By and large, this community is CONSERVATIVE and upholds conservative values and policies. I would like to challenge our thinking when it comes to Universal School Choice.
Let’s start by establishing our philosophy on government. Most of us, if not all of us would agree that states’ rights have been sacrificed at the altar of the federal government which has become a behemoth that was never intended by the founders of this country. I think it’s fair to say that we are OPPOSED to the concepts instituted through the New Deal such as socialized income offered through the SSA or the socialized healthcare system born out of SSA referred to as Medicare/Medicaid. Likewise, we are OPPOSED to any sort of proposed universal basic income or any legislation which is passed that dictates participation in any of these programs mentioned.
Yet, when it comes to education, we, CONSERVATIVES, are suddenly PRO government spending on educational programming, up to and including the government funding of private education or home education through Universal School Choice programs.
PUBLIC SCHOOLS are not conservative. PUBLIC FUNDING of private schools is not conservative. PUBLIC FUNDING of homeschools is not conservative. Any school/homeschool which takes government money is/will be expected to adhere to government standards for education and agendas.
Universal School Choice is equal to universal basic income or any other socialist policy which seeks to control programming through funding. It is NOT a conservative ideal.
I understand that the money offered to homeschoolers looks enticing for those of you who are receiving those funds. But you are in bed with the government just the same. I understand that by accepting vouchers, your private school can offer more options for classes. But you are in bed with the government just the same. You will be held to government standards for operation of those schools because you are running those schools on government funds.
Does this mean that I am on the side of the teachers’ unions? In this case, YES, I am. Teachers unions don’t want School Choice because it drains money from the government schools. I don’t want Universal School Choice because it turns any school it touches into a public school. I can live with siding with them for the sake of protecting my homeschool. My children and our family’s values are the top priority in this issue.
I am a home educator of 15 years; I am very involved in my local community through various boards, homeschool groups, etc. I am connected to our state’s legislative watchdog for all things home education. I pay my dues to HSLDA. Please heed my warnings and meet my challenge to change your thinking on this issue.
Universal School Choice is not a conservative ideal; it is a Trojan horse, and conservatives should be OPPOSED to Universal School Choice.
Public funding of public schools was first proposed by Marx & Engels in the Communist Manifesto. Their goal was to weaken the education system established by churches in Europe and to take value from property holders.
Easy said. I am assuming you make enough money to homeschool your kids without funding. Kiddos to you! Many families do not. Are those families supposed to continue sending their kids for governmental indoctrination? Government funding of homeschool is not optimal, but it's the only way for many families to opt out of the system. I know many families that need that help and their kids are benefiting from it. I would like to see my tax money go to them versus an illegal immigrant.
You're getting at the heart of why Unverisal School Choice has become a banner for conservatives. However, that does not change A) the logical outcome of government overreach into privatized schooling, and B) the attempt to redefine public education through funding. The philosophy on socialized education I outlined still stands as true, and supporting Universal School Choice is counter to conservative values.
For what it's worth, I gave up a career, we have often barely scraped by, and I've educated my kids on how to live debt free so that they can do this, too. It was not the easy choice by any means, it was simply the correct choice for us. I, too, would love to have the extra funds, but I cannot in good conscience take that money and bow a knee. I'll continue to opt out entirely for the sake of not allowing the government to have a say in the education of my children.
Most families I know can not "scrape by" without the funding. Stop judging people for trying to raise their kids out of the public school system. At this moment, funding or not, we need as many people out of the system. That's how we take back our liberties, it starts with education
I've judged no one; I have simply posted an argument for debate.
I have sought to point out the inconsistency in the acceptance of government funding for education when conservatives otherwise shun socialist policies. If you choose to disagree, GREAT!
Blessings on your family's education.
Can't go along with this. Everyone in society benefits from well educated citizens. We have to carefully watch our tendency in this area to want to enjoy the public benefit while privatizing the losses. I'm not saying a purely optional, private only education system can't work in a society. Only that it's sub optimal.
Obviously, the public arena is ripe for abuse. We've watched that happen in real time. But that doesn't mean we can't stop the abuse and still keep alive the opportunity. The last thing I want is to watch children suffer because their parents prioritized paying off their credit card debt at the expense of their kids.
The trick is to make universal education responsive to the parents. So, in your example, that everything the public money touches isn't under central government control. The closer you get to communities, the more it matches local values and the less intrusive administration becomes. So assuming there are sufficiently diverse schools, and homeschooling is still an option for those who can't find a community, Universal School Choice seems to me as the best way to accomplish that.
You can certainly have it your way, and government will gladly fund your school choice, but presenting this program as anything other than a socialist ideal is disingenuous. And believing that the government is benevolent in its attempts to get its talons into every realm of education is naive.
I will continue to deny the government access to my school for as long as I am able.
Americans pay taxes for EDUCATION. That money should be available for parents to educate their children as they see fit. That's the American Way. FREEDOM from indoctrination. Willing Americans can pool their funds together to form schools if they choose. Conservative/liberal are 2 sides of the globalist coin. Neither one are about American prosperity. We are AMERICANS. WE KNOW HOW TO MAKE THINGS WORK. Now would you PLEASE STEP ASIDE?
Why should the money be available to the parents? Citizens are paying into a nanny state, so we should expect the nanny state to do what it does, which is to educate to the standards it sets and the agendas it approves. Believing it will benevolently fund alternate educational options without imposing those same standards and agendas is naive.
Now, if communities banded together to begin funding their own schools, then sought as a community to reclaim FEDERAL tax money to continue to do so, we might see progress. It would have to come from the bottom up, though.
Because the parents paid taxes. If money is directed by parents then results will be the barometer that determines the success of a school rather than dictates from above. Competition is beneficial in all things. The common thread of American education should be study of the American Constitution and Bill of Rights. Why should Americans have to pay twice for good education? Ukraine and Israel don't pay a damn penny and has access to American treasuries. Federal money IS THE Peoples money. Return the people's money and America will develop it's own education solutions just as we've always do. Conservative/liberal constructs have the same end , destroying American independence. And thought. The AMERICAN WAY is the Light of world. GOD Bless America. Land that I love.
Parents in charge of their education dollars is bottom up improvement.
Agreed. Even though it's my own tax dollars that would return to me for funding the education of my children, the government will always identify that as a string they can pull anytime they decide to meddle in the education I decide to provide.
How about I just don't pay those taxes if I don't have a child in government school. I know that'll never happen, but it sure seems like the best way to do this "school choice".
Why should you even have to pay taxes for education if: 1) you have no children of school age, 2) the education system does not educate, as observed by falling scores consistently, 3) indoctrination is the #1 goal, not producing literate children. Same goes for real estate taxes: 1) you paid taxes on your home purchase via income already taxed by state and federal, 2) you maintain your own home interior and exterior, mow the lawn, rake the leaves. City taxes are paid through your payroll which goes towards garbage, police, fire, mayor, legal services for city, local road maintenance. court system.