Rural Republicans Somehow Not Interested In Defunding Their Public Schools To Send Rich Kids To Private Ones

[applegrove]

Rural Republicans Somehow Not Interested In Defunding Their Public Schools To Send Rich Kids To Private Ones

School vouchers are 'the single worst, most dangerous idea' in education, says education activist Jonathan Kozol.

ROBYN PENNACCHIA
MAY 20, 2024

https://www.wonkette.com/p/rural-republicans-somehow-not-interested?utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web

"SNIP............

In Iowa, in 2022, Governor Kim Reynolds actively campaigned against Republicans who did not support her plan to expand the state’s school voucher program.

The GOP is playing a long game here. Yes, they want to privatize and monetize schools because they want to privatize and monetize everything. But they also want more control over who has access to education and who doesn’t. They want to ensure top spots for their own kids and they want an underclass of relatively ignorant culture warriors they can deploy to vote for tax cuts and against regulations so long as they throw in a little “And we’ll protect you from the gays and the feminists!”

These people are right to oppose school vouchers, which education activist Jonathan Kozol has rightly called “the single worst, most dangerous idea to enter education discourse in my lifetime.” School vouchers mean their kids will get screwed, that their kids will get a lesser education, so that Muffy and Biff’s parents can get a sweet discount on their private school tuition. They mean less money for books, less money to attract good teachers, and less money for sports and other extracurricular activities. State parties are asking parents in rural areas for a pretty big sacrifice.

As important as it is to fight the grotesque culture war battles that the Right has foisted upon our public school system, it’s just as important to continue to fight for the continued existence our public school system — for everyone. And you never know, perhaps, for some people out there, this might be the thing that finally makes it click that no, these people do not actually give a flying shit about them at all.

...........SNIP"

[Lovie777]

1. Is there a sense of reality?.........................................

[D23MIURG23]

2. Somehow? Does this author think rural republicans want their kids to be able to read?

That's how the devil turns people into libruls.

[BigMin28]

3. That is what is stopping Abbott

here in Texas. The rural voters here know this isn't good for their children. There are very few private or charter schools in rural areas.

[Attilatheblond]

6. I wish more rural voters here in AZ would figure it out, but so many are in favor of vouchers

Of course, there have been some indictments of people claiming voucher money for their 'home school' efforts and then using the money to buy personal items. In AZ, there is not enough accountability or even monitoring of the voucher program.

The rich would send their kids to private schools with or without vouchers. It's one more case of them getting their lifestyles subsidized at a cost to the general public, IOW welfare for the well off. But here, so many rural voters all falling for the voucher program. And our public schools are literally crumbling.

[TBF]

7. We don't want them in the suburbs either -

we are fine with the reapportionment - when he moves public funds amongst counties in Texas to try to equalize the districts somewhat. That makes sense. But it does not make sense to subsidize rich private school parents by destroying the public schools the rest of us use.

[Sucha NastyWoman]

4. He'll no they don't want to pay for private urban and suburban schools

They learned that lesson from the internet. Service in rural areas is abominable because it doesn’t pay to provide less densely populated areas with top notch sevice.

[Diraven]

5. Already passed here in Arkansas

Doesn't fully kick in for everyone to be eligible until 2025-2026 school year though. For those who are eligible and receiving vouchers this year, 95% already went to private school, despite labeling this as "school choice". So by next year this is poised to be a huge subsidy for rich parents already sending their kids to private schools, at the expense of public school funding and the overall state budget.

[Probatim]

8. Let's hope the schools raise their tuition accordingly.

[leftieNanner]

14. My understanding about the voucher system

Is that it only pays for part of the tuition for the private schools, so lower income folks can't go because they don't have the $ to pay the balance.

[TBF]

9. Folks need to know (if they don't already) that billionaires are openly funding this effort -

here in Texas for example - a billionaire named Jeff Yass (who lives in Pennsylvania) is sending Gov. Abbott all kinds of money to use in campaigns. He is funding people to run in the state, to replace long term reps who don't want the vouchers. It has been relentless.

[yellowdogintexas]

16. Don't forget Wilkes and Dunn

https://www.texasaft.org/policy/funding/oil-tycoons-spent-millions-to-replace-public-schools-with-private-schools-according-to-new-report/

https://www.texasmonthly.com/news-politics/billionaire-tim-dunn-runs-texas/

[BOSSHOG]

10. I got an idea. Do away with the separation of church and State

And turn loose the Assessors. I know. Never happen. Just like overturning roe v wade. Never happen. If organized religion wants to play poker let them play with their own money. The cost of indoctrination should not be paid for WITH OTHER PEOPLES MONEY. Those in rural communities understand that.

[AllaN01Bear]

11. defund , but not ours . same old tune.

[AllaN01Bear]

12. thee as in addresssing a person.

https://ell.stackexchange.com/questions/54180/is-thee-a-more-respectful-way-to-refer-to-the-person-that-the-speaker-is-addre good on her though.

[lindysalsagal]

13. Vouchers put school taxes in shareholder's pockets.

And those private schools don't require teacher certification. Also, they can refuse students who are more expensive to teach, like special ed, esl, learning disabilities, etc. Those kids are returned to the public schools.

[UTUSN]

15. Nailed. Wingnuts want to privatize everything.

[Hekate]

17. What Wonkette said is what I've been saying ever since this destructive idea came up ...

We needed to send our bright but restless son to a private school where he wouldn’t be such a square peg in a round hole. We found the perfect place, but it was quite a stretch.

Vouchers were up for a vote and my husband brought up the issue to me — my answer was an immediate No, because I could see it would destroy public schools when scaled up.

Despite our personal troubles, I think free public education is the bedrock of American democracy. Always before this, anyone who wanted a private school was free to go to one — if they could afford it and if their child could conform to the religion they taught or whatever else made it unique. Private schools were and are under no obligation to take or keep your kid.

The trap of making every school a private school paid for by our taxes is that soon enough free public schools will become the place of last resort for all the kids too poor, too hyperactive, too misbehaving, too delinquent, too needy from a messed-up home life, too behind in English skills, too much lacking everything. And as Wonkette and Kozol said, the kids left behind this way will be left behind by the wealthy in every other way.

Because the wealthy (like De Vos, remember her? ) are not at all interested in anything like the bedrock of democracy, and they heartily resent the competition from us peons who get ideas above our station.

[applegrove]

18. And they don't like teacher's unions. Or people who can think for themselves.

Last edited Tue May 21, 2024, 05:35 PM - Edit history (1)

[TBF]

20. I'm sure in the applicable states, breaking those unions is very important to them as well. nt

[JCMach1]

19. Then, your local GOP will begin pushing out any GOP

Resisters in positions of power ... ie what they are doing in TX.

[BoRaGard]

21. Wake up rural MAGAs. The repubes are screwing you.

with the vouchers and every other fascist plan they put through.

Don't be a SUCKER AND A LOSER as the GOP wants you to be.