NATIONAL CONSERVATIVE ADVOCACY GROUP JOINS PUSH FOR PARENTAL CHOICE
Acknowledging South Carolina’s deteriorating academic performance and the need to inject some real market-based accountability into the system, one of the nation’s largest, most influential advocacy groups is joining the push for expanded parental choice.
FreedomWorks – a national group of conservative activists with more than 20,000 Palmetto State members – has made South Carolina’s school choice legislation one of their top national priorities in 2012.
And not a minute too soon, based on the latest data …
According to the organization, South Carolina’s parental choice bill “would help empower parents with greater opportunity to choose their child’s school through education tax credits.”
“It would further enable children to escape failing schools and take meaningful steps towards curbing waste, fraud, and abuse that the state’s educational bureaucracy has perpetrated for so many years,” the organization’s call to action states.
The new legislation – sponsored by S.C. Rep. Eric Bedingfield (R-Greenville) – includes the same tax credit and scholarship provisions as previous parental choice bills – as well as an additional scholarship program for students of all income levels with learning disabilities. It also includes a $200 tax credit for public school teachers who are forced to purchase their own school supplies thanks to the rampant inefficiency of the state-run system.
There are now six states with parental tax credits for school choice, eight states with scholarships funded through tax credits and seven states with programs for special needs kids. These programs are all widely-popular with the only constituency whose opinions really matter as far as we’re concerned: parents.
The programs also save taxpayer money and raise student achievement, even among the kids who don’t participate.
Parental choice legislation – which failed by one vote in the S.C. House of Representatives a year ago – couldn’t be passed soon enough.
Last month, it was revealed that 76 percent of South Carolina public schools (831 out of 1,037) failed to make adequate yearly progress during the 2010-11 academic year (compared to 48 percent nationally). This abysmal performance is consistent with South Carolina’s plummeting SAT scores and atrocious graduation rate.
While the state’s educrat establishment blames so-called “budget cuts” for the deteriorating performance, taxpayers are actually shelling out a record $11,754 per child on public “education” during the current fiscal year – not counting income from local bond revenue, investments, and transfers between funds and government agencies.
This mountain of new money comes on top of back-to-back years of record education funding (click here and here for those totals). Not only that, school districts are ripping off even more money from local businesses thanks to an ill-advised 2006 “tax swap …” even as they’ve squirreled away more than $760 million into their “reserve” accounts.
FreedomWorks – founded by Former US House Majority Leader Dick Armey– has one of the nation’s largest and most aggressive networks of activists and supporters. The group has spent years building contacts and relationships with local party chairs, precinct managers, Tea Party activists, college Republicans, grassroots regulars, and so on. This aggressive activist push has been complemented by an equally aggressive online and social media effort.
The fact that a group FreedomWorks has chosen to weigh in so aggressively in South Carolina is clearly due to the narrow defeat of last year’s legislation.
***
By R.C. Collins January 18, 2012 at 2:08 pm
Only in a state with Robert Cahaly style “consultants” and John Courson style “Republicans” would this have to happen.
School Choice is the staple K-12 issue for the state and national GOP; yet with a Republican majority House, majority Senate and Governor it still is not law in South Carolina.
Each kid not in the public schools is saving taxpayers thousands of dollars every year. Not to mention they are usually get better instruction and their parents tend to be much happier!
By Jan January 18, 2012 at 2:35 pm
“There are now six states with parental tax credits for school choice, eight states with scholarships funded through tax credits and seven states with programs for special needs kids. These programs are all widely-popular with the only constituency whose opinions really matter as far as we’re concerned: parents.”
Why are parents, particularly private school parents the only constituency that matters?? So if I want to push for a tax credit for all people who drive SUVs because they have to pay more for gas are SUV owners the only constituency that matters. I assure you such a credit would be wildly popular among SUV owners. After all should we not have universal mode of transportation choice supported by government subsidies.
BS on the each kid not in public school is saving thousands of dollars and DOUBLE BS on the theory that paying the parents of kids who are already not in public school saves the taxpayer any money at all. In fact that is money that will have to be replaced by increased taxes on all the constituents that do not matter or by further degrading the public school system for parents who cannot, even with the credit, afford private school and parents who are happy with their current good public school.
