Steve had put up a post a couple of days ago for the 603 Alliance’s School Board training to run for School Board positions:
If you’re concerned about the decline in academic standards, the harm done by shutdowns and mandatory masking, and the politicization of our public schools, please consider running for School Board in your district. We need to take back control of our schools and renew their focus on academic achievement.
My take on this is that until the idea that the CHILD is entitled to his/her education money directly (as Society has decided that Public Education is a civil right) as in “let the money follow the child rather than go to a zip coded building”, the majority of parents are stuck with the present system (ex: School Boards that refuse to answer questions from Parents during School Board meetings). Commenter Jay Ehelman had some comments, thoughtful ones, that are a bit contrarian in my mind. Thus, I thought they needed a bit more exposure. While I WOULD ask that you go to the post to see them in context, I present them here in chronological order (a little reformatting, emphasis mine).
Re: “If you’re concerned about the decline in academic standards, the harm done by shutdowns and mandatory masking, and the politicization of our public schools, please consider running for School Board in your district.”
As a former public school board director, please believe me when I say; ‘don’t bother’ running for school board. You’ll be jousting with windmills.
Keep in mind that half the people in your community want their children to be indoctrinated to CRT, transgenderism, Marxism, Restorative Justice… you name it. Many others wouldn’t know a school board from a surfboard. And as a school board member, even with a sympathetic majority on your side, you’ll still get stuck up in the Uncle Remus tar baby known as the public education monopoly.
It’s the system that’s problematic. Teacher unions. Principal associations. Superintendent associations. The State school board association. From Guidance Counselors to school bus drivers, the ‘system’ is pervasive. Not to mention the legislators who stalk their prey at the great public education watering hole for funding their campaigns.
The only reasonable recourse is School Choice vouchers that allow parents to choose the education programs they believe best meet the needs of their children. Let the parents who believe in the current social indoctrination programs have them. But let parents who want to homeschool or to send their children to independent schools (including parochial schools) receive a commensurate share of the tax revenues to do their thing. Then let the marketplace determine what’s best.
The public education monopoly is the largest, wealthiest, governmental organization in the country. It’s bigger and more powerful than the military-industrial complex. No school board on the planet can manage it. So don’t waste your time. Just get out and let it rot on the vine. But get out… now. The public education monopoly is nothing short of the most dangerous institution on the planet for your children and the best thing you can do is stay away from it. Whatever it takes.
Ostensibly, everyone’s tax dollars, whether or not they have children in the school system, provides a benefit to the community. That’s the underlying premise to public education support from the get-go. And, yes, it is a debatable premise, to be sure. But that’s not what we’re discussing today. As long as society deems it appropriate to subsidize our children’s education, should that money be monopolized by one institution in a one-size-fits-all methodology? Or should the money follow the student? And if the money follows the student, who leads the student where the money should follow?
In Vermont, our property taxes pay the lion’s share of education costs. As I believe is also the case in NH. But in Vermont, property tax is indexed to income. The maximum property tax can be no more than 5% of one’s household income – give or take. But even though I have no kids of school age, I’m still obligated to pay for publicly funded education. Because I benefit when my neighbor’s kids are well educated. Interestingly, we find that property values are higher in School Choice districts because homeowners can see the benefits of School Choice. Conversely, property values in districts with failing public schools have lower property values.
As you can see, this is a nuanced issue. And as a former school board director, employer, and parent, I’ve been promoting School Choice for more than 30 years. I’ve thought through most of the issues you mention and am happy to discuss them with you as they come to mind.
Third:
I’m from Vermont. And our system provides a tution voucher equal to the average cost per student thoughout the State. Our problem is that only certain districts provide that opportunity. And yes, that’s not only unconstitutional, it’s being argued in our Superior Courts right now.
The tuition voucher can be used in public schools and independent schools. And while some of us lobby to have the State tuition available to homeschool parents, many are afraid to take the money because they believe the State will put conditions on their programs. So the battle still rages here too.
But my point is that while you may have made inroads in your local school school district to an extent to which you’re satisified, certainly, other parents won’t agree. And, over time, the public school monopoly has staying power. Today may be okay. But tomorrow they’ll be back.
The only way to really win, is to be able to take your commensurate share of taxpayer funded education dollars and spend it where you believe it will be best for your children.
He has a couple more as well but are more intertwined with other folks’ comments. Go take a read!
