally well for PTA meetings or school meetings with 
teaching staff.  It would probably be necessary toapply the same carrot 
and stick to employers, most of whom do not approve of or permit time 
off for voting, or family leave if they feel they can get away with 
it---you know the same attitude toward parent school duties prevzils.

Nothing like financial incentive to induce change---just make it big 
enough to be irresistable.  But don't hold your breath, no politician is 
going to alienate his faithful bribers.