But as you say those constituents do not matter.
By Rick Young January 22, 2012 at 7:40 pm
“In fact that is money that will have to be replaced by increased taxes on all the constituents that do not matter or by further degrading the public school system for parents who cannot, even with the credit, afford private school and parents who are happy with their current good public school.” This is same old tired scare tactic that is used every time Liberals don’t get their way. No schools no police no firemen unless you pay what we demand and screw your kids! Fact we continue to spend more and more every year in education so the school administration can squander these funds on a system that has returned lower and lower sat scores year after year. Time to scrap the system and move to schools that care about the level of education our kids receive. To keep doing the same thing or relying on the same people and same system and expect a better result is INSANITY!!!
By Pat January 22, 2012 at 11:41 pm
Your reasoning tends to illustrate that you were a victim of public schooling! SUVs cost MORE. Private education costs less. If the government spends $11,000 annually on one public school student, and loses $2000 in revenue for each child given a scholarship to attend private school, that yields a net savings to government of $9000. We have had that kind of school choice in Arizona for several years, and it has worked very well. If parents want to avail themselves of the program, they are free to do so. Public schools are educational welfare. They are involuntary intermittent incarceration for the crime of being young. They are Government Indoctrination Centers (GIC) rather than schools. They need to be closed. This is the best scheme I have seen for closing them. It has the advantage is it somewhat gradual, but in the end, it will get the public schools closed, and do something substantive to end the abominable property tax, which is unconstitutional and contrary to federal law. Property tax means you don’t own your home; the government does. If you don’t pay the tax, they take your home without compensation. Many old widows have lost their ancestral homes, bought and paid for, that way.
By Bemused January 18, 2012 at 2:43 pm
Support for school choice pays the bills around FITS. That is its only substantive economic contribution.
By Mr. Dixie January 18, 2012 at 2:53 pm
I think the real reason this group has chosen South Carolina is they believe any state dumb enough to elect Nikki Haley will go for anything.
By baker January 18, 2012 at 3:41 pm
“Each kid not in the public schools is saving taxpayers thousands of dollars every year.”
Another guy who appears not to understand the actual math.
By hhuuhh?? January 18, 2012 at 4:08 pm
I think you left a lot of quotation marks out of your promo.
We need to check on Bedingfield’s campaign contribution…but knowing the ethically challenged Dick Armey Newt’s ole co-hort, I guess he will be making his bribes in that blackout period right before election day…just like Howie Rich.
By Jake January 18, 2012 at 4:55 pm
Dick Armey, Howard Rich, you Fits and that whole organization and its propoganda can go take a flying leap at a..
By rick January 18, 2012 at 5:39 pm
According to the organization, South Carolina’s parental choice bill “would help empower parents with greater opportunity to choose their child’s school through education tax credits.”
This is complete BS, actually it is code for tax breaks for the rich. What Fits, Rich, Armey, can’t comprehend is that school choice ALREADY EXISTS. You don’t like your local public school, don’t send your children there. Move, teach them yourselves, send them to private school. Just don’t expect me, a taxpayer with no children of my own (yet an advocate for public ed) to pay for it.
People who support vouchers fought for integration to reamin intact.
Fits, I hope your wonderful children grow up and want to go to Wofford, Furman, PC or any fine private college and you have to stand in line for a voucher. You will be standing a LONG time.
By Pat January 22, 2012 at 11:48 pm
School choice is available to everyone. Most of the time, these scholarships pay the full cost of a child’s schooling while saving the government, and hence, the taxpayer, money. It’s a net gain. As a taxpayer, you need to do the math. You will SAVE tax money with this program. You are NOW PAYING for the education of other people’s children. With this type of program, the government doesn’t pay for these scholarships, it simply collects less revenue, but with the removal of each child from the public school system, it also saves the taxpayer more money than it costs.
I can’t think of ANY excuse for wanting to entrap children. Failure to offer scholarships does exactly that. It makes no economic sense.
