Pot calling the kettle black. This voucher crap (read a way to funnel public money into religous schools) really makes me mad. If all public schools were equally funded per student and teachers given merit pay it would be a good start to fixing what's wrong with this country.

Stupidity is not cool.

Being educated doesn't make you an elitist.

If this country doesn't significantly improve our educational standards the future is lost.

Grrr...I am ranting...anyway...hat's off to another idiot supporter of vouchers and his lies.

Sen. Jim DeMint (R-SC) — a longtime cheerleader for vouchers — suggested that students in D.C. public schools are more likely to join gangs than graduate.

“If you send a kid to [public] school in D.C., chances are that they will end up in a gang rather than graduating,” he said.

City officials were quick to respond, noting that “gross misjudgments like that one” bolster the argument for giving D.C. full voting rights in the House.

In fact, nearly 70 percent of D.C. students graduated last year, putting the District “in line with the national average,” while Sen. DeMint’s home state of South Carolina had a graduation rate of “almost 56 percent,” the fourth worst in the nation.

hmmmmmmmmmmmm

merit pay won't happen

the schools are all hostage to the Teachers Unions and students are just considered to be life support mechanisms for the unions

Fun facts of another politician incapable of connecting himself with the rest of the world outside his own agenda.

yep

They shouldnt allow them to spend voucher money on religious schools. Only public schools.

The man sounds crooked and uneducated. two thumbs down for being a controdictive moron, senator! Time to put higher standards to where you live and not worry soo much about what other area's are doing, especially when the other ares's seem to superceed yours! Sounds like theyre leaders are doing theyre job as opposed to you!.

I agree.

S.C. is a Fed Welfare State with a very high illegal immigrant problem.
For every dollar S.C.'s pay in income tax, they receive $1.35 in Fed aid! Girls can legally marry at a younger than average age, and they probably have a very high teen pregnancy rate. Which, tends to increase the drop-out rate.
Still they are better off than you'd think.

I can understand criticizing the language, but criticizing a program that actually works is more offensive.

Public schools are a failure. Not all of them, but most of them. Why don't you advocates of "change" actually want to try some when it comes to education?

Are you really opposed to giving minority kids, in probably the worst school district in America, an opportunity to go to a private charter school and actually have a chance of making it out of that hell hole?

You should be ashamed.

We arnt going to allow the republicans to end the public school system so that only the rich can get an educationIt aint gonna happen.

S.C. also has an educational lottery.
They also have a large black community.
Probably one of the poorest black communities in the country.

Educational lottery?

Dear Fellow South Carolinians:

Welcome to the South Carolina Education Lottery’s (SCEL) website. Our mission is to enhance educational funding in South Carolina through the fun and entertaining games and products we offer to adults. We hope you enjoy learning more about us as you explore this site.

Our Lottery opened for business in January 2002. Successful from the outset, today our Lottery is a world-class organization, setting records and receiving recognition from industry and business groups.

http://www.sceducationlottery.com/lottery/lottery.aspx

New Mexico does that too

every kid graduating high school in New Mexico is guaranteed a two year scholarship based on lottery funds

NC just started one about a year ago.

Where the Money Goes

In August 2005, Gov. Mike Easley signed into law the North Carolina State Lottery Act (H. 1023) and the 2005 Appropriations Act (S. 622) which established the North Carolina Education Lottery. View Legislation.

The State Lottery Act, in order to increase and maximize the available revenues for education purposes, prescribes the following guidelines as to how each lottery dollar will be spent which are to be adhered to the extent practicable. Retailers receive a 7% commission for selling tickets. Up to 8% may be spent on administration. At least 50% will be paid out in prizes and as nearly as practicable 35% will be transferred to the Education Lottery Fund at the Office of State Budget and Management. 100% of the net proceeds of the North Carolina Education Lottery go to education programs.

FY '08 Beneficiary Brochure
FY '07 Beneficiary Brochure
The breakdown of the net proceeds to education flow as follows:
5 percent goes to the Education Lottery Reserve Fund to be used when lottery proceeds fall short of target. The Reserve Fund may not exceed $50 million.

The commission shall distribute the remaining net revenue of the Education Lottery Fund in accordance with the Lottery Act. The Office of State Budget and Management will then distribute the proceeds as follows:


50 percent of the total remainder shall be used for reduction of class size ratios in early grades to 18 children per teacher and for prekindergarten programs for at-risk four year olds who would not otherwise be served in high-quality settings.
http://www.ncpublicschools.org/
40 percent of the total remainder shall be used for school construction. Roughly 65 percent of this total shall be distributed to each county based on total school enrollment. The remaining 35 percent of this total shall be distributed to each county with average effective county property tax rates above the state average based on total school enrollment.
http://www.schoolclearinghouse.org/
10 percent of the total remainder shall be used for college scholarships for students who qualify for the federal Pell Grant. These scholarships can be used at North Carolina public and private universities and community colleges.
http://www.ncseaa.edu/

http://www.nc-educationlottery.org/about_where-the-money-goes.aspx

Fantastic pic think2deep!

It says it all!

But don't forget...as Sarah and Joe the Plumber along with so many others are fond of saying...if you are a person who has pursued a higher education and succeed...you are an elitist.

Remember when that was called The American Dream?

Lei e' cosi pieno di esso!!!!...