Republican Assault on Public Education (2 Viewers)

[MT15]

This probably needs its own thread. It ties in with a lot of different R culture wars: Attacks on universities, attacks on CRT and “woke”. Classifying teachers and librarians as “groomers”. Pushing vouchers to send tax money to private, often religious, schools. Betsy DeVos was an advocate for all these policies that will weaken public education, and there are several billionaires who also want to dismantle public education. Public education may have its faults, but it is responsible for an amazing amount of upward mobility. Kids from poor areas can still get a college prep education in a public school.

Vouchers (sometimes disguised as “school choice”) are a particular peeve of mine. Public money is diverted from poor schools to wealthy private schools, which aren’t required to offer accommodations for special needs or challenged students. Families with special needs kids are left out. Rural areas often suffer disproportionately because there are no private schools to attend, but their public schools still see the reduction in funding. Often the families who take advantage of the voucher money are upper class and the private schools simply raise tuition knowing the families are getting taxpayer money now.

Greg Abbot is being particularly vile in this area. No surprise. Voters will have to make a statement about public education. If we want to halt the growing divide in this country between the “haves” and “have-nots”, we need to pay attention to public education.

 

[bird]

She needs to go back to wrestling. She looks like a fool.

And that is insulting to fools.

 

[Sendai]

There were some posters from Florida who were really supportive of school vouchers. Wonder how they feel about this ?

https://www.wesh.com/article/florid...ts-tvs-drain-billions-public-schools/64829213

Considering that schools take field trips to theme parks I doubt they are concerned at all.

 

[Dragon]

Considering that schools take field trips to theme parks I doubt they are concerned at all.

Private schools yes.. So taking money from public schools to pay for priviledged children to go to Disney world is ok with you ?

 

[MT15]

Considering that schools take field trips to theme parks I doubt they are concerned at all.

Nobody spends tax money going to Disney. Quit this nonsense.

 

[cuddlemonkey]

She needs to go back to wrestling. She looks like a fool.

She was supposedly neck-deep in covering up Vince's horrific crimes. She can F off outta here.

 

[Sendai]

Private schools yes.. So taking money from public schools to pay for priviledged children to go to Disney world is ok with you ?

Public schools do field trips too. Epcot is educational.

Home schoolers aren’t necessarily privileged. And I can guarantee you that all private schools aren’t privileged. There are a lot of inner city private schools that aren’t privileged.

I’m of a mind that education funds should follow the pupil.

 

[Sendai]

Nobody spends tax money going to Disney. Quit this nonsense.

Yes, schools frequently take field trips to Disneyland and Walt Disney World. Disney offers educational opportunities and specially priced tickets for student groups. These trips can be part of a curriculum, a reward for academic achievement, or a fun way to celebrate a school event.

Here's a more detailed look:

• Educational Opportunities:
  .
  Disney Imagination Campus offers workshops and tours that connect learning with the parks, including options for middle, junior high, and high school students.
  
  
• Group Discounts:
  .
  Specially priced tickets are available for student groups of 10 or more, ages 3-22.
  
  
• Disney Imagination Campus:
  .
  This program provides resources and support for planning field trips, including workshop options and park reservation assistance.
  
  
• Beyond Entertainment:
  .
  Disney field trips can provide opportunities to explore various subjects like physics, engineering, and storytelling.
  
  
• Curriculum Integration:
  .
  Schools can integrate Disney visits into their curriculum, making learning more engaging and memorable.
• 
  
• 
  My son and I toured the Disney aquaculture system. Incredibly educational.
  

 

[MT15]

Yes, schools frequently take field trips to Disneyland and Walt Disney World. Disney offers educational opportunities and specially priced tickets for student groups. These trips can be part of a curriculum, a reward for academic achievement, or a fun way to celebrate a school event.

Here's a more detailed look:

• Educational Opportunities:
  .
  Disney Imagination Campus offers workshops and tours that connect learning with the parks, including options for middle, junior high, and high school students.
  
  
• Group Discounts:
  .
  Specially priced tickets are available for student groups of 10 or more, ages 3-22.
  
  
• Disney Imagination Campus:
  .
  This program provides resources and support for planning field trips, including workshop options and park reservation assistance.
  
  
• Beyond Entertainment:
  .
  Disney field trips can provide opportunities to explore various subjects like physics, engineering, and storytelling.
  
  
• Curriculum Integration:
  .
  Schools can integrate Disney visits into their curriculum, making learning more engaging and memorable.
• 
  
• 
  My son and I toured the Disney aquaculture system. Incredibly educational.

Yes, schools do go. No, they do not use taxpayer money to fund these trips. My kids both took a middle school trip to DC, but they had to raise money to go and parents had to chip in.

You haven’t provided any proof that public schools are using taxpayer money for these trips.

And, as per usual you are deflecting from an egregious misuse of public funds by private schools.

And I object to my money going to fund religious schools. It should never be allowed for taxpayer money to be used to fund religious schools. They can fund their own schools.

 

[Optimus Prime]

The Trump Administration fired all 13 Biden-appointed members of a key federal education research board last month, a move that drew sharp rebuke from former members amid the Administration’s ongoing campaign to dismantle the Department of Education.

