Re: [Phys-L] Economist Hirschman's Argument Against Private Schools and Vouchers

[marx@phy.ilstu.edu]

Milton Friedman was correct.  Richard, you apparently haven't dealt with any school
district lately.  They do not listen to any comments, concerns, complaints, requests
of parents.  They are totally controlled by the federal government now.  It has
completely removed any ability of local voices to be heard on any issue.

There is no single issue that can be addressed to improve schools.  There is a wide
array of issues, but the driving force to correct them will not come from on high. 
I must come from the stakeholders - parents that care enough about their children's
education to make sure they get a good one.  Parents that do care would be able to
take their children and put them into a private school without having to pay twice
for that education - in taxes and tuition.




> Some subscribers to Phys-L might be interested in a recent post
> "Economist Hirschman's Argument Against Private Schools and Vouchers"
> [Hake (2013)].  The abstract reads:
>
> ********************************************
> ABSTRACT: Bernard Cleyet (2013) in his PhysLrnR post "Another
> argument against private schools and vouchers," called attention to
> Malcolm Gladwell's (2013) "New Yorker" review titled "The Gift of
> Doubt: Albert O. Hirschman and the power of failure"
> <http://nyr.kr/19Hj0e7>. This is a review of Jeremy Adleman's (2013)
> "Worldly Philosopher: The Odyssey of Albert O. Hirschman"
> <http://bit.ly/18nlsFa>.
>
> Hirschman's argument against private schools and vouchers is
> contained in this passage from Gladwell (paraphrased; my CAPS):
>
> "Hirschman quoted the conservative economist Milton Friedman who
> argued that SCHOOL VOUCHERS SHOULD REPLACE THE CURRENT PUBLIC-SCHOOL
> SYSTEM, writing 'Parents could express their views about schools
> directly, by withdrawing their children from one school and sending
> them to another.'
>
> Hirschman commented: 'a near perfect example of the ECONOMIST'S BIAS
> IN FAVOR OF EXIT AND AGAINST VOICE: In the first place, Friedman
> considers withdrawal or exit as the 'direct' way of expressing one's
> unfavorable views of an organization. A person less well trained in
> economics might naively suggest that the direct way of expressing
> views is to express them! Secondly, the decision to voice one's views
> and efforts to make them prevail are contemptuously referred to by
> Friedman as a resort to 'cumbrous political channels.'  But what else
> is the political, and indeed the democratic, process than the
> digging, the use, and hopefully the slow improvement of these very
> channels?"
> ********************************************
>
> To access the complete 8 kB post please click on <http://yhoo.it/14G8T2j> .
>
> Richard Hake, Emeritus Professor of Physics, Indiana University
> Links to Articles: <http://bit.ly/a6M5y0>
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> "Even when our trust is heavily placed in them, reasoning and
> education cannot easily prove powerful enough to bring us actually to
> do anything, unless in addition we train our Soul by experience for
> the course on which we would set her; for if we do not, when the time
> comes for action she will undoubtedly find herself impeded."
> - Michel de Montaigne (quoted by Adelman (2013) in his frontispiece)
>
>
> REFERENCES [URL's shortened by <http://bit.ly/> and accessed on 30 June 2013.]
> Hake, R.R. 2013. "Economist Hirschman's Argument Against Private
> Schools and Vouchers," online on the OPEN! Net-Gold archives at
> <http://yhoo.it/14G8T2j>. Post of 30 Jun 2013 07:04:51-0700 to AERA-L
> and Net-Gold. The abstract and link to the complete post are being
> distributed to various discussion lists and are also on my blog
> "Hake'sEdStuff" at <http://bit.ly/158hAVk> with a provision for
> comments.
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