SOTU?

[Dalyn]

Income tax is how we operate. How we keep the lights turned on everyday. How we keep social order and how we, educate our kids.

On top of the ridiculous % of my income that goes to taxes, I also pay $300+/month school tax.

 

[Dalyn]

Because those that have less have every opportunity to have more.

That isn't really true right now. Part of the reason, like I mentioned before, is education.

 

[thethe]

That isn't really true right now. Part of the reason, like I mentioned before, is education.

I just disagree. I think everyone makes a choice whether or not to take secondary education seriously. Some think its cool not to care about school. Thats their prerogative. Its not my responsibility to now help support that person.

 

[Dalyn]

The reason they are where they are is because they get a lot for free. Nothing motivates someone more than if their livelihood is at stake.

You can have all the motivation in the world and if you have to have three jobs because minimum wage is so low you'll never have the time or money to better yourself. Some of you are still operating like this all works just like it did forty years ago (or even twenty). It doesn't. Banks sabotaged the lower middle class and destroyed their foundation and removed the level of society you could reach where education and starting a small business was an option.

 

[thethe]

You can have all the motivation in the world and if you have to have three jobs because minimum wage is so low you'll never have the time or money to better yourself. Some of you are still operating like this all works just like it did forty years ago (or even twenty). It doesn't. Banks sabotaged the lower middle class and destroyed their foundation and removed the level of society you could reach where education and starting a small business was an option.

I'm with in that the middle class is the group that is really getting screwed in this country.

I just resent the fact that we have all these social welfare programs when in reality its not hard to get out of poverty into the lower portion of the middle class.

 

[Dalyn]

I just disagree. I think everyone makes a choice whether or not to take secondary education seriously. Some think its cool not to care about school. Thats their prerogative. Its not my responsibility to now help support that person.

It isn't their prerogative. That's bull****. They are screwed at birth and their environment beats them down and skimps on their education their whole young adult life and thinking they're worthless stops becoming their prerogative long before they even know what that word means.

 

[Dalyn]

I'm with in that the middle class is the group that is really getting screwed in this country.

I just resent the fact that we have all these social welfare programs when in reality its not hard to get out of poverty into the lower portion of the middle class.

Those social welfare programs keep what used to be the lower middle class alive. And that isn't even coming close to scraping the bottom of the barrel.

 

[thethe]

It isn't their prerogative. That's bull****. They are screwed at birth and their environment beats them down and skimps on their education their whole young adult life and thinking they're worthless stops becoming their prerogative long before they even know what that word means.

We are just going to have to disagree on that. I still believe that a person makes a choice whether or not they care about education. I've done observations at schools in my early years when I wanted to be a teacher in east new york and the support system is there for the students that show up and show a willingness to listen. All those kids come from rough upbringings.

 

[Tapate50]

On top of the ridiculous % of my income that goes to taxes, I also pay $300+/month school tax.

Decent schools?

Our local schools are awful. So for the gov't inability to put out a decent product, I get to pay for private school. But that is a deciscion I'll make gladly. That is the best gift I can give my kids. My wife and I made it a priority and will do without x,y, and z in order to make that happen when that time comes.

 

[Dalyn]

Decent schools?

Our local schools are awful. So for the gov't inability to put out a decent product, I get to pay for private school. But that is a deciscion I'll make gladly. That is the best gift I can give my kids. My wife and I made it a priority and will do without x,y, and z in order to make that happen when that time comes.

It sure doesn't feel like they are decent. Straight A students who can't do basic math in their head and are taught to the tests. Typical education in America right now.

Good decision going private, I'm sure, and I am sincerely happy for you and your kids that the option is there for you.

 

[Tapate50]

It sure doesn't feel like they are decent. Straight A students who can't do basic math in their head and are taught to the tests. Typical education in America right now.

Good decision going private, I'm sure, and I am sincerely happy for you and your kids that the option is there for you.

Public is a joke here. Just not a real choice...its made for you really.

I really wish the system were better here. Doesn't benefit anyone, but then again throwing money at it doesn't seem to be beneficial either.

 

[Hawk]

Decent schools?

Our local schools are awful. So for the gov't inability to put out a decent product, I get to pay for private school. But that is a deciscion I'll make gladly. That is the best gift I can give my kids. My wife and I made it a priority and will do without x,y, and z in order to make that happen when that time comes.

The primary school education rankings in the state I grew up in, South Carolina, are consistently ranked literally dead last in the nation. To my parents, public schools were never even a consideration -- I watched them literally break their backs to send my sister and I to the best private school in our county (which was roughly $50K a year for the two of us). This on top of their paying taxes for other children to be educated in a system that was (and still is) plagued with mismanagement, over-spending, and other assorted problems. They simply couldn't afford to put much away for our college educations, and we were both met with more disadvantage when it came time to apply for university because neither of us qualified for significant government financial aid due to my parents income. IIRC, I qualified for $2500 from the state, for my freshman year only, out of proceeds from the lottery, only if I attended an in-state school. I graduated from a top 10 institution one state over (which ironically has some of the best education rankings in the country) and received nothing except scholarship money, which was a pittance considering tuition ($45K per annum) and living expenses. I won't even go into the costs of graduate school, which is another absurdity in the climb toward academic acceptance.

Now, I am getting screwed as a millenial and, for tax purposes, an independent contractor, who relies heavily on capital gains to supplement my own personal income as well as pay my employees.

It's like I can't catch a break.

 

[Dalyn]

We are just going to have to disagree on that. I still believe that a person makes a choice whether or not they care about education. I've done observations at schools in my early years when I wanted to be a teacher in east new york and the support system is there for the students that show up and show a willingness to listen. All those kids come from rough upbringings.