The firings, carried out on May 23, targeted the National Board for Education Sciences (NBES), which Congress established in 2002 to advise the Department of Education’s research arm, the Institute of Education Sciences (IES). The board—whose members include researchers, educators, and civic leaders—had been tasked with shaping the Department’s $900 million research agenda, including approving priorities, overseeing peer-reviewed grants, and advising on efforts to close achievement gaps across race, income, and disability status. The future of that work is now unclear, as the new Administration has slashed much of that spending.

The dismissals are the latest blow to a board that has struggled for more than a decade to maintain its statutory role. For much of President Donald Trump’s first term, he did not appoint enough members to NBES to fill the 15-member board. They didn't hold any meetings over those four years, according to the board's web page.

“We can confirm that the Department fired thirteen Biden appointees to the National Board for Education Sciences on May 23,” said Madi Biedermann, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Communications under Education Secretary Linda McMahon, in a statement to TIME. “One of the core duties of a board member is to ensure that activities are objective, nonideological, and free of partisan influence—they failed.”

Biedermann cited poor student outcomes, excessive spending on research contracts, and the alleged politicization of federal research as justification for the purge. She said new appointees will be announced to “drive forward President Trump and Secretary McMahon’s vision” for education reform, which emphasizes decentralization and a sharp reduction in the federal government’s role.............

Trump Fires 13 Members of Education Research Board

The Administration fired the National Board for Education Sciences. The future of its work is now unclear.

time.com

 

[MT15]

They are going to ruin our country’s science advantage that has been carefully cultivated for decades. So pointless and stupid.

 

[Dragon]

They are going to ruin our country’s science advantage that has been carefully cultivated for decades. So pointless and stupid.

They’re sitting high in the tree of American prosperity—enjoying the view, basking in the benefits built by generations of investment in knowledge, research, and public institutions—while taking a chainsaw to the very trunk that holds it all up. By dismantling evidence-based education policy, firing experts, and gutting research budgets, the Trump administration is not just attacking bureaucracy; it’s attacking the foundation of national progress. Innovation, economic strength, and social mobility have always depended on a strong public education system grounded in facts, data, and the pursuit of truth.

Undermining that in favor of ideology and political loyalty is short-sighted and dangerous. It won’t just hurt students. It will slowly, but surely, erode the competitive edge that made the U.S. a global leader in science, technology, and economic opportunity. If this continues, the result won’t be a reformed education system—it’ll be a hollowed-out one. And the U.S., once a beacon of innovation, risks sliding into second- or even third-tier status on the world stage, all to satisfy a cynical political agenda that confuses ignorance with independence.

 

[fooferdoggie]

Biedermann cited poor student outcomes, excessive spending on research contracts, and the alleged politicization of federal research as justification for the purge. She said new appointees will be announced to “drive forward President Trump and Secretary McMahon’s vision” for education reform, which emphasizes decentralization and a sharp reduction in the federal government’s role.............

so more fox employees or maybe sumo wrestlers?

 

[TampaJoe]

Yes, schools do go. No, they do not use taxpayer money to fund these trips. My kids both took a middle school trip to DC, but they had to raise money to go and parents had to chip in.

You haven’t provided any proof that public schools are using taxpayer money for these trips.

And, as per usual you are deflecting from an egregious misuse of public funds by private schools.

And I object to my money going to fund religious schools. It should never be allowed for taxpayer money to be used to fund religious schools. They can fund their own schools.

I understand your objection. But once you give/pay your money to the government, it is no longer your money. It’s the governments money to do with as they will.

Government money already flows thru private institutions some of which are religious. The money is put at the disposal of the beneficiary who decides which vendors to use to deliver the goods or services. As far as education, as long as the institution is accredited and meets or exceeds the same standards applied to public schools, I would have no problem. The primary mission is education. I don’t care who delivers the service as long as they accomplish the mission.

There are probably lots of things that government does that I wouldn’t want my money to fund. Sounds like you are the same.

 

[MT15]

I understand your objection. But once you give/pay your money to the government, it is no longer your money. It’s the governments money to do with as they will.

Government money already flows thru private institutions some of which are religious. The money is put at the disposal of the beneficiary who decides which vendors to use to deliver the goods or services. As far as education, as long as the institution is accredited and meets or exceeds the same standards applied to public schools, I would have no problem. The primary mission is education. I don’t care who delivers the service as long as they accomplish the mission.

There are probably lots of things that government does that I wouldn’t want my money to fund. Sounds like you are the same.

So, if you want to go that route, then go that route. As of now, private schools are being used to enrich churches with taxpayer money, while they are not being held to the same standards as public schools.

Private schools are not required to take special needs students. If they have a difficult student, they can just refuse admission. In many cases private schools are not held to the same standards as public schools when it comes to faculty qualifications. In some states they have gone so far down the voucher rabbit hole that private schools receive more state money per student than public schools, which is insane.

Religious private schools sometimes spend a significant amount of classroom time on religious indoctrination. Daily classroom time on religious subjects. Which is fine, and their right, but they should never receive taxpayer money to do so.

