Speaking as a alumna of a Catholic school, you can get a good education in some areas but the main focus is on indoctrinating the students into the mental habit of always obeying authority. The ultimate goal is to have people who “behave” and follow orders, no questions asked.
Private religious schools are not necessarily better than rural public schools. And they don’t have special ed resources. They can kick out kids anytime they want. Most of their teachers are new and inexperienced, to save money.
Districts with high energy and transportation costs (typically rural) might move to a four day school week, not because it’s better educationally but because research shows, when done well, it’s no harm done. Lower operating costs can mean programs like shop, music and art don’t get axed.
Unfortunately, many parents in my former school district (large urban public school district) look to school only for free food and free baby-sitting. Patents expect schools to raise their kids for them. They would not be happy with a 4-day week.
The district I’m familiar with is into its 22nd year. It started out that way, but then folks adapted and accepted. Now, they bristle at any talk of going back. The politicians stayed out of it, and the data shows no harm done.
It’s funny isn’t it, how Everyone’s an expert on schools because Everyone went to one? One of the main reasons why education policy and practice ends up being determined by politicians rather than experienced educators who actually understand inner workings and forces at play.
They are trying to do this in Texas right now. Church attendance has fallen off so they are trying to groom children. Our schools are atrocious already due to lack of funding meanwhile Greg Abbott is investing our tax dollars on billboards threatening immigrants with rape.
Republican politicians, church officials and activists... I'm here to fix people's omissions At least that 1. I may have to start capitalizing it it's not catching
This is such a bad idea, on so many levels , it’s hard to know where to start to explain why. Religions indoctrinate, but they don’t always educate. Ask Afghanistan.
We need to tax churches. Their influence on our children, politics, and society in general has become too profound to ignore. They’re writing laws for us, ffs.
North Carolina’s Legislature has allocated half a billion dollars to vouchers and intend more in the future. No accountability and large portion going to Christian private schools. If the child leaves the public school the money can never return. Private schools are allowed to discriminate.
This was exactly what I was saying in my post earlier. NC has 110 school systems. Many are rural districts and struggle as it is with funding and dealing with aging schools in desperate need of repairs. Teacher salaries there rank 38th in the nation. Gov. Cooper fought for education there
Great article! As a retired educator who worked through this time frame, the writing on the wall about vouchers was evident from the get go. The expansion of charter schools in more recent years have are just an extension of this religious push.
I implore the general public who may think vouchers are the answer to underperforming schools to really learn the small details about how private & charter schools operate.
1) They have selection criteria (they can often reject students who may have any disciplinary issues)
2) Some are not set up to meet the demands of some special ed students.
3) Transportation to and from a private or charter school is not provided. Parents are responsible for this. The same parents who may not have transportation to attend parent conf. at a public school.
4) The state I worked I based your schools budget allocation on the avg. student enrollment numbers for the first 10 days of the year. If a parent decides that the private school isn’t working and puts their student back in public schools that voucher $ doesn’t come back to the school.
(Cont’d) so now that school has to provide for another student w/o any $ to do so.
This list could go on forever. CJ Prentiss said it best when she said that ‘it’s hard to see how subsidizing private schools help to improve public schools.’
Even if it's just the relatively light and fluffy corporate tax rate and we don't change it as long as every property engages in a set list of charitable works.
No megachurches closing their doors after a hurricane, no fundraisers disguised as charity.
It’s been going on so long right under our noses.
A few were onto it like Diana Ravitch, Peter Greene, the BATS teachers of New York.
I started on Twitter in 2013 as a parent, who could see what was going on and to “stop the privatization” of public schools. What a difference a decade made.
Government isn't about democracy; it's about money and who controls that money. That's why a congress that serves donors is a failed institution.
Can't fix anything until we take the Democratic party back.
One of these days :-/ people are going to realize that most of the rich folks only vote for their own interests. When are all of the millions of us regular folks going to wise up; what will it take? Tic Toc…
I am watching this going on right now in SC. So far, the efforts have failed, thanks to an explicit bar in the state constitution, but the governor has vowed to keep pushing the agenda. I am outright opposed to vouchers to any private school, religious or not. Fund the damn public schools!
In the movie, The Book Of Eli, an evil man tried to steal a copy of the Bible, because he knew the power it would gift him. When he opened the book, he found he could not read it. This is the parable of the christo-fascists today. They seek the power but cannot read the words (nor do they care).
