| Have you ever asked yourself, "is it enough just | | | | administrative tasks involved in trying to apply a |
| to get my high school diploma?" A high school | | | | single system to countless scenarios is exhausting |
| diploma is an extremely important credential for | | | | educational funds. Not to mention how much of |
| job hunting but with the development of the GED | | | | funding goes to athletics programs as opposed to |
| system to its current 2002 revision, a diploma is | | | | intellectual pursuits. |
| not all that it used to be. High GED scores may | | | | For students whose only mantra is, "get my high |
| even trump a diploma from a public school. | | | | school diploma," it is time to realize that a young |
| It's tempting to attribute this harsh reality to the | | | | adult's education is much too important to be left |
| lack of government funding for public education | | | | up to a system that has to accommodate 3.2 |
| that actually goes to teaching. A study done in | | | | million students (to graduate in 2009). Just as a |
| 2006 suggests that Arizona's public schools spend | | | | public defender assigned to criminal defendants, |
| 50% more per student than Arizona's private | | | | public schools should be left to people who can't |
| schools. Yet parents of low income minority | | | | afford to pay for education. |
| students that have received government | | | | However, the most affordable solution would be |
| vouchers to attend private schools claim that | | | | online schooling. There are many accredited |
| private schools provide a much better education. | | | | private online education institutions meet and even |
| Where does all the funding go? The study also | | | | government-mandated education standards, which |
| says that while teachers constitute 72% of the | | | | ensures that students can receive the high quality |
| employees at private schools, they make up less | | | | education they deserve. |
| than half of the staff at public schools. The | | | | |