After reading Thursday's Collegian editorial in regards to Bush's education proposal, I felt it necessary to point out the flaws in your argument. First of all, Bush's proposal is the first new idea we have heard in decades.

Throwing money at failing school districts clearly does nothing, but most Democrats, some moderate Republicans, and the Collegian Board of Opinion seem to think that this strategy works.

Sorry, folks, it's time for a change in policy. Look at the Philadelphia schools for example. The state throws more and more money into the system every year, and the results continually get worse. Inner city schools are not educating, they are babysitting more often than not.

The Collegian asks, "Are those [inner city] children expected to accept the fact that their school is failing while children of upper-middle class families have the option of attending private school?" This is a perfect example of horrible journalism. Think about it: Upper middle class families always have the option of attending private school. Under this new proposal, those in the worst rated schools will be given money for private schooling. This means Republicans are willing to bring the poorest inner city kids into the same rich private schools to which they send their own children, but most Democrats are up in arms about this.

The word here is "irony" for those of you from the Republicans-are-all-rich-aristocratic-snobs school of thought.

This education plan is rapidly gaining bi-partisan support. Even Sen. Edward Kennedy, a notoriously liberal Democrat, now stands behind it with confidence. Questioning conservative ideas is healthy, but it is intellectually irresponsible to be narrow-minded and dismiss ideas before even thinking about them, just because they are labelled conservative.