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Permalink Reply by Heather Spoonheim on May 26, 2011 at 7:47am

Years ago I saw a documentary about a state that began focusing almost radically on juvenile delinquency and school attendance.  The theory was that if they could get kids through school before they learned criminal skills then the costs would be recovered through a shrinking prison population.  Apparently the program began to pan out about the time another governor got elected and pulled the plug.

 

I'm looking for that documentary and some source documentation but I hope some one else here can help me out on this.  It seems to me that this program may have been in Florida and Jeb Bush may have been the one to put the kybosh on it.  I've believed in the potential for this strategy for years but I've never found any receptive ears at all.

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Permalink Reply by Robert Karp on May 26, 2011 at 8:15am

HUGE Props to Nathan Bootz!!!!!!!  I'm glad i'm not the only one who thinks this country is backwards.

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Permalink Reply by Shine on May 26, 2011 at 1:26pm

After deciding to go to college at age 26, I soon discovered that a bachelor's degree was going to require significant financial hardship.  I used to joke that I just needed to commit a crime and get sentenced to prison for about five years so that I could get an affordable degree.  This is yet another problem that could be solved by decriminalizing marijuana; all monies spent on incarcerating marijuana offenders could be poured into the public school system.  Of course, that would make entirely too much sense...

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Permalink Reply by Walter Maki on May 27, 2011 at 3:17am

I agree that they should decriminalize marijuana and use the money for the public school system.

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Permalink Reply by oneinfinity on May 26, 2011 at 2:57pm

Capitalism doesn't want the masses to be very well educated. Just enough to think that choosing between a Lincoln Navigator and an Escalade is what freedom is all about.

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Permalink Reply by Eric Youngstrom on May 26, 2011 at 5:49pm

I grew up in Michigan.... Ahhh to think if they would have spent the proper amount of money on me and my education I could have gone on to many great things and received on of those sweet jobs granted to only those with a higher education. As it stands I am a lowly government fun-ployee Electronics Technician.

 

It could have beeb worse I guess.... I could have stayed in Michigan.

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Permalink Reply by M on May 26, 2011 at 7:28pm

I love this.  I live in Idaho, and our governor has some "in" with a computer corporation, so he's cutting all this funding in the schools (getting rid of teachers, sports programs, etc.) so that kids can transition to online learning.  But every child gets an iPad!  I am amazed at the stunning disconnect between the politicians in a state and their people.  This is a rural, redneck state.  The majority of its people are welfare-poor.  You give an uneducated set of parents a computer and expect their children to thrive intellectually-- it's absolutely ludicrous.  I am proud of my community, though, as every year a levy is held asking that the residents agree to a raise in property taxes in order to continue funding the school, and every year it passes.  We are all struggling financially ourselves, but our kids getting a decent education is worth funding.  Maybe I should write a letter like this. 

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Permalink Reply by Walter Maki on May 27, 2011 at 3:26am

I place a high value on teacher to student interaction not via computer. A piece of electronic gear will not tool and steer the children in the right direction. I think they need to unplug from the technology once in a while and see what the real world is like. The kids need to be shown they are worth our time and money. In my household education is held in high regards as we push our kids to achieve and not just accept status quo.

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