No one said they had to attend a particular church, but they do have to regularly attend services at a specific type of church - Christian. And the viewpoint taught at the school is a very specific, very fundamentalist, bible-as-fact (not interpretation) form of Christianity that is not all encompassing at all.
gidadxs3, The vouchers are given to kids who are in a school that has been in academic emergency for a number of years. They determine this by holding them to certain, specific standards. The schools are then given a report card, a rating, and that is made public. You can go online and find it and the Vindicator even publishes them. What you cannot find, however, are YCS's results. Youngstown Christian is not held to these same standards. Do they take the same tests? What were they rated by the state? (Or, ANY of the schools that receive vouchers for that matter.) They do not have to take the same tests b/c they are a private school. It's a double standard. Here, you have to meet these criteria or else we'll take your funding and give it to these people over here who don't have to meet the criteria or even attempt it. That's the reason that public schools spend time teaching to standardized tests. Because if they don't, they'll lose funding to a school that doesn't even have to take them. And that's not even factoring in that these schools get to recruit only the students that are doing well. The public schools do not have that luxury.
I think a few people here are very confused as to how our tax system works. It's not like a savings account. "Well, this is mine, I'm going to take it and spend it where I want." Think about it, what if you like the police or road department in the neighboring town better? Do you think you should get to say, Hey, send my money to them, and the can come plow my street when it snows? What if I'm paying tax dollars and don't have any kids in the school system? Can't I take that money and just put it towards my car payment? No. It doesn't work like that.
There is a place where you have a say in how your tax money gets spent. It's called a voting booth. The taxpayers should get to decide which schools the vouchers can be used at, or even if they should exist at all. Taxpayer money, taxpayers decide. Your money, you decide.
And Activist, when so-called "Christians" say that to someone who they disagree with, it's a way of putting them down while still looking holier than thou and hiding behind their religion. If you actually had concern for the person and felt that your prayers were beneficial, you could do that on your own. Announcing it is only you forcing your beliefs on someone else. And "You need it"? Hmm. I think there's a little something in the bible about not judging others, isn't there? Well, how would I know. I went to public school.
Education_Voter, you seem to be one of the few voices of reason on this post. Again. It's not about one religion vs. another, mine is better than yours. It's about school funding and taxpayer money. (Though, the fact that "Darwinism" is taught as a "religion of the world" and not a universally accepted scientific theory is beyond frightening.) How has this school proven itself better than the city schools it is taking funding from?
OK, after reading the comments here, I think people are getting a little defensive over their religion and missing the point entirely.
I don't think anyone has a problem with YOU sending your child to a Christian school so long as YOU are paying for it. If that's what you feel is best, then go for it. The problem comes in when you use taxpayer's money to send your child to a school that mandates regularly attending a Christian church and teaches fundamental Christian principles. Separation of church and state? Don't think so.
Additionally, I can go online and look up any public school's testing results. I can check Youngstown, Poland, etc and see how they stack up against each other, as well as public schools across the state. Where are YCS's results? Why can't I find those? Shouldn't they be held to the same standards and public scrutiny as the schools they are taking funding from? Seems unfair that they get the money, but not the accountability.
VOUCHING FOR VOUCHERS
No one said they had to attend a particular church, but they do have to regularly attend services at a specific type of church - Christian.
And the viewpoint taught at the school is a very specific, very fundamentalist, bible-as-fact (not interpretation) form of Christianity that is not all encompassing at all.
February 17, 2009 at 1:54 p.m. permalink suggest removal
VOUCHING FOR VOUCHERS
gidadxs3,
The vouchers are given to kids who are in a school that has been in academic emergency for a number of years. They determine this by holding them to certain, specific standards. The schools are then given a report card, a rating, and that is made public. You can go online and find it and the Vindicator even publishes them.
What you cannot find, however, are YCS's results.
Youngstown Christian is not held to these same standards. Do they take the same tests? What were they rated by the state? (Or, ANY of the schools that receive vouchers for that matter.) They do not have to take the same tests b/c they are a private school.
It's a double standard. Here, you have to meet these criteria or else we'll take your funding and give it to these people over here who don't have to meet the criteria or even attempt it.
That's the reason that public schools spend time teaching to standardized tests.
Because if they don't, they'll lose funding to a school that doesn't even have to take them.
And that's not even factoring in that these schools get to recruit only the students that are doing well. The public schools do not have that luxury.
February 13, 2009 at 11:30 a.m. permalink suggest removal
VOUCHING FOR VOUCHERS
I think a few people here are very confused as to how our tax system works. It's not like a savings account. "Well, this is mine, I'm going to take it and spend it where I want." Think about it, what if you like the police or road department in the neighboring town better? Do you think you should get to say, Hey, send my money to them, and the can come plow my street when it snows?
What if I'm paying tax dollars and don't have any kids in the school system? Can't I take that money and just put it towards my car payment?
No. It doesn't work like that.
There is a place where you have a say in how your tax money gets spent. It's called a voting booth. The taxpayers should get to decide which schools the vouchers can be used at, or even if they should exist at all. Taxpayer money, taxpayers decide. Your money, you decide.
And Activist, when so-called "Christians" say that to someone who they disagree with, it's a way of putting them down while still looking holier than thou and hiding behind their religion. If you actually had concern for the person and felt that your prayers were beneficial, you could do that on your own. Announcing it is only you forcing your beliefs on someone else. And "You need it"? Hmm. I think there's a little something in the bible about not judging others, isn't there? Well, how would I know. I went to public school.
February 12, 2009 at 12:31 p.m. permalink suggest removal
VOUCHING FOR VOUCHERS
Great, saved, but if you're going to continue to post, could you maybe turn off cap locks and address the actual issue at hand?
February 11, 2009 at 5:17 p.m. permalink suggest removal
VOUCHING FOR VOUCHERS
Education_Voter, you seem to be one of the few voices of reason on this post.
Again. It's not about one religion vs. another, mine is better than yours.
It's about school funding and taxpayer money. (Though, the fact that "Darwinism" is taught as a "religion of the world" and not a universally accepted scientific theory is beyond frightening.)
How has this school proven itself better than the city schools it is taking funding from?
February 11, 2009 at 5:04 p.m. permalink suggest removal
VOUCHING FOR VOUCHERS
OK, after reading the comments here, I think people are getting a little defensive over their religion and missing the point entirely.
I don't think anyone has a problem with YOU sending your child to a Christian school so long as YOU are paying for it. If that's what you feel is best, then go for it. The problem comes in when you use taxpayer's money to send your child to a school that mandates regularly attending a Christian church and teaches fundamental Christian principles. Separation of church and state? Don't think so.
Additionally, I can go online and look up any public school's testing results. I can check Youngstown, Poland, etc and see how they stack up against each other, as well as public schools across the state. Where are YCS's results? Why can't I find those? Shouldn't they be held to the same standards and public scrutiny as the schools they are taking funding from? Seems unfair that they get the money, but not the accountability.
February 11, 2009 at 4:06 p.m. permalink suggest removal