www.suntimes.com/output/news/highschool24.html?hmm

Daley proposes 5th year for high schools


August 24, 2006

BY FRAN SPIELMAN



Mayor Daley suggested Thursday that high school be extended for a fifth year to defray college education costs now squeezing working poor and middle-class families.

Unless something is done to loosen the college tuition collar, Daley warned that the “birth rate will go down in the United States and our knowledge-based economy will not grow.”

That’s how critical he believes it is to find some way to bring down the skyrocketing cost of a college education at a time when the federal government has raised the interest rate on student loans.

“You hear families today [say], ‘I’m only going to have one or two kids. College is going to cost you. If you go to a private school, it’s forty-, fifty-, sixty, seventy thousand dollars. What happens to the rest of society who can’t afford that? That’s bad for this country. It’s bad for the future of this country. You’re basically looking whether or not you have another child because of the cost of higher education,” Daley said.

“America had better come to grips with this….If we’re a land of opportunity and we want to be a knowledge-based society and we want to compete against India and China, we had better educate our children. These young kids should not be worried about financial assistance — all worried in the [senior] year. Every principal will tell you that. They’re in their offices trying to figure out, ‘Can I get $500? Can I get $1,000, $1,500?’ We have to set our priorities and our priorities should be giving everyone an opportunity to go to college….I hope in 2008 there is a huge national debate on that issue alone.”

Daley had no shortage of ideas when asked what he believes should be done to bring down the rising cost of a college education.

“Well, I think we better reevaluate what college could be all about, maybe — whether it’s four years or should it be three years? Whether, basically, we should look at high schools and extend high school for a fifth year and basically have that fifth year through the state — that one year to really help them through the state system. There’s a lot of ways you can look at it,” he said.

“Now, we have students in senior year who are qualified who are taking college courses and get credit for that. That’s what you’re looking at. There’s a lot of different avenues to look at…There’s experts out there. We have all the experts you want in higher education. They should evaluate that and look at it…We have studied elementary and high school. You’re going to hear from principals saying, ‘Why don’t we study higher ed? Why can’t they do a better job?’ ”

The mayor’s proposal to saddle the state with the cost of a fifth year of high school education comes at a time when both candidates for governor are grappling with ways to increase education funding.

Gov. Blagojevich wants to sell or lease the Illinois Lottery. Republican challenger Judy Baar Topinka is proposing a land-based Chicago casino and increased gaming postions at the state’s nine riverboat casinos.

The mayor offered no details on how he would pay for a fifth year of high school.

Daley unleashed his tirade about the cost of a college education after defending his decision to allow St. Xavier University on Chicago’s Southwest Side to send out a recruitment letter signed by Daley on the mayor’s official letterhead with a return address that reads “Mayor’s Office.”

Daley said he’s been doing it for five years because St. Xavier officials asked him to do it. And he’d be willing to do the same for other colleges and universities that never asked.

The mayor’s sister, Pat Daley Martino, is a graduate and former employee of St. Xavier’s. The mayor’s parents, former Mayor Richard J. and Eleanor “Sis” Daley, reportedly donated the stained glass windows that adorn the St. Xavier library.

“Why, were you upset about that?….I’d do it for any school,” he said.

soooo...

Lets make sure they are learning in thier current 4 years of high school and stop pushing them along in the system.

Quoted: why, they aren't teaching them anything during the other 4

Hell,they can't keep kids from dropping out with just 4 years of HS;& he wants to make it 5?

the “birth rate will go down in the United States

Now I don't have the stats in front of me, but anictodal evidence says that more educated folks tend to have less kids than say...welfare families.

Richie Daley is a bully, a crook and a liar and every day he spends out of jail for bulldozing Meigs Field in the middle of the night under JBT guard because the legal process would have been "needlessly contentious" is a knee to the groin of the criminal justice system.

Who said parents should be responsible for paying for their childrens collage tuition?  That's a crappy reason.  Student loans are easy to get, and if you're willing to work while in school, it can be done.  I work 40 hours a week while in school full time.  Yeah, it sucks donkey balls, but I'm an adult now and if I want an education, I need to be willing to work for it.  I graduate in 3 semesters and have NO student loans.  Now med school on the other hand...

What they ought to do is start teaching useful things in HS that can actually get you a job.

Quoted: Richie Daley is a bully, a crook and a liar and every day he spends out of jail for bulldozing Meigs Field in the middle of the night under JBT guard because the legal process would have been "needlessly contentious" is a knee to the groin of the criminal justice system.

And with federal airport improvement funds to boot.  

Quoted: why, they aren't teaching them anything during the other 4

No shit.


Wouldn't it be easier to offer more grants and student loans?

When will that fool be thrown out on his ear.

Why not? If you can't indoctrinate these future constituents in 13 years of government schools, how else do you propose to deliver kool-aid a group of future liberal voters?




roy d.....maybe more money, also?

Quoted: Quoted: Richie Daley is a bully, a crook and a liar and every day he spends out of jail for bulldozing Meigs Field in the middle of the night under JBT guard because the legal process would have been "needlessly contentious" is a knee to the groin of the criminal justice system. And with federal airport improvement funds to boot.

Didn't he claim that people were scared when they saw aircraft downtown after Sept 11th?

I wonder if I could use the "needlessly contentious" defense in court.  I am suprised he didn't end up infront of a judge for that comment.

 

Yeah, that'll go over like a hand grenade in a crowded theater.  

If you haven't learned it in 4yrs how you gonna do it in 5.

Chicago really, really, really NEEDS to get rid of Mayor Dumbass.
John

Quoted: the “birth rate will go down in the United States Now I don't have the stats in front of me, but anictodal evidence says that more educated folks tend to have less kids than say...welfare families.

So all they have to do is put EVERYBODY on welfare.