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MOsby holds the type of position that I entrust my 8th graders when they go on to high school. Since I teach children with varying learning disabilities, those with mild to moderate retardation, emotional disturbances, or physical handicaps, it is folks like her that transition these kids from school to well, adult life. She's actually not a teacher, but something even more important. She's the last public employee responsible for helping a child with a 75 IQ get a job, housing, a bank account, and his modified diploma when his parents either won't or can't. She's the one that helps my bright, but learning disabled kids pinpoint what tests they must pass so that they can enter a community college or (in my case here in VA) the military. She's the one that explains the mystery of banking, financing, renting, obtaining utilities for an apartment, bus schedules, often times to kids who end up knowing these things better than their adult parents.

Most people here look at education from the top down - as in they are at the top educationally and so are their children. The best types of parents are here on this board. If we had a community made up of any random 1000 freepers, we would probably blow the lid off the scales in terms of ability and achievement in terms of our children.

But MOsby and I look at the educational system from the bottom up. I could list dozens of system wide problems and yes, in even a semi-perfect world a series of small schools and tutoring situations would be ideal. But because we work with the kids who often have no one at home that gives them more then 10 minutes of notice a week, we are therefore cautious of any wholesale changes that puts these kids further at risk. As bad as the system is, it is currently the best thing in the lives of millions of children. And in a very large way, that's very sad.

Now, in my own two girls, the public schools were a good choice, but honestly if schools hadn't existed, my husband and I make enough and know enough, they would have both been fine - but I think we are the exception and not the rule.

BTW, that is where I disagree with many posters. Many believe that if schools didn't exist, parents would just 'figure' out a way to get their child educated. I'm not that optimistic. Without some form of public schools, I firmly believe that millions and millions and millions of kids would be completely illiterate - and that's scary. Illiterate citizens are easily controlled by a dictator and our great country would be unrecognizable in a generation or two.

I support any idea in education as long as it protects those whose parents will not or can not protect them. That's why I teach who and what I teach, so that maybe each year I send out a dozen or so kids that have a chance to break the cycle. I've been teaching long enough now that I'm starting to hear back from graduates - the overwhelming majority have gone into the military, one died in Iraq, one lost a limb, 4 are leaving Monday, many others are around the world. Some are just folks working and I'm touched when they email or call and ask for advice on 'what books should I be reading to her now?" or "He's 3, should he know his alphabet? I don't want him to struggle like I did." None of these kids could read within 5 levels of their grade when I got them when they were 12. I take credit for their success in only one way - I showed them how to read and I motivated them to work, but they did everything else. There was no magic or anything mysterious in what I did - I just did my job. I love my students and I'm proud of them.

I would guarantee you that every conservative teacher on this forum could share stories like this, much more meaningful than mine. So while some may look at it as propping up a failed system, they get to do that from a position of far above what any of my students will ever have financially or intellectually. I just do my job, stay away from the moonbats at school, and use my influence 180 days of the year to create literacy where there was none before.

If we substantially reduce the public school system, many of us who oppose that system are quite eager to work hard at the creation of alternatives and at funding sources and at budgeting.

I will grant you that special education situations have so far proven a real challenge in the private school program where my wife works. Recently one star student developed a need for very expensive medication to function in the classroom. My relatively new and poor (inner city) Knights of Columbus Council ponied up the first month's cost and we will convince four other councils to share 20% of the cost each month without anyone outside the school knowing the identity of the child. All we have to know is that his need is genuine and that the remedy is within our means before we let the kid depend on us. This is charity in the sense of Christian love (derived from the Latin caritas). As to the first month, the Knights present at a small meeting came up with the cash out of their pockets at the meeting. We would not be able to do that for dozens of kids but we can do what we can and we do. We will learn to do more. Many of the students at the school receive scholarship assistance through community generosity unfettered by constitutional restraints that apply to government institutions.

My wife's private school has tried to educate at least one profoundly emotionally disabled student but failed and was not afraid to try or to admit failure. This is not about the school's pride but about the best interests of the student who needed people highly trained in such problems as the student presented.

I cannot imagine any one being so callous as to resist the provision of first rate services including education to kids with special needs. As the late Governor Robert Casey of Pennsylvania once stated: "Those much less fortunate are part of our human family. Of course, we will care for them." I would fight against any effort to leave those kids behind. There are things more important than mere money. Those of you who are on the front lines on behalf of those kids deserve whatever you get and a lot more and you deserve the thankful respect of us all.

Also, reality suggests that the public schools will not evaporate suddenly. There will be transition. The toughest stage will be the last when the remaining kids will have the worst family situations as likely as not. Right now, we deal with kids from reasonably motivated families and often very religious families as well. I think of it as necessary that these kids be formed into a well-educated and motivated cadre to reclaim our society. If we cannot succeed with them, we will succeed with no one. If it works for them, we can expand the circle of students served. We now have a few non-Catholic students just as Catholic schools used to have when I attended them. We exempt them from religion classes if they wish but the nature of the school is such that history and literature courses will have a Catholic orientation. No one seems offended yet. I imagine it is easier for a parent from a reformed church to explain to the child the differences between Catholicism and Reformation churches than to fight secular humanism or bad schools generally. I have usually taken the position that I would send my kids to a good school that is a Reformation school where the proprietors have a reasonably respectful attitude than to send them to a bad "Catholic" school under the thumb of some feminist liberal Sister Mary Pantsuit with an agenda and an attitude.

I thoroughly agree that we do not want armies of illiterates roaming the land. Many kids in parochial schools under Sister Mary Pantsuit are in as much danger as any public school kid. Many are literate and some are not in each system.

In any event, God bless you all.