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

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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"