But on the other hand, people who dislike this program obviously weren’t adequately educated themselves, because if they did the math, they’d KNOW this is win-win for everyone.
And by the way, the rich ought not to be using public schools anyway. Public schools are educational welfare.
By Dean, the diggity dawg January 25, 2012 at 6:14 pm
I thought integration was a good thing, and we should leave it intact! NEWS FLASH!!!! If you are a TAX PAYER U ARE PAYING FOR OTHER PEOPLES KIDS TO GO TO PUBLIC SCHOOL!!! and u r truly get one hell of a bang for ur buck! Let’s just keep doing what we are doing with our public education system. Maybe throw a little more money at it every year. The teachers unions can keep skiming off the top and go straight to D.C. And get some MORE OF UR PRECIOUS TAX DOLLARS and keep failing miserably at the education of our greatest asset. It seems to be working so well . I mean, if you, if you are, a, well I mean the whole system is really doing a great job leading America’s youth into the 21st century and America as well IF U R A SOCIALIST SUCKING ON THE TEAT OF LADY LIBERTY HERSELF And have no desire to know anything about what this country’s true intent was ( you nor the next generation that is forced into the indoctrination school systems cause they don’t teach that old fashioned stuff like the constitution) they just teach the neccessarry stuff like sex Ed in third grade. Islamist founded America. They will never know what it is like to have came to some realization all by themselves (the true definition of education), because the system will make sure that all thinking will be done at the same time , all together as a class and only on the things that will be essential to the students future of having a ring throug their nose with the Marxist government holding the other end of the chain. Thanks for playing but I think you boys missed one to many days of high school, probably to go and protest the DAMN EARTH SPINNING.
Oh yea, PLEASE STOP TALKING ABOUT TAX MONEY LIKE IT IS THE GOVERNMENTS! THE ONLY THING THE GOVERNMENT CREATS IS DEBT!!! AND OF COURSE WHEN THEY STICK THEIR GREEDY HANDS INTO EDUCATED OUR CHILDREN! THEY CREATE A MASS OF USEFUL IDIOTS!!!!! IF YOU DONT BELIEVE ME! READ SOME OF THE COMMENTS RIGHT HERE!! you people do realize that this is a public place, don’t you?? People can read what you write on here and they are going to know then exactly how you think!!!!
BAKER
JAKE
RICK
HUHHHH
Wake the hell up!!!!! This is the UNITED STATES of AMERICA. Not the SOCIALIST STATES. The fed has no business being in education any way. Read your constitution. BAM!!!!
By No Pledge. January 18, 2012 at 5:50 pm
Support school choice so parents of all races/colors/creeds can have their children taught as they like.
Students not IN the public system cost it nothing, so allowing their parents to KEEP what they’d otherwise have confiscated is perfectly reasonable.
By Jan January 18, 2012 at 6:20 pm
I also have no kids in public school. I also am costing the school system nothing. So why should I not get the same money as any other person who is costing the public school system nothing?
By Pat January 22, 2012 at 11:49 pm
Wait a minute, Jan. Isn’t saving you tax money the same thing as not paying for other people’s children? Just because it doesn’t go through government first doesn’t mean you aren’t paying less.
By Crooner January 18, 2012 at 5:50 pm
So Fits doesn’t want to pay taxes and wants a tax credit to send his kids to Heathwood Hall. That about sum it up?
By Dean, the diggity dawg January 25, 2012 at 6:19 pm
No. That doesn’t sum it up. If u scroll up to the top of the page you can read what freedom works is trying to do in a state that has a miserable school system. Oh wait ! I got it !! I am typing slow for u. I just realized that you are a product of a miserable school system and comprehension may not be your thing
By G I Jane January 18, 2012 at 6:52 pm
I have a solution. It is fair to everyone, good for the country, good for the students, and provides benefits to rich and poor alike. I hope an enterprising Senator or Representative will write legislation to make it happen.
