Hey, that "jingoistic appeal" got your attention to a very important problem. In addition, I find the destruction of the concept of public education in this country serious and a real threat.

You said, "My children have always attended public schools and the parental participation at those schools has always been at or near 100%."

Good for you. You have taken the first step towards participation--you showed up!

Then you said, >" The PTA or whatever they call it these days is a joke. Parents have zero input into the system. Try disagreeing with the school board and see how much your participation means."

Might I suggest you take the second step. Get off your butt and either run for school board, or get together with some of your fellow parents and support someone to run.

I guarantee those members of the school board are interested in getting re-elected, and with that at stake--they will listen to you.

Don't forget to take an interest in the superintendent's job while you are at it.

>"I don't have any great insight or strong opinion on this issue but I hear vouchers are popular with minority groups."

The facts don't seem to bear this out. In Cleveland the African-American population is 71 percent of the students in public schools, yet they only account for 51 percent of voucher students. Whites, on the other hand, account for 19 percent of students but 30 percent of voucher students.

" As for most of the schools being faith based, I'll bet that would change if there were a voucher system."

Reality check time: 99.4 percent of Clevelands voucher students are in religious schools. Where the hell do you suggest the non-faith based schools would come from?

This whole issue is an attempt to destroy the wall of separation between church and state and have the public support religious education. Vouchers are a bogus "choice."