I must take exception to the comments of Robert Taylor (Readers' Forum, June 24) when he suggests that the rules of capitalism, if applied to education, would improve the system and its output.
I believe in the principles of capitalism, but teaching is not a business. It is an art. The "raw materials" I get in my classroom every year come from a wide variety of backgrounds with all kinds of different experiences and issues.
We in public education will never be able to compete with the private sector because we don't have the option of hand-picking these raw materials. We are bound by laws and policies that the private sector can often ignore. Those who are able to pay for private education will always have more choices. Vouchers will not solve this problem because those most in need of the assistance couldn't pay for the remainder of the tuition anyway.
Do we need to make changes in the way we currently do things in the public schools? Certainly. Will taking our very limited resources and spreading them even thinner in the guise of "competition" help solve those problems and improve the system for all students? I don't think so.
Karen Longmore
Orem