Debate Guidelines
Educational Debate Topics
Quick Poll: Are you happy with the education you or your child received from an American Public School?
Quick Poll: Which direction is American Public Education moving?
Quick Poll: Did you feel that the 2008 Presidential Candidates considered education a priority in their campaigns and vision for America?
Quick Poll: Do you think American Public Education needs a complete overhaul, just some modifications or is fine the way it is?
Quick Poll: If you had the choice of the level of American government that would have the most influence over your public school which would it be? (select one)
Quick Poll: How would you rate the overall quality of teaching your public school?
Quick Poll: How would rate the quality of leadership in your public school?
Quick Poll: Do you believe that either you or your child is learning in public school what is needed in order to be productive and engaged citizens in the 21st Century?
Quick Poll: Do you believe that the current school funding formula (primarily property taxes) is fair and equitable for all public schools?
Quick Poll: Do you think all American public schools should spend the same amount on educating a child or should it be left up to the individual school districts?
Quick Poll: Do we spend too much, too little or just the right amount on American Public Education?
Debate Archive
Subscribe To This Debate
Posts
Comments
1 comments:
No we are not currently funding schools fairly. Most school funding comes from property taxes and if a school is located in a more affluent neighborhood, where houses have a higher property value, then that school will receive significantly more funding than the school on the "other side of the tracks", where many of the residents live in apartments of duplexes. This enables those with money to receive more educational tools and thus a better education than those who are living with less means.
How can we make it fair? Well, this is a BIG question because the answer requires a rethinking of how we value our children. Currently a significant amount of funding is spent on jails, prisons, rehabilitation and reintroduction programs, drug counseling, etc. Imagine if we invested that money in the children in their early years so they wouldn't chose a life of crime or drugs. The money we currently spend on treating a problem could be spent on preventing a problem altogether. That means less police needed, very few jails or prisons, and more high quality schools with current learning tools and technologies, and maybe we could even pay our teachers more.
As far as who will pay for it, may I suggest that each working person pays an equal percentage of their annual income so that those who make very little only have to contribute a little(though they still have to contribute), and those that make a lot contribute a larger sum. The total monies would be put in a general pot that would then be evenly distributed throughout the states and country, so that every school at each level receives an fair(by fair, I mean that each school received what it needs to create students that can compete in the 21st century) amount of funding that would suit their needs, which would then need to be highly regulated to prevent corruption and make sure the students are benefiting directly from our tax dollars.
In the end , there will be far less people with little because they receives a good education that enabled them to pursue a higher paying job or career. There will also be far less people with a ridiculous amount of wealth(even if they did work for it), and more people with a comfortable income(i.e. middle class).
Post a Comment