Deseret News | Alta High finance class is an eye-opener

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Alta High finance class is an eye-opener

Unbiased? | 4:35 a.m. Nov. 14, 2009

I don't think it was appropriate for this teacher to have her students write a letter to legislators on a subject they know little about.

Health care is not a right, it is a privilege and for those that can afford it. Always has been and always will be. Your right to life depends on how much you can pay, not even government can compensate for it under any socialized health care system. Even government has to limit and does limit how much health care they are willing to pay for.

For this teacher to have students write a letter to politicians on a subject matter with limited and short term class room studies is a means to indoctrinate with political ideas not of their own. I assume this teacher is a firm believer in a socialistic government.

Roy | 6:41 a.m. Nov. 14, 2009

What does the US Constitution say? This Obamacare and most of what DC does or wants is UN-constitutional. Such is left for the states or the people. Socialist programs now in place need to be phased out.
Equal rights does not mean equal things. Suggest the students read "The Revolution: A Manifesto" by Ron Paul, a NY Times Bestseller, and "End the FED" also by Ron Paul. Education is key to improving our affairs. So, keep on learning.
There is hope in Ron's books as he offers much and has submitted legislation, including a bill authorizing audits of the FED that has over 300 co-sponsors in the House and 30 co-sponsors in the Senate for a senate version of the same.

AlmostRight | 6:43 a.m. Nov. 14, 2009

I think the young man is giving the American public more credit than it has proven to deserve. We may have plenty of resources but how have we shown ourselves capable of applying them to such major across-the-board applications as healthcare independantly. It's true, this is the reason it will just get worse.

Comments continue below

Dell | 6:45 a.m. Nov. 14, 2009

Interesting subject and good article. However, journalists who have adopted the term "Great Recession" really unmask themselves as being historically and financially illiterate.

Finance? | 7:21 a.m. Nov. 14, 2009

It sounds like this class is more about political economy than about personal finance. It also seems like more indoctrination than education.

Bill | 9:10 a.m. Nov. 14, 2009

Writing a congressman when one doesn't know what to say makes about as much sense as voting when one doesn't know why the candidate deserves a vote. That seems to be what got us into the problems we face today.

Carrying a bunch of uninformed letters to DC sounds like the teacher is more concerned about her agenda than education.

Ned | 9:11 a.m. Nov. 14, 2009

Could it be we may finally be raising a generation of youth that "gets it"? Hopefully we're working our way past the current entitlement mentality we have in this country and are preparing a generation that can relaistically deal with the crap being heaped upon them by their parents and leaders.

Everyone needs to | 9:57 a.m. Nov. 14, 2009

Stop supporting the monster. It is the ONLY solution.

Suburbs of SLC | 11:13 a.m. Nov. 14, 2009

How is it about indoctrination? I think it is a great opportunity that forces these students to examine the issue. They clearly showed that students have different ideas about the issue, and as much as you like to believe that only your side is right, the reality is there are clear and intelligent articles on both sides of the issue.

And why do you automatically oppose the teacher as a socialist? The article doesn't say what her political beliefs are, other than that she understands that what Washington does now will affect these students in years to come, which is simply a statement of fact rather than opinion.

Plus, I took this class from a different high school just a few years ago, and I would have much rather done something like this. I spent months in this class, and the only thing I learned was credit cards are evil, but get one ASAP for your own good. Then we just played on a fake stock market.

I agree | 11:46 a.m. Nov. 14, 2009

I don't think these students should be writing about issues of which they have no concept or understanding. They should wait until they are congressmen and women, then their total lack of understanding will be properly put to use in writing laws like the the ones we are debating at present. A few years of community organizing will help them pass the time.

good job | 4:58 p.m. Nov. 14, 2009

To say that students shouldn't begin to form opinions on matters and learn to be critical thinkers is ridiculous. Many of the problems we face today are from a population that relies on a pretty face to make their decisions. Kudos to this teacher for encouraging her students to go beyond a yes or no answer and explain why or why not they think the way they do about healthcare. As far as the response that it isn't a financial matter. What planet are you living on? We all need to know it is going to cost us greatly every time this administration dips into our pockets. We need thinkers that will stand up and say no to the spend, spend, spend. Lets teach our youth to think people.

baffled | 3:23 p.m. Nov. 15, 2009

To have students write on something they probably no little about does not harm much - only a possible opportunity cost. My question is: Did Batey teach them about healthcare? If so, was it biased? Did she have a couple doctors come in to address the class? Did she invite a private payer to come tell them how that works? Did she teach them how the employer participatory insurance system works? Did she teach them about the cost of health reform and about the debt they are inheriting from us? etc. That would have been educational?

A Jones | 9:41 a.m. Nov. 18, 2009

As a third-party observer charged with evaluating Ms. Batey's ability to teach these students, I have personally observed the teaching of this class. She does a marvelous job of teaching the students how to research topics they don't understand. She does NOT use her personal opinions to influence the students. She teaches the students to find evidence, create an appropriate opinion, and support that opinion with facts.

It is ludicrous that so many of us choose to condemn without evidence. Most who make up their mind without facts to back them up are contributing to (rather than solving) the problems that are dividing our nation.

Ms. Batey is a credit to her career as a teacher. I wish all teachers took their responsibilities so seriously.

...because I was there | 5:06 p.m. Nov. 18, 2009

I'm actually in the class that wrote the letters. Ms. Batey never tells us any of her political views. She encourages us to research to find our own points of view on current issues and not just to listen to what our parents think.

True, I don't think anyone that wrote a letter was able to find the answer to the healthcare crisis. Were we expected to? No.

The point was to organize our thoughts and try to grasp the situation that we are in. It is my understanding that the senators and their staff were impressed with the letters. Also, Congressman Matheson may visit our school later in the year to talk to us.

How is any of this a hinderance, socialistic, or a waste of time?

Similarly.. | 5:35 p.m. Nov. 18, 2009

I definitely agree with the above statements. I was also in that class (specifically the class being interviewed) and there was never a time of political bias- in fact, I don't even know Batey's stance on the healthcare reform. For the letters, she simply provided us a variety of resources and encouraged us to do independent research and grasp the situation as best as possible. Don't assume that we don't know what we're talking about, or have no experience in the matter. Quite frankly, I wouldn't be surprised if we were more informed than some of you commenters. But I'm confused as to how you think writing letters to our Congressmen was a bad, and time-wasting idea? Why is it so horrible to be introduced to politics, to the financial situation we're currently in, considering that we will be the ones to deal with it in the future? If we don't even understand the process, then how can we expect to fix the problems the older generation has created for us?

This was not a waste of time. Please consider that.

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