The state of South Carolina should agree to pay for four years of private school tuition for any High School Student who agrees to a 4 year military commitment in the Army, Navy, Air Force or Marines upon graduation. Now that is universal choice. None of that you get a benefit if you can afford Private School, but you can’t if you don’t. It will be a straight military scholarship. If upon graduation the kid is turned down for the regular military he can serve his time in the National Guard or as a full time reservist. Participation in ROTC while in school would be mandatory, and the kid would lose the scholarship if he failed to participate. He should also lose his scholarship if he is arrested for under aged drinking, drugs or any felony.
By Ozbee6 January 22, 2012 at 5:59 pm
I really like the military service concept, but I would like to make one suggestion. I guess growing up I lived a somewhat sheltered life. I say that because it wasn’t until the ’80′s that a good friend of mine sat me down and explained his role on a “Gun Boat” during the Viet Nam War, patrolling up and down the rivers of Nam, some so narrow that the Viet Cong could toss hand grenades from the jungle vegetation to the deck of the boats. I also learned of relatives who served on Cruisers and Destroyers (as well as the Gun Boats) off the Coasts of Europe and Africa during World War II, the Coasts of Korea and the China Sea during the Korean War and today in all the waters in and near those countries involved in the Gulf Wars.
As recent as last week, news articles were popping regarding Iran’s threats to our warships in the Straits of Hormuz as part of the Task Force headed by the U.S. Navy’s “USS John C. Stennis” (CVN 74). Although the carrier had already passed out of the principle waters involved in the threats, one of its primary protectors, the “Adak,” was still in the Straits providing a “Rear Guard” for the Task Force.
The news reports were now focused on the constant harassment of the “Adak” by a number of high-speed Iranian Navy fast attack gunboats, each quite capable of inflicting serious damage and/or casualties, both in the war of personnel and materials as well as the Propaganda War. None of these “Servicemen and women” serving in these pivotal “Front Lines,” back in the day or currently, are in the U. S. Navy, but proudly serve as members of the United States Coast Guard! So if you don’t mind, would you please add the U.S. Coast Guard to those Military Services listed in your proposal? Because as I learned the hard way, the U.S. Coast Guard doesn’t just patrol the coastal waters and lakes of the United States, but serves where ever in the world the Commander in Chief sends them, whether to war, to a military “police action” or to civilian criminal or terroristic interventions.
Thanks from me for this long overdue recognition, and I imagine many thousand’s of thanks from “Coasties” worldwide.
By Pat January 22, 2012 at 11:53 pm
Your proposal would hurt girls. Most girls don’t belong in the military. But they should receive an education just the same. And the benefit wouldn’t go directly to South Carolina anyway. I support the military, but I don’t think it is reasonable to force this marriage.
By Dean, the diggity dawg January 25, 2012 at 6:22 pm
You have always had a huge hot spot in my heart G.I.Jane! U go girlfriend ( did u get the head bobble?)
By RecallNikki January 18, 2012 at 7:44 pm
Listening and watching Haley on the state of the state makes me nausea…RECALL HALEY NOW
By Silver Eagle January 18, 2012 at 8:03 pm
Hand outs for rich people – the rich want to get richer. They just want to find a way for somebody else to pay for their children to go to private school.
By Shannon January 22, 2012 at 4:38 pm
This is NOT for rich people this is decidely for POOR people who are forced to send their children to terrible public schools! I am astonished at how little you folks seem to know about the purpose of School Choice! Just goes to show how bad our public ed system has been at educating YOU on what is the proper use of tax payer money. I am an educator who has taught in public and private school. Choice is just that CHOICE! Your taxes will not increase if more kids go to private schools, are homeschooled, or some other form of education. Competition drives quality! I assume you folks understand how competition is suppose to work in driving the economy. Monopolies were made illegal because they STIFLE competition and force taxpayers to pay whatever charge the greedy corp wanted and continue to do so even if the quality is terrible…Public Education is the last monopoly and it is high time it was broken up!
By Pat January 22, 2012 at 11:54 pm
You’re not making sense. As things stand now, you are paying MORE for rich kids to go to PUBLIC school.
