Competition is already present in public schools

On graduation day, May 31, former state Sen. Fred Carl had a letter published in this paper arguing that increased competition between public and private schools would have a win/win result for both types of school. My interpretation of Mr. Carl’s point was that if parents whose children went to private school didn’t have to contribute property taxes to the public system, fear of losing students and money would motivate the public schools to do a better job.

There are several points on which I agree with Mr. Carl, but as a teacher with an insider’s view, there are several points that I feel compelled to respectfully challenge.

We do live in a competitive world, and like-it-or-not, it is a good idea to learn how to step up to the plate and compete, lest we get eaten in a dog-eat-dog scenario. I would point out though that public schools already compete: We engage in positive competition with other schools, other regions, and with our own standards of excellence. We also compete with negative factors such as drug abuse, changing family demographics, poverty, malnutrition, popular culture, television, and my pet peeve — misuse of digital devices.  Yes, schools have plenty of competition, some of it constructive and other destructive.

In my opinion, the number one cause of so-called “bone headedness” that Mr. Carl refers to is the improper use of portable digital devices. Today’s students spend an inordinate amount of time thinking about incoming communications and planning outgoing communications. Worse, they go to great lengths to conceal communications during class. As a result they are unable to get into “the zone” as far as learning goes.

I believe Mr. Carl raises the legitimate question of tax fairness — is it fair for parents who want their kids to go to private school to have to pay also for public schools? I understand that it may be hard to afford taxes and tuition for private schools, and that getting a tax break might be helpful, but... if we did have a “cafeteria tax system,” we all should be able to opt out of paying for things we don’t use or believe in. Is this a conversation worth having, or would it lead to chaos?

Mr. Carl goes on to make a very broad and general statement, “progress is always accomplished through competition. Competition creates innovation and better products... along with the desire to do better, improvements in everything come from competition.” It is true that some people are born competitors, but is also true that there are others who shy away from competition.

Just as there are introverts and extroverts, there are those who are motivated intrinsically, and those who are motivated extrinsically. It is important to acknowledge diversity in this matter. Further, I am uncomfortable comparing students to “products.” I prefer to think of students as “human beings” rather than widgets.

I thought that Mr. Carl’s article was a very useful article because it inspired me to think of ways to help students step up and get ready for a competitive world. It also inspired me to seek solutions to the problem of digital addiction. I do not feel that skimming away financial resources from public schools to pay for private schools would attain the desired result.

Competition has its place, and is useful for some people. In contrast however, consider the following quote by Dr. Batmanghelidj, M.D., author of “Water for Health, Healing and Life”:

“Altruism and selfishness are both characteristics and mechanisms of self-protection. Selfish traits compel us to self-indulge at the expense of others. When a society is made up of mostly such people, a vicious circle of chaos will develop. Altruism, on the other hand, is the quality and product of unselfishness, prompting endeavors that benefit society and humankind, the survival and progress of which also serve the altruist.”

Support public education — it is a matter of community pride and dignity. The quality of our schools is a reflection of our current attitudes, and will be judged by future generations as they look back.

Eckels, of Kalispell, teaches guitar in School District 5 high schools.