Rural areas will suffer the most with this theft of taxpayer money to support religious schools. There won’t be any private schools to choose in rural areas, but the money their schools receive will be reduced as if there is a choice.

This is, as far as I am concerned, theft of taxpayer money in an unconstitutional manner used to support religions.

 

[Sendai]

The Trump Administration fired all 13 Biden-appointed members of a key federal education research board last month, a move that drew sharp rebuke from former members amid the Administration’s ongoing campaign to dismantle the Department of Education.

The firings, carried out on May 23, targeted the National Board for Education Sciences (NBES), which Congress established in 2002 to advise the Department of Education’s research arm, the Institute of Education Sciences (IES). The board—whose members include researchers, educators, and civic leaders—had been tasked with shaping the Department’s $900 million research agenda, including approving priorities, overseeing peer-reviewed grants, and advising on efforts to close achievement gaps across race, income, and disability status. The future of that work is now unclear, as the new Administration has slashed much of that spending.

The dismissals are the latest blow to a board that has struggled for more than a decade to maintain its statutory role. For much of President Donald Trump’s first term, he did not appoint enough members to NBES to fill the 15-member board. They didn't hold any meetings over those four years, according to the board's web page.

“We can confirm that the Department fired thirteen Biden appointees to the National Board for Education Sciences on May 23,” said Madi Biedermann, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Communications under Education Secretary Linda McMahon, in a statement to TIME. “One of the core duties of a board member is to ensure that activities are objective, nonideological, and free of partisan influence—they failed.”

Biedermann cited poor student outcomes, excessive spending on research contracts, and the alleged politicization of federal research as justification for the purge. She said new appointees will be announced to “drive forward President Trump and Secretary McMahon’s vision” for education reform, which emphasizes decentralization and a sharp reduction in the federal government’s role.............

Trump Fires 13 Members of Education Research Board

The Administration fired the National Board for Education Sciences. The future of its work is now unclear.

time.com

So in business since 2002. Apparently the research is not too effective given the long standing sub par performance of urban and rural schools. Just shut the operation down and give the money to the states.

 

[Dragon]

So in business since 2002. Apparently the research is not too effective given the long standing sub par performance of urban and rural schools. Just shut the operation down and give the money to the states.

The idea that the National Board for Education Sciences (NBES) has been ineffective ignores one critical fact: it wasn’t allowed to function properly under the Trump administration. For four years, Trump failed to appoint enough members to even hold a meeting—effectively silencing the board without formally abolishing it. Then came the pandemic, which brought public education to its knees and made long-term research and innovation even more essential. So when critics ask what the board accomplished in the last 10 years, they overlook the deliberate sabotage it endured. It was only under the Biden administration that efforts were finally underway to revitalize the board, refocus on data-driven education policy, and address deep-rooted achievement gaps in underserved communities—urban and rural alike.

Now, with Trump back in power, we’re watching history repeat itself: qualified experts fired en masse, research budgets gutted, and a renewed push for school vouchers. These vouchers may sound like “choice,” but in practice, they funnel public funds away from struggling public schools and into private institutions—many of which are unregulated and inaccessible to the very students who need the most support. This isn’t decentralization; it’s abandonment. It’s a calculated dismantling of public education infrastructure in favor of ideological posturing and privatization. Shutting down evidence-based research and redirecting funds to the states without oversight doesn’t solve inequality—it entrenches it.

If YOU truly cared about improving education outcomes in America’s hardest-hit communities, we need more research, more accountability, and more inclusive policy—not less.

 

[MT15]

So in business since 2002. Apparently the research is not too effective given the long standing sub par performance of urban and rural schools. Just shut the operation down and give the money to the states.

So short-sighted. Painting with such a broad brush, with little or no actual knowledge of anything that is going on.

They aren’t going to give the money to the states. They are going to keep the money, and probably send it to a partisan external group to do bogus “research” that will reinforce their own biases.

Anyway, the president cannot just take funding that has been properly allocated by Congress and divert it to his own purposes. There’s a right way and a wrong way to do these things, and Trump is always, always doing it the wrong way, the illegal way. The unconstitutional way.

 

[Sendai]

So, if you want to go that route, then go that route. As of now, private schools are being used to enrich churches with taxpayer money, while they are not being held to the same standards as public schools.

Private schools are not required to take special needs students. If they have a difficult student, they can just refuse admission. In many cases private schools are not held to the same standards as public schools when it comes to faculty qualifications. In some states they have gone so far down the voucher rabbit hole that private schools receive more state money per student than public schools, which is insane.

Religious private schools sometimes spend a significant amount of classroom time on religious indoctrination. Daily classroom time on religious subjects. Which is fine, and their right, but they should never receive taxpayer money to do so.

Rural areas will suffer the most with this theft of taxpayer money to support religious schools. There won’t be any private schools to choose in rural areas, but the money their schools receive will be reduced as if there is a choice.

This is, as far as I am concerned, theft of taxpayer money in an unconstitutional manner used to support religions.

Every Christian and catholic school in my area routinely averages 26-30 on the act. That doesn’t happen spending significant time on religious indoctrination. It’s money well spent.