By Dean, the diggity dawg January 25, 2012 at 6:27 pm
Stop whining and go to work !!!! We used to admire people in this country for their ability to stack up some serious coinage!!! now !!!! they r villains !!! This is a true case of jealousy. And of course laziness. U know all major religions around the world say that neither of those personal traits work out very well for those who posses them!
By Jan January 18, 2012 at 8:10 pm
GI Jane, I could go along with that. Serve your country, get an education, SC’s GI Bill.
I wonder how many of the Porter Gaud and Heathwood Hall students would sign up? I guess it does not matter since the purpose of the Private School proposals is to help the poor students in failing schools. This is even easier for them.
By Jack January 18, 2012 at 8:18 pm
Yes, and it would teach the students responsibility, like Newt wants to do for the poor kids by getting them janitor jobs. Private School kids would have an opportunity to learn that an education is worth working for, maybe ending some of that entitlement mentality kids seem to have today.
By Hank January 18, 2012 at 9:16 pm
At first I thought this was a joke, but the more I think about it the more I like it. I have been adamantly opposed to tax credits for parents of private school kids. I just do not think it is fair to ask me to help pay for someone to send their kid to private school and get nothing in return. But I have no problem rewarding a kid who is willing to serve our country, regardless of his or her financial circumstances.
Kids who need a way out of bad public schools have a way out. If they don’t take it, its their own fault.
Kids already in private school fall into two categories, those whose parents need help paying the bill and those whose parents don’t need help they just want the money. This gives the children of parents who really need help a way to help the family out and those whose parents just want the money will not sign up.
Plus we encourage children to serve their county. Win Win right? Doesn’t this solve everyone’s problems. This is really a great idea. Who could we get to sponsor this.
Granted this only works for high school, but hey it cuts the cost of a 12 year private school education almost in half, and for those who take advantage of the offer it gives them far more than the tax credit plan, right?
By BIN News Editorial Staff January 18, 2012 at 9:43 pm
sic(k) willie, “you ignorant slut!”
Our Funding Editor loves to use that old line from SNL because it fits sic(k) willie perfectly, and it drives him crazy.
The truth hurts.
Vouchers by any name are a scam and a lie because they would only leave those who need help the most even further behind.
But, Howie the Voucher Clown and his voucher pimps like sic(k) willie and a few bought and paid for elected officials don’t care.
Stop your lies about the voucher scam, and fix public education for all kids. Then maybe we can discuss Howie’s voucher scams.
Until then, vouchers are dead in S.C. A Midlands elected official who does not have a Strom problem has said so.
By BeholdHim January 23, 2012 at 4:18 am
You may have heard about SB 48 that passed in California. It mandates that homosexuality be presented in only a positive light and that the “history of homosexuality” be taught from K-12 in “All the textbooks used” plus guest speakers, teachers, etc.
The remedy for the more traditionalists who believe this is wrong to do: EXCUSE OF PUPIL FROM OBJECTIONABLE EDUCATION….
a form for parents to fill out. You can see this “opt-out” form at tvcca@traditionalvalues.org or by writing to:
Traditional Values Coalition, P.O. Box 940, Anaheim, CA 92815.
Of couse it is for Californians, but could be adapted legally through lawyers, etc. to fit your state’s situation. We hope such action here will benefit other states to disuade similar bill from spreading.
Hope this helps.
By Pat January 23, 2012 at 3:12 pm
@BeholdHim:
Removing a few children from objectionable classes won’t help. Your kids will still get acculturated into the same views, just associating with their peers. And you have to live in the society that is created by the kids who were forced to submit.
The public schools are now fatally flawed. The only solution is to close them. Parents have been trying for decades to fix the problem, but without any success whatsoever. I watched them throw away all those personal resources. If they had spent the same time directly with their children, we’d all be better off.
We homeschooled ours. Yet, once they got out into society, they still adopted some of the things we taught against. They did some things that we were doggone explicit about. You have to take into account that we still live in society, and society is shaped by the education the children get. What they get in public schools is anti-life, pro-Darwin, socialistic, hedonistic, and cruel. The public schools cannot begin to stop student violence against other students. When I went to school, it was restricted to verbal stuff, but it made life for me a living hell. That’s a major reason we homeschooled.
