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From: mark@cbosgd.UUCP (Mark Horton)
Newsgroups: talk.politics.misc,net.kids
Subject: Re: Taxing Schools Etc. (paranoid educational establishment)
Message-ID: <2546@cbosgd.UUCP>
Date: Sun, 14-Sep-86 19:50:23 EDT
Article-I.D.: cbosgd.2546
Posted: Sun Sep 14 19:50:23 1986
Date-Received: Mon, 15-Sep-86 02:14:47 EDT
References: <3107@umcp-cs.UUCP> <2655@burdvax.UUCP>
Organization: AT&T Bell Laboratories, Columbus, Oh
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Xref: mnetor talk.politics.misc:89 net.kids:2792

In article <2655@burdvax.UUCP> devonst@burdvax.UUCP (Tom Albrecht) writes:
>Secretary of Education Bennett relates the story of a school system in the
>midwest that set up a sort of magnet school specializing in the humanities.
>The educational possibilities were so superior to other schools in the same
>system that four times as many students applied as there were
>openings in the school.  So what did the benighted school officials do?
>Did they open another school or two in order to accommodate the demand for
>quality education?  No, they shut down the new school because they said it
>was "unworkable".  This sort of story only points out the utter failure of
>public education.

I'll see your anecdote, and back it up with specifics:

From the Sept 11, 1986 Columbus (Ohio) Dispatch:

	"Children in private schools may begin trickling back to
	Columbus Public Schools if a proposed reorganization becomes
	reality...  The reorganization ... includes plans to add 15
	alternative schools to the existing 10.

	"John Grossman, head of the teachers union, said he thinks the
	district could compete much more aggressively with private
	schools under the redesign because it would offer more
	choices.  ...

	"The plan would make elementary schools kindergarten through
	fifth grades, reduce the number of children bused for
	desegregation and reopen five vacant schools.  It would go into
	effect the 1978-88 school year.

	"Thirteen kinds of alternative school programs would be
	fofered, including schools centered on French and Spanish,
	international studies, sports, and the Montessori approach.
	The final form of the reorganization will be decided after the
	district holds public hearings in the next few weeks."

Background: Columbus schools were the first in the nation to undergo
forced busing for desegregation, and there's been a steady flight to
the suburbs ever since.  A deal was cut this summer whereby people who
live in a suburban school district but are in the (somewhat extended)
city limits of Columbus [this includes me] cannot be annexed into the
Columbus school district, and hence cannot be bussed across town.
(In return, Columbus gets some of the tax base from such regions,
and is expected to annex any future developments that are annexed
into the city.  Also, there is a provision for students to attend
a different district if there's a program they want in the other
district.)

Columbus "alternative schools" run the gamit of choices, including
gifted programs.  They have a good reputation.

Columbus is the largest city in Ohio, with a population of about
750,000, and roughly twice that number in the county.

Ohio schools are in fat city the past few years, because a large
chunk of the state lottery proceeds are earmarked for the schools.

	Mark