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From: mrh@cybvax0.UUCP (Mike Huybensz)
Newsgroups: net.politics
Subject: Re: Public Schools, Equality and Democracy
Message-ID: <753@cybvax0.UUCP>
Date: Mon, 16-Sep-85 14:05:19 EDT
Article-I.D.: cybvax0.753
Posted: Mon Sep 16 14:05:19 1985
Date-Received: Thu, 19-Sep-85 07:31:40 EDT
References: <11254@rochester.UUCP> <7800424@inmet.UUCP> <722@cybvax0.UUCP> <703@whuxl.UUCP> <5889@cbscc.UUCP>
Reply-To: mrh@cybvax0.UUCP (Mike Huybensz)
Organization: Cybermation, Inc., Cambridge, MA
Lines: 51

In article <5889@cbscc.UUCP> pmd@cbscc.UUCP (Paul Dubuc) writes:
> >> There is also the danger of forming a powerful industry, which would
> >> lobby in its own economic interests, rather than in the interests of
> >> the students or the public.  You would see the rise of industry giants,
> >> as we see in automobiles, fast-food, hospitals, etc.  Do you want the only
> >> nearby school to be as responsive as a McDonalds?
> 
> The danger Mike is talking about is not inherent to the rise of private
> schools.  The National Education Assoc.  (NEA)  Has tremendous political
> clout, for example.  I don't think the public schools provide any hedge
> against the abuses Mike is talking about.  Large influential organizations
> like the NEA have very significant influence on both the national and
> local level.

Of course public schools provide the hedge I am talking about: they are not
members of the NEA or any other industry association.  Nor do they provide
funds for them.

> I would not think that the public school board would have much more
> reason to be responsive to the community than the local private school.
> Private schools may be more sensitive.  Their funding depends on it.

The public school boards have to be responsive because they are elected.
Their membership changes if they are not responsive.  Private schools
may not be as responsive for a variety of reasons.  For example, if the
school's customers are geographically distributed, it may be impossible
to organize opposition to school policies which may be more profitable
than the loss of one or two "troublemaking" customers (who won't be able
to organize or even locate the other parents.)  If the school is the only
one locally, there is no alternative for the parents, so they cannot vote
effectively with their dollars.  There are some cases where the schools
would be responsive: but I am reluctant to create new avenues for systematic
abuses like the two mentioned above.

> Private schools are much more numerous when we get into higher education.
> Have we seen Mike's fears realized in this segment of the educational
> system?

The cases are not analogous for a vast number of important reasons.
First, because of government tax incentives, nearly all private colleges
are non-profit.  Second, nearly all private colleges are resident colleges,
not community colleges: thus their student base IS mobile and unconstrained
in its choices.  Third, because of competition with highly subsidized
public colleges, it is not very profitable to run a college.  Fourth,
the students at college age are fully franchised adults, who can make a
much more serious stink about conditions at college than younger students
(because they know more about their rights, have higher expectations, more
status, etc.)  I could go on.
-- 

Mike Huybensz		...decvax!genrad!mit-eddie!cybvax0!mrh


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