Elitisim - The Republicans & Private Schools

[Erika]

I had the wife of a high military official tell me she insisted her children attend public school for diversity purposes. She felt her kids need ethnic and religious exposures to prepare them for today's world of a global community.

Bush's world consists of private fundamentalists Christian schools draining the money from public educatation. But he was a boy brought up in an exclusive New England prep school. Who could expect anything else.

Bush wishes to push private religious schools to dismantle public schools while teaching the intolerance and hatred of the fundamentalist right.

[proud2BlibKansan]

1. BINGO!

And NCLB takes money away from 'low performing' schools. Now where do you think that money is going to go?

[Trillo]

2. I take quite a bit of umbrage at my tax dollars supporting

religious organizations of any kind, including schools.

Also, eliminating the "compulsory" portion of compulsory education, especially after a single suspension or expulsion from any approved school, would help improve all schools, public or private.

[Name removed]

3. Deleted message

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[Viva_La_Revolution]

5. Okay. That was a little odd...

do you wanna expand on that?

[Trillo]

8. Most private schools in the U.S. are religious.

Most public schools (again, in the U.S.), as far as I'm aware, are not.

Have no idea about the schools in China. Isn't China officially atheist?

[aquart]

4. Fundamentalist schools? Like in Saudi Arabia?

Bush is the product of the best American private schools. Nuff said.

[Journeyman]

6. I sent my children to a private, religious-based school. . .

and in no way whatsoever was any of my school tax dollars diverted from the public schools. Such a foolish proposal was floated continuously in the years I had my children in school, and I fought it on every occasion. To my knowledge, no parent with children in that school ever actively solicited support for any form of voucher program. And neither did the school. No, throughout the years our children were in school, I paid my full share of public school taxes and the private school tuition -- and so did the rest of the families at that school, most of whom -- I'm sure -- were Republicans. And we continue to pay those taxes, even though now we have no school-age children.

[seabeyond]

11. i too sent kids to private christian school. our school refused

govt money at all cost cause they wanted to do it their way and if they took govt money they would no longer be able to. doesnt mean what bush and repugs are doing today goes along that line. with no child left behind they are trying to get rid of the public schools. the fundie schools are in place and geared to be taking the children that lose their schools. and there would no longer be restriction on the private school to follow fed law when they receive the money. best of both worlds, receive govt money and not have to follow fed law, that is what repugs are trying to push with the voucher

then we are set up to have those cult like school to brainwash, mass children.

and they do. as my children went up in the years of the school, i pulled them out because they were being taught story as fact. they were being taught fiction in science and history

[libodem]

7. I think you are right on

Anytime I happen to catch some of Dr Laura whom I believe speaks for the right wing as much so as Rush Limbaugh she trashes public school. Pretty much if you can't send your child to private or religious school you are failing as a parental unit. That is while the mother stays home and only the dad works. Seems like anything health, education, or welfare is on the hit list. A little scenario: some friends and I drove around a small newly built community one afternoon. All the brand new homes were modeled after old fashioned houses and were very cute. The whole community was decorated for halloween at the time. It looked like a small old Idaho town but it was all new. All the homes had to start at at least 250-500 thousand or more and had perfect lawns and yards. It was so beautiful but it was spooky to me ...like a Stepford village. The point is they had their own charter school. I don't know for a fact but I bet most of the families were of the same religion and political persuasion. something about the whole situation does not and did not seem right. It just weirds me out. No individualism, no equal opportunity, very exclusive, strange situation. end of story.

[Scooter24]

9. I'm a firm believer in a private-school education.

My parents sent me to a private, non-religious, school for all but the first few years of my education. Both are life-long democrats who just felt like the public school system was becoming to crowded and so sent me to a private school where I had classes with no more than 10 students on average. Many of my friends also went to private schools, one even went to Exeter, the same school as Bush. Some private schools do deliver a top-quality education and an exclusive experience where that child can grow academically and athletically without having to compete for attention with an excessive amount of other students.

I'm sure I am in the minority here, but I don't find it elitist to want the best education possible for your children, be that at a public school or a private school. If a parent is fed up with their public school, it should be their right to send their child to private school with a track record of excellence. If they need a voucher to help them out, then so be it.

However, I still stress the importance of adequate public school funding.

[TheBaldyMan]

10. why can't the private school give a scholarship to a poor kid instead?

The voucher system subsidises what is essentially a private industry with tax-free status. If RW wonks get in a flap over farm and steel subsidies why do they turn a blind eye to this?

[Bridget Burke]

15. Many good private schools have scholarship programs.

And those schools are doing quite well without vouchers. Even with high tuition--far more than a voucher would be likely to pay. Many of these schools were founded by churches but supply fine educations to children of all faiths.

Widespread use of vouchers would encourage more small "Bible Academies," teaching the absolute truth of of every word in the King James Version, including Genesis.

Note: My sister-in-law teaches in a good private school. She sent her kids to public school & they've turned out fine.

[seabeyond]

12. i live in texas. there is not a single private school that is

not religiously based. i would have loved to have paid both for tuition and my taxes for public school if i was able to have one that was not christian based where they taught the reasoning for flowers,........ god wanted to make a beautiful place for all of us to live, in 7th grade science

i was looking for a school that excelled in academics, but the schools were about teaching everything thru religion

[robbedvoter]

13. Texas Rep: "Public education entitlement is a communism plot"

Always look to the more outspoken Texas loony to know what they aren't telling you - yet.
I wish I had the quote - it was a woman, and it was in 2003 I think.

[SharonAnn]

16. I think is was Carolyn Strayhorn. Running for governor and

Scotty's mother.

[SCDem]

14. Also look at the at our past few Presidents

Republicans -
George W - son of a president - ie silver spoon
George HW - son of a wealthy man - ties to wealth in Germany - silver spoon
Reagan - Actor (and now supposedly they're all liberal and shouldn't mix acting with politics because they don't know anything)

Clinton - for Christs sakes read his book and look where he came from
Carter - same as Clinton

noted: all of these men are white and so had that advantage whether they were born into the same socioeconomic class or not.