The National Association of Scholars has superb quotes by the Founding Fathers on the role of education, and as they wanted separation of church and state, they look as if they truly understood.
I’m happy to follow your approach if you can explain how sanitizing our language has benefited democracy so far. Our politeness and adherence to ‘norms’ is killing us.
“The world has a right to discount our usefulness and even to distrust our honesty if we persist in concealing our thoughts, or lack of thoughts, behind a mask of professional jargon.”
My wife went to a catholic high school. After college, with a degree in education and math, she went back to her high school ( litterally the same one). The school rejected her job application saying : she wasn't married. Therefore "No".
There are all kinds of cults; catholicism is one of them.
I’m not Catholic. Neither are my children. The Catholic school was doing a better job at the time they were in elementary school. Also it was close to where I worked.
They were always open minded, and welcoming to all, while we were there. I’m sorry your wife was treated that way.
It's like so much of what's coming. The streets will be swept of the homeless. Any male child over the age of 14 will be working for a meat packing plant. Any female child over 14 will be sold off to a human trafficker or incel.
Who needs education anyway? We have AI and robots.
They moving from vouchers, to wanting piece of property tax pie.
Now, states are introducing legislation to dissolve entire school districts. And sell it off in pieces to investors, for one single dollar.
This kind of BS is going to continue as long as society believes that being religious, being christian, sets one apart and above of those who are not. Religion has brainwashed us into putting them on pedestal. They're JUST people who believe, that's it, that's all. They aren't better or more moral.
An ignorant populace is easier to fool and easier to rule. Republicans have been working on this plan for 45 years. None of this is new or an accident. If they’re successful in implementing school vouchers nationwide, education will be only for the rich and the poor will have to fend for themselves.
The press needs to stop “normalizing” this far right aspiration. Headline “On a mission from God”-really? More like “Stealing your Child's Future to Fund their Ideology”.
The right has always been mad about desegregation. They sent their kids to private schools and believe that government should pay their private school bills to get back to the segregation of the races they wanted.
Sure, most of those segregation academies will be 'Love the Lord, obey authority, hate/fear anyone who looks and acts different, sports, Readin'/Ritin'/Rithmetic/Race Science', but the upper castes will be able to pay for instruction in 'applied miracles' (STEM).
"Religious schools" are just a euphemism for SEGREGATED. This will be a better, stronger country if my trans kid sits next to that immigrant kid and they both play soccer with our neighbor's straight kid~!
Comments
Secular education inoculates against the kind of control that religion seeks to exert, so of course the churches are against secular education.
1) They have selection criteria (they can often reject students who may have any disciplinary issues)
3) Transportation to and from a private or charter school is not provided. Parents are responsible for this. The same parents who may not have transportation to attend parent conf. at a public school.
This list could go on forever. CJ Prentiss said it best when she said that ‘it’s hard to see how subsidizing private schools help to improve public schools.’
Even if it's just the relatively light and fluffy corporate tax rate and we don't change it as long as every property engages in a set list of charitable works.
No megachurches closing their doors after a hurricane, no fundraisers disguised as charity.
A few were onto it like Diana Ravitch, Peter Greene, the BATS teachers of New York.
I started on Twitter in 2013 as a parent, who could see what was going on and to “stop the privatization” of public schools. What a difference a decade made.
Eric Hoffer
Can't fix anything until we take the Democratic party back.
Since all the rural schools, don’t have these expensive religious options
And the budget for the whole school in state will be decimated
Cutting these rural schools even further
And these people are too stupid to fucking kick Republicans out
Yes, they are that stupid
Does it make you angry enough to give up some time to act on it?
We've done a lot to leave most forms of community building in the dust, and if we're going to counter the money and the zealots we need to rebuild.
This may mean organizing a chili cookoff or a monthly potluck supper.
“The world has a right to discount our usefulness and even to distrust our honesty if we persist in concealing our thoughts, or lack of thoughts, behind a mask of professional jargon.”
My kids went to a Catholic elementary. They were very liberal.
There are all kinds of cults; catholicism is one of them.
They were always open minded, and welcoming to all, while we were there. I’m sorry your wife was treated that way.
Who needs education anyway? We have AI and robots.
Now, states are introducing legislation to dissolve entire school districts. And sell it off in pieces to investors, for one single dollar.
I do not support ANY dollars to be redirected from public to private schools. We need to invest MORE in our public schools, not less.
Is this cause? Effect? Both simultaneously?
'Too good for the commoners'..