Community Chat

[Starpolisher]

@noodleann @hckynut 

I think some have obviously forgotten why we have public schools, so I will condense it by saying it is to educate the future workforce. Both my sons went to Catholic school. Dh and I are retired. While neither of us likes paying the high cost of our property taxes(we live in NJ) we realize it's merit.

Without public schools, our future workforce would suffer, because most people can’t afford to send their children to private schools. And yes, a well-educated workforce requires an investment. I believe it would be safe to say that you benefit daily by having a well-educated workforce. Policemen, mechanics, nurses, cooks, waitstaff, cashiers, builders, plumbers, electricians, to name a few, all need to read, write and perform mathematics.

Furthermore, an educated workforce is our only hope for a future that does not include massive poverty and the crime associated with it. I’d much rather pay school taxes than pay for prisons. 

The idea that people without children have no responsibility for the education of children in general seems misguided to me. Those without children benefit from the education of the general population in profound and direct ways.

It seems obvious that better-educated people will better support themselves and contribute more effectively to the economy and general well-being of their town, state, and country. I’d far rather live among a population with the sense of personal directedness, civic responsibility and empathy that a good education should bring — not to mention the ability to sift responsibly through the options in the voting booth. Sure, a formal education isn’t essential in every case for such qualities, but it should help among people in general.

The number and nature of the amenities in public schools can be argued, as can the possibilities for relief for taxpayers who are overly strained.

But no matter how you look at it, education costs money. And it’s in every citizen’s interest.

Lastly, because I come from a working-class family, my parents could not afford private school, so I’m grateful for my public school education. It was my only hope for a respectable future.

Thank you school taxpayers.