There are exceptions, thankfully. But you are kidding yourself if you think everyone has a choice, let alone the same choice.

 

[Dalyn]

The primary school education rankings in the state I grew up in, South Carolina, are consistently ranked literally dead last in the nation. To my parents, public schools were never even a consideration -- I watched them literally break their backs to send my sister and I to the best private school in our county (which was roughly $50K a year for the two of us). This on top of their paying taxes for other children to be educated in a system that was (and still is) plagued with mismanagement, over-spending, and other assorted problems. They simply couldn't afford to put much away for our college educations, and we were both met with more disadvantage when it came time to apply for university because neither of us qualified for significant government financial aid due to my parents income. IIRC, I qualified for $2500 from the state, for my freshman year only, out of proceeds from the lottery, only if I attended an in-state school. I graduated from a top 10 institution one state over (which ironically has some of the best education rankings in the country) and received nothing except scholarship money, which was a pittance considering tuition ($45K per annum) and living expenses. I won't even go into the costs of graduate school, which is another absurdity in the climb toward academic acceptance.

Now, I am getting screwed as a millenial and, for tax purposes, an independent contractor, who relies heavily on capital gains to supplement my own personal income as well as pay my employees.

It's like I can't catch a break.

And this is from someone lucky enough to have great (it sounds like) parents.

 

[Dalyn]

The primary school education rankings in the state I grew up in, South Carolina, are consistently ranked literally dead last in the nation. To my parents, public schools were never even a consideration -- I watched them literally break their backs to send my sister and I to the best private school in our county (which was roughly $50K a year for the two of us). This on top of their paying taxes for other children to be educated in a system that was (and still is) plagued with mismanagement, over-spending, and other assorted problems. They simply couldn't afford to put much away for our college educations, and we were both met with more disadvantage when it came time to apply for university because neither of us qualified for significant government financial aid due to my parents income. IIRC, I qualified for $2500 from the state, for my freshman year only, out of proceeds from the lottery, only if I attended an in-state school. I graduated from a top 10 institution one state over (which ironically has some of the best education rankings in the country) and received nothing except scholarship money, which was a pittance considering tuition ($45K per annum) and living expenses. I won't even go into the costs of graduate school, which is another absurdity in the climb toward academic acceptance.

Now, I am getting screwed as a millenial and, for tax purposes, an independent contractor, who relies heavily on capital gains to supplement my own personal income as well as pay my employees.

It's like I can't catch a break.

And this is from someone lucky enough to have great (it sounds like) parents.

The median household income is right around $50k/year. How different would your options have been if your parents couldn't have afforded $50k/year for education?

 

[57Brave]

Imagine the blow-back and how long it will take to re vamp the education system.

We can disagree on how it should be but there is no doubt it is as broken as our health care system. Could be argued more broken

////

My notion is the grade 1-12 system is a carry over from the turn of the 19-20th century. College not only cost but how it is structured is horrendous. Where I am grad students are in affect indentured servants to the professors they are assigned to. . They work up to 100 hours a week on the professors research and teaching with a stipend for pay and no HC , no payed sick or vacation leave and still are expected to carry academic loads. We have discussed the state of public vs private schools. I am familiar with both and really don't see that great of a difference. Certainly in aprivate one has more controll over their environment but at the end, what education gains do you get for the money spent. Because once you leave the private institution you are left to compete in a public square only now without the skills to compete in the public square.

Not even getting into the disparity of inner city vs suburban schools. Progressive states vs the more rural states.

 

[Dalyn]

Banks sabotaged the lower middle class and destroyed their foundation and removed the level of society you could reach where education and starting a small business was an option.

I'm with in that the middle class is the group that is really getting screwed in this country.

I just resent the fact that we have all these social welfare programs when in reality its not hard to get out of poverty into the lower portion of the middle class.

The lower portion of the middle class doesn't exist (not in the way your ideas insinuate). The sabotage basically removed a couple lower rungs on the ladder. It used to be you could make good decisions and be ambitious and not have to get too lucky to climb from the bottom to the middle class. Now your parents and grandparents needed to have made good decisions before you are at the point where you can do the same.

 

[Dalyn]

we were both met with more disadvantage when it came time to apply for university because neither of us qualified for significant government financial aid due to my parents income.

They counted parent income against me, and I moved out when I was 13 and had my own place at 16. It's a ridiculous system.

 

[50PoundHead]

Decent schools?

Our local schools are awful. So for the gov't inability to put out a decent product, I get to pay for private school. But that is a deciscion I'll make gladly. That is the best gift I can give my kids. My wife and I made it a priority and will do without x,y, and z in order to make that happen when that time comes.

The amount of Federal money for most school districts is less than 10% of their total revenue. It's almost exclusively limited to aid for children with disabilities and for children in poverty. If you have gripes with your local school, the problems can be largely traced to state and local government in terms of both funding and instructional choices. You still might want to send your kids to a private school, but the Federal government doesn't have a whole lot to do with the conditions in public schools.

 

[Tapate50]

The amount of Federal money for most school districts is less than 10% of their total revenue. It's almost exclusively limited to aid for children with disabilities and for children in poverty. If you have gripes with your local school, the problems can be largely traced to state and local government in terms of both funding and instructional choices. You still might want to send your kids to a private school, but the Federal government doesn't have a whole lot to do with the conditions in public schools.

State does as well. How much would be Fed and State revenue represent? I didn't intend to mean that the Fed ran my local schools, i just find it hilarious that public school is such a joke, but we think we can do better on a community college level while the public school system crumbles.

We have a new superintendent, and he is pretty rock solid. Change comes from the top. He is working, but not in time to fix anything that will help my own. Not worth risking IMO.