Half the Christian children who go to public school turn against the faith. Lots of people think we should let our children evangelize. Not only is this not permitted, but they’re too young and vulnerable to be entrusted with that in such a deadly atmosphere.
Public schools are funded by plundering property owners, destroying their right to property. Good does not come from evil. We turn our children over to them, letting them sit at the feet of unbelievers. We reap what we sow. Remember what Hitler and countless other tyrants said. Give me your children at any time during the first seven years (or longer) and they’re mine.
By RAS January 19, 2012 at 7:55 am
Let’s see, Willie is against tax breaks for companies that might locate a business in SC, but is for tax breaks for parents who send their kids to private school. I’d say he is more driven by greed (and self gratification on other issues) than most.
Thinking a good dose of competition is the answer is way too simplistic. (And I don’t think for a minute is the real motivation.)
As I’ve said before, this is just an attempt to get state government to subsidize white flight and religious fundamentalism. Exactly what SC needs less of…
By FunkyChicken January 19, 2012 at 8:37 am
Be very careful reading Sweet Willie’s opinions on vouchers. He is paid to lie about public education. Willie would do anything for a dollar.
By Blair January 22, 2012 at 3:35 pm
If you have good schools, then why not have vouchers?
By Joseph C Moore, USN Ret January 22, 2012 at 4:33 pm
Vouchers take away from the public schools? I thought the money was tied to the number of children enrolled. If the child is not in the public school system, why should the confiscated tax for that child NOT go with him? Why should the public school get a bonus payment for the child that is not in the public school system? THAT (bonus payment)seems patently unfair to me. By the way, why are property owners the only ones who pay school taxes while renters get to slide? I have been paying for more than half a decade and feel that I (and other retiree/ pensioners) should be exempt after a certain period.
By Pat January 22, 2012 at 11:58 pm
Property tax is unconstitutional and contrary to federal law. You shouldn’t be paying it AT ALL. Renters DO pay property tax. If the landlord didn’t collect enough money to pay the property tax on his rental, he’d go out of business. You can bet your buttons that he is collecting it from the tenant. You just don’t know about it. The only way I can think of to stop property tax is to close the public schools. And yes, I agree. Pensioners should not be paying property tax.
By SC Resident January 22, 2012 at 4:47 pm
The way to improve our schools in SC and every other state is to get the Feds out of the states’ business in education. Get rid of Goals Based Education that was purported by Bill Ayers in his Coalition of Essential Schools. NCLB forces teachers to teach to the “standards” and ties their hands. The text books must be written to the “standards” that our government has handed down. Teachers hate NCLB and all of the testing to which our children are subjected. If my children were school aged now, I’d be sending them to private schools, and I’d be loving this bill so I could get help with their tuition! Being a teacher, I see both sides of this issue. We as teachers can’t teach the way we need to teach, and as a parent, I want my child not to be subjected to the government’s standards. If vouchers are implemented, there would be a mass exodus from public schools, leaving the kids behind whose parents couldn’t afford to transport them to a private school. It’s hard to decide what would benefit the children more knowing that they are being harmed by today’s educational mandates from our Federal government.
By Pat January 23, 2012 at 12:02 am
You said that the voucher system would result in kids whose parents cannot afford transportation being left behind. Not so. If the public schools are closed, private schools will buy the buildings, and there will be a school in their neighborhood.
You have to look at BOTH sides. If the government wanted, it could provide buses where a school services a larger area where walking isn’t practical. You would all STILL be ahead. And these days, because it isn’t safe, a lot of parents are meeting the bus and transporting their kids anyway.
