Word: public-schools
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...recent Supreme Court ruling against a Texas high school's prayers before football games, Justice John Paul Stevens wrote, "[P]regame prayer has the improper effect of coercing those present to participate in an act of religious worship." The public-school district had argued that attendance at football games was voluntary and "decidedly extracurricular." Because I played high school football in Texas in the 1980s, one aspect of Justice Stevens' majority response to this distinction struck home to me. By pointing out that "team members themselves" have to be there, he defended those of us who were simply feverish...
...abandoned high school into a dormitory that would house students and faculty. The renovation alone would cost $10 million, while the school's annual operating budget would reach about $2 million. A few years ago, my dad went so far as to circulate this idea among national legislators and educators. Many found it intriguing but said it was too expensive. My dad doesn't mention it much anymore. It's unfortunate, but I think he's given up hope and started to think mostly about his retirement. I've heard it said that public-school systems are where all good...
...average starting salary for U.S. teachers is around $26,600; the average for public-school teachers, who are generally more highly paid than their private-school counterparts, is about $40,600. Averages are misleading, though, because some districts pay much higher salaries, even for novice teachers...
Walter Milancuk's public-school horror story began early, when his son Derrick spent kindergarten in an overcrowded roomful of students who regularly fought in class and cursed the teacher. Milancuk wanted to transfer Derrick, but his salary as a forklift driver couldn't cover private-school tuition. Yet Milancuk found a way out, thanks to Cleveland's pioneering school-voucher program, which granted him close to $1,500 in state funds to help enroll Derrick at St. Stanislaus, a nearby Catholic school. Now Derrick wears a crisp uniform. His reading has improved. And the weekly Mass and Bible study...
However, research shows that voucher systems in Cleveland and Milwaukee were not effective. Cleveland voucher students did markedly worse than their public-school counterparts on standard tests. Mark Peterson's studies used to support alleged gains by voucher students have been criticized for serious sampling errors and unfair comparisons...