The Republican War on Public Schools (vouchers, religion, graft, testing, etc.)

[Bazza]

 

[Huckleberry]

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Or our Sunday schools

 

[Huckleberry]

Washington Post gift link

Palestinian American girl sues school after refusing Pledge of Allegiance
A 14-year-old American citizen of Palestinian descent has alleged a teacher at her Michigan school told her she should “go back to your country” for her political protest. The school district said it was unable to comment.

The father of a 14-year-old Michigan student is suing his daughter’s school district and teacher on her behalf, alleging she was repeatedly humiliated and told to “go back to your country” when she refused to stand for and recite the Pledge of Allegiance.

 

[Huckleberry]

NYT gift link

Justices Let Parents Opt Children Out of Classes With L.G.B.T.Q. Storybooks
Maryland parents have a religious right to withdraw their children from classes on days that stories with gay and transgender themes are discussed, the court ruled.

 

[CrimsonJazz]

NYT gift link

Justices Let Parents Opt Children Out of Classes With L.G.B.T.Q. Storybooks
Maryland parents have a religious right to withdraw their children from classes on days that stories with gay and transgender themes are discussed, the court ruled.

Sotomayor is having a bad day. Nevertheless, Alito's explanation was made thusly:

“In the absence of an injunction, the parents will continue to be put to a choice: either risk their child’s exposure to burdensome instruction, or pay substantial sums for alternative educational services. As we have explained, that choice unconstitutionally burdens the parents’ religious exercise,” Alito wrote.

 

[Huckleberry]

Sotomayor is having a bad day. Nevertheless, Alito's explanation was made thusly:

"Burdensome instruction " apparently means "goes against the religious beliefs of the parents", no matter how bigoted, anti-science, or outright crazy they might be. For example, if parents believe in things like young-Earth creationism or literal interpretations of Noah's flood or Adam and Eve, must their children must be excused from the classroom when actual science is taught? Can classes on physics, astronomy, biology, history, and anthropology that teach information conflicting with these beliefs give tests on the "forbidden" material for all to take or will there need to be assessments designed for those whose parents are science-deniers?

 

[CrimsonJazz]

"Burdensome instruction " apparently means "goes against the religious beliefs of the parents", no matter how bigoted, anti-science, or outright crazy they might be. For example, if parents believe in things like young-Earth creationism or literal interpretations of Noah's flood or Adam and Eve, must their children must be excused from the classroom when actual science is taught? Can classes on physics, astronomy, biology, history, and anthropology that teach information conflicting with these beliefs give tests on the "forbidden" material for all to take or will there need to be assessments designed for those whose parents are science-deniers?

Honestly, it wouldn't be the craziest thing I've ever heard. I don't feel like I can give an informed answer without some numbers. Most of the stuff you brought up are considered extremist by most Christians themselves, so there would be little support from the majority for that sort of thing. While this has the potential to change education in this country, I don't see it happening. Most of the crazies you're describing have long-since abandoned the public education system anyway.

 

[Huckleberry]

Honestly, it wouldn't be the craziest thing I've ever heard. I don't feel like I can give an informed answer without some numbers. Most of the stuff you brought up are considered extremist by most Christians themselves, so there would be little support from the majority for that sort of thing. While this has the potential to change education in this country, I don't see it happening. Most of the crazies you're describing have long-since abandoned the public education system anyway.

Majority doesn't matter at all in this court ruling. And you'd be amazed at the number of people who hold these types of beliefs. I encounter multiple students each year whose parents have taught them such things. When kids ask about the conflict between their belief and what is being taught, I always respond that we don't deal with religion in my science classes and that matters dealing with faith should be handled at home. This decision threatens to change all of that.

Maybe the answer is to apply science to these beliefs and let students see how well they hold up, but I'd rather not do that. I prefer to present the scientific information without any reference to alternative religious theories. Students can then make decisions on their own, but I guess that might be what scares these parents the most.

 

[CrimsonJazz]

School choice could fix the conflicts that led to the Supreme Court’s ‘Mahmoud’ decision

There’s no need to fight over lessons if you’re not forced to learn in government-run battlegrounds.

reason.com

One of the final cases the U.S. Supreme Court decided at the end of its term last week was Mahmoud v. Taylor, in which a majority recognized the right of parents to opt out of lessons contrary to families' religious beliefs. In some circles, the decision is being portrayed as a setback for the treatment of gays, lesbians, and the differently gendered, since they were the focus of the books that the victorious plaintiffs objected to. That gets it all wrong. This case is really about the right of families to guide their children's education and the difficulty of doing that in the rigid confines of one-size-fits-some government schools.

 

[AWRTR]

School choice could fix the conflicts that led to the Supreme Court’s ‘Mahmoud’ decision

There’s no need to fight over lessons if you’re not forced to learn in government-run battlegrounds.

reason.com

One size fits some is the best description I've seen of public schools in a long time. I feel for many teachers that are trying to teach such a broad range of students in a classroom. Trying to find a way to challenge students that need it with the need to slow down the pace at times to help students that are struggling is an impossible task.