By Shannon January 22, 2012 at 4:49 pm
For all of you who argue that vouchers would hurt the public schools because kids would flee…then are you not ADMITTING that public schools are so bad people WANT to leave but at the moment cannot? So, if public schools are doing so great then why would folks leave? Throwing more money at education isn’t going to improve the schools…look at New Jersey and see the evidence first hand…go watch The Cartel. EVERYONE pays taxes for public education because having an educated civilization benefits ALL of us not just those of us who have children. Those of you who do not have kids but go to the doctor are certainly happy the doctor had his or her education paid for so you can get help. If only those who had children paid for education then by the same token only those who had children could BENEFIT from their educated offspring.So you would be forced to be your own doctor, lawyer, plumber etc. etc. because you only cared enough to ensure your own education and future advancement!Stop being so shortsighted and ignorant…but then again if you were forced to attend a bad public school because your parents couldn’t get a voucher…I guess your stupidity isn’t totally your fault.
By Dean, the diggity dawg January 25, 2012 at 6:42 pm
BAM BABY!!!! CAN YOU HEAR ME NOW???
By P. Cooper January 22, 2012 at 5:31 pm
So many have been conditioned to say the responses they are told to say by indoctrination starting in pre-school and continuing through college that they cannot take the blinders off and see the forest from the trees. Look to the Occupy movement where they are repeating what the leaders say in a quasi-religious chant. I suppose that if we can each get one or two out of many to wake up we may have a chance. How can anyone believe that the public schools and all employed by the government will in the end say, do, or take any action which will fly in the face of more government in our schools?
By Rick Young January 22, 2012 at 8:00 pm
Here is my idea, take the total amount of money currently spent per child per grade per year. Assign that amount of money to that child and it goes with the child to whatever school or home school the parents choose. If the child’s grades fall below a C a % of that fund becomes payable by the parent. This will insure the participation of parents in their child’s education and improve the educational system on whole. Teacher’s number one bitch is parents expect them to do everything and take no responsibility in their own child’s behavior or learning.
By abarker January 22, 2012 at 9:30 pm
School choice passed by only 1 vote? American voters need to pay more attention who they vote for to represent them. if you want to keep school choice in your state, vote Republican – don’t ever vote for a Dem.
By LUIS CUERVO January 24, 2012 at 1:40 pm
First of all I want to enphasize that my opinion is only that of a
person who most certainly is not an “expert”in this matter.It is
only my personal opinion based mostly in the ugly experiences of
friends and members of my family. They all have kids that attend
school and those fathers and mothers have learned the hard way the
“unbeleivable” lack of competence that today axists in MANY (not
all)School Districts. We all know that money is always needed for
just about ANYTHING and EDUCATION should be , as much as possible a “very high” preference;I strongly believe that the future of our
Nation ; or any Nation certainly depends on how “good” of an “education and instruction” our kids receive ;we can not forget
that they are not the same(Education and Instruction),problem is that too many “parents” seem to forget the MOST important TRUE ,the “PARENTS ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE EDUCATION”of their kids
and “TEACHERS SHOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE INSTRUCTION” problem is they(our kids)are NOT receiving “either one. Unfortunately ,we
have another problem when it comes to the “TEACHERS AND TEACHER’S
UNIONS”.It seems that everytime teachers renew their “contracts”,
they are ADVISED by their UNIONS(vultures since they raise the fees to the teachers,which is to the UNION’S BENEFIT).
THEY(UNIONS) THEN USE THOSE FUNDS TO HELP ELECT DISASTER AND ANTI-
CHRISTIAN LIBERAL GOVERNMENTS , LIKE EMPEROR!!O,BANANA AND HIS GANG…THE INCREDIBLE STUPIDITY OF 2008 , IF REPEATED, WOULD BE THE “END” OF OUR BELOVED “NATION”..MAY GOD BLESS AMERICA…LUIS C.
By Dean, the diggity dawg January 25, 2012 at 6:38 pm
Thank you!!!! Enough said!!
Pingback: Props To Jeff Duncan | My Blog
By BeholdHim February 1, 2012 at 9:37 pm
to Pat from BeholdHim:
“Removing a few children from objectionable classes won’t help. Your kids will still get acculturated into the same views, just associating with their peers. And you have to live in the society that is created by the kids who were forced to submit.”
