Kokomo — Public, private schools together?
One of the main complaints about private schools and homeschooling is the lost revenue for the public schools. Each student that chooses an alternative takes thousands of dollars from the public school. It was bad enough when nobody received the money. However, now that private schools are receiving the money from vouchers, there are a lot of people who are very upset.
What most people don’t know is that alternative education has a major struggle of its own. There are a lot of parents who would be interested in alternatives to the public school classroom; however, they are not willing to give up all the extra-curricular opportunities. Sure small private schools and homeschooling has proven itself to be academically effective; however, they can’t compete with the quantity of programs offered by the public schools.
I am going to propose something which would solve both problems. It would be great if the public schools could partner with small private schools and homeschoolers. Allow the public school to receive all the money they would have received if the students had enrolled, and allow those choosing an alternative to have access to all the extra-curricular opportunities.
The public school will get all the money, and the students outside the public school will have access to the social interaction many believe they don’t get from alternative education.
I know there is at least one local superintendent who is open to such an arrangement, and I have spoken to our state congressmen who also believe it is a good idea. Perhaps it won’t be long before public and private schools could actually be working together.
Matthew W. Turner
Kokomo
A nation walking in the shadows
On the anniversary of September 11, 2001, I hope we haven’t forgotten to pray for: the people that were lost, the injured and the ones who have emotional scars that they will be remembering on this day.
As I was taking my evening walk after the attack on our nation, I was reflecting on the past two days: the torment so many of the people in America were going through in our darkest hour.
Since the sun had been at my back, I hadn’t noticed that it was an exceptionally bright sunset. As I turned the corner, the houses cast long dark shadows on the sidewalk that crossed the street. I was walking in one of the shadows. In between the houses, the sun cast brilliant beams on the bushes and flowers, as I thought they were being spotlighted for their final hour of beauty for the day.
I began to think that is how our lives are, sometimes we walk in shadows and sometimes we walk in the brilliant sunlight. As Americans, we are accustomed to living in the bright light of our freedom all of the time.
When bombings, earthquakes, flood and disasters occur in other countries, we are some of the first to offer aid. We watch in horror on television and feel compassion for the unfortunate.
After September 11, 2001, we will always remember that we no longer take our freedom for granted. We are able to have a deeper compassion for the suffering.
Everyone I have talked to feels a degree of illness after watching the horror of 9/11 on television.
We have to keep a watchful eye out for our neighbor next door and be more aware of what is going on around us. We need to be more involved in our neighborhoods.
Right now, Americans are walking in a dark shadow that has been cast by some evil acts over our country. But, just as the sun shown in between the houses so will the sun shine in our lives once again. No one can stop the sun from shining on America.
We are a Christian nation. Together we must pray for fellow Americans in New York and in our neighborhoods counting our blessing every day for the life style so many of us have enjoyed living in a free country.
Annette Bergman
Kokomo
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