 

[81usaf92]

School choice could fix the conflicts that led to the Supreme Court’s ‘Mahmoud’ decision

There’s no need to fight over lessons if you’re not forced to learn in government-run battlegrounds.

reason.com

This is going to encourage our taxpayer dollars to go towards homeschooling.

 

[81usaf92]

The problem with public education is far more complicated than arguing over curriculum. In fact I would say curriculum is the least of the worries involved with it. The truth is that most of your students don’t value education, parents treat schools as government ran babysitters that they don’t have to pay the proper amount for, and administrators are worried only about test scores and resume bullets.

But crazy soccer moms and angry golden girl clubs see or hear about some random California teacher making their kids salute a pride flag or some Fox News analyst make a comment on CRT and assumes that this is happening everywhere. It’s just not factual. The truth is most teachers and school librarians are too overworked to try to do something that crazy.

 

[CrimsonJazz]

The problem with public education is far more complicated than arguing over curriculum. In fact I would say curriculum is the least of the worries involved with it. The truth is that most of your students don’t value education, parents treat schools as government ran babysitters that they don’t have to pay the proper amount for, and administrators are worried only about test scores and resume bullets.

But crazy soccer moms and angry golden girl clubs see or hear about some random California teacher making their kids salute a pride flag or some Fox News analyst make a comment on CRT and assumes that this is happening everywhere. It’s just not factual. The truth is most teachers and school librarians are too overworked to try to do something that crazy.

All good points, but lets be honest: most of the parents yanking their kids out of school aren't doing so because of "those people." Truth is, kids are far more exposed to the rainbow stuff from their TVs than in any school.

Alas, these kids aren't really worried about what happens if they grow up to be the same dumbasses their parents are. They just figure they'll land into the same social safety nets they've been using their entire lives. There's no incentive to improve their stations in life. Our education culture is just terrible. Like you said, kids and parents don't value education or really anything else that could improve their lives.

 

[81usaf92]

All good points, but lets be honest: most of the parents yanking their kids out of school aren't doing so because of "those people." Truth is, kids are far more exposed to the rainbow stuff from their TVs than in any school.

Alas, these kids aren't really worried about what happens if they grow up to be the same dumbasses their parents are. They just figure they'll land into the same social safety nets they've been using their entire lives. There's no incentive to improve their stations in life. Our education culture is just terrible. Like you said, kids and parents don't value education or really anything else that could improve their lives.

Look I may be a pro public education advocate, but I also value a parent’s decision to put their kids through whatever form of education they like. However, what I worry about is my taxpayer dollars going towards people who want to put their kids through homeschooling and private education. Make no mistake, for many pushing against public education this is the end goal.

 

[Huckleberry]

School choice could fix the conflicts that led to the Supreme Court’s ‘Mahmoud’ decision

There’s no need to fight over lessons if you’re not forced to learn in government-run battlegrounds.

reason.com

Stupid people/conspiracy theorists/bigots/religious nuts can raise and educate their children in their image and according to their beliefs. For the most part, it will be a pleasure not have to deal with those parents, though I'd miss their kids. Sometimes they're the ones who appreciate their education the most.

 

[Huckleberry]

Look I may be a pro public education advocate, but I also value a parent’s decision to put their kids through whatever form of education they like. However, what I worry about is my taxpayer dollars going towards people who want to put their kids through homeschooling and private education. Make no mistake, for many pushing against public education this is the end goal.

"The money follows the child" is the charter/private school grifter's motto. The aim is not improving education. It's all about taxpayer money for the church/corporation.

 

[Its On A Slab]

"The money follows the child" is the charter/private school grifter's motto. The aim is not improving education. It's all about taxpayer money for the church/corporation.

Look at the success stories with for-profit prisons. We need more of this winning.

 

[81usaf92]

"The money follows the child" is the charter/private school grifter's motto. The aim is not improving education. It's all about taxpayer money for the church/corporation.

I always used to believe that “private schools had the best teachers” because that was always drilled in everyone’s brains about their test scores, college acceptance rates, and athletics. But once I figured out that I made 25k more starting out than a person I graduated with who took a private school job I was like “how in the hell is that possible?” Private schools the parents own the schools.

Charter schools… I honestly don’t know enough about them. But from my outside perspective they either hire cheap or practice nepotism.

 

[Bamabuzzard]

Look I may be a pro public education advocate, but I also value a parent’s decision to put their kids through whatever form of education they like. However, what I worry about is my taxpayer dollars going towards people who want to put their kids through homeschooling and private education. Make no mistake, for many pushing against public education this is the end goal.

I hate to tell you, but this is already happening on the private school side. Federal dollars go to kids who attend private schools that fall into a certain criteria. If the kids fall into a certain criteria, they receive vouchers that help pay for their tuition and other costs.

 

[Huckleberry]

/

I hate to tell you, but this is already happening on the private school side. Federal dollars go to kids who attend private schools that fall into a certain criteria. If the kids fall into a certain criteria, they receive vouchers that help pay for their tuition and other costs.

Yep, and in some states (the Free State of Florida, for example) there's really no criteria. The government will send up to $9,000 per kid to parents at home or whatever private/nutty religious school is chosen. As for oversight of that cash? Please. The legislature/governor could not possibly care less.