Pat: Hopefully, with the spread of what the opt-out forms will do, LOTS AND LOTS OF PARENTS WILL BE USING THEM. The requirement is for the school to notify each opt-out parent the agenda planned and on what date and by whom it is being taught…for the whole year!!! If the plans vary, each opt-out parent must be informed in a timely manner so that their child may be removed. The requirements are a pain for the district and I think it will cause them to think twice, even thrice, before indoctrinating without the parent’s knowledge!! Because there are legal consequences! Regarding “we have to live in the society that is created who were forced to submit”……we have that now. It is called “tares” among the wheat. It is necessary for ALL Godly parents to teach their children to avoid the tares and their influence as much as possible.
Educate them to be pro-life, anti-Darwin, a true child of God.
I have seen even private “Christian” schools practice indoctrination, of things the parents would certainly not adhere to if they knew what was going on. That is wny it is so important to know what is going on in the classroom by volunteering frequently….not something all parents can do.
I believe alot can be done to stop most violence against other students. Homeschooling can be good, yet, perhaps many children don’t have enough practice of knowing what the real world is all about. If public school children turn against the faith, I believe that has more to do with parenting than anything.
“Lots of people think we should let our children evangelize. Not only is this not permitted, but they’re too young and vulnerable to be entrusted with that in such a deadly atmosphere.” I’m afraid I don’t agree. With the fruits of the spirit developed, many can evangelize successfully. Children need to know when and when not, how and how much…..etc. That comes with not too restricted an environment ….such as homeschooling can be, but not always. Children can soon learn to discern the good from the evil. The early years are very important, yes, as even Hitler knew.
By Pat February 1, 2012 at 10:54 pm
to BeholdHim:
It’s too late for people to accomplish anything by having the privilege of opting out. I have been watching this situation for 30 years, and it keeps getting steadily worse. The district doesn’t think twice about what they are doing, because they’re not answerable to parents. They get their money whatever they do; parents are COMPELLED to pay, along with everyone else. The only way to get to them is through the pocketbook. Any policy which encourages the sewing of tares among the wheat is bad. You can “educate” them all you want to be pro-life, anti-Darwin, etc., but the moment they get among their peers, and go to college, they are probably going to get twisted. It happened to our kids, and they were not exposed to that garbage growing up.
And yes, when our kids were in school, we DID go and watch. For all the good it did. The schools did what they wanted.
There may be a few kids who have a gift and can evangelize, but they are running the risk of getting into trouble, and I think most of them know it. Children are being stopped from reading the Bible on their free time, and they get called on the carpet for talking to other kids about the faith.
Your outlook assumes the public schools can be fixed. Parents have tried for decades. They cannot be fixed. The sooner we shut them down, the better off everyone will be. If we undertake proper law enforcement, and we’re not throwing innocent kids (whose parents don’t do anything to protect them, including teaching them values and religion at home) in with kids who have already joined gangs, or are involved in drugs, or are sleeping around, we can at least minimize the damage being done.
I know this from personal experience. We made sure our kids were exposed to pro-life views. We went out and picketed abortion mills. They knew what a major effort of mine was, to stop abortion. We taught them sex is for marriage. Two of them slept around anyway, and had children out of wedlock, and two more probably did so as well, but didn’t have children as a result, which caused problems that would never have occurred if they had married the mothers first. Four of them ended up getting divorced, which they knew we were against. One of them got involved in a cult, and though he left within a year, his spiritual life is still a mess ten years later. We exposed them to creationist seminars. In spite of this, I’m pretty sure one of them got indoctrinated in college, and that’s one reason he’s messed up today. Our kids are much better off because they were homeschooled, but as long as society is rotten to the core, there is a problem. You have to LIVE in a society where there are many, many twisted people, and even if you live right and your kids live right, you still have to suffer the consequences.
Public schools are educational welfare, welfare that even conservatives are happy to take. They have you enslaved. Property taxes are an egregious violation of the right to property. Both need to be stopped. I don’t care how much you try, you can’t fix the public schools, and the sooner you realize it, the better. Work for replacing the public schools with private and church schools. The more schools we can replace, the better. Yes, even private schools and church schools have to be watched. But they are far more likely to be responsive, because if they aren’t, they will lose money. Unlike the public schools.
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