9.24.24 – U. S. Parents Involved in Education (USPIE)
“Beware of Government Strings Attached – School Choice”
By Sheri Few, USPIE
Excerpts from this website:
In the short term, it seems like a good idea, because we need to break the monopoly of the failing public school system. But in the long run, it will ensnare parents and make them dependent on government handouts— with government mandates
The U.S. House Ways and Means Committee has approved A NATIONWIDE SCHOOL CHOICE BILL (HR 9462), for the first time in history, advancing the legislation to the [U. S.] House floor.
Before parents start celebrating, they might want to look at the big picture.
It sounds wonderful until you realize that the federal government gets to determine what constitutes ‘qualified elementary and secondary school students.'
How do they qualify? The federal government, which has no business being involved in education at all, will be able to attach strings once parents of all children, including homeschoolers and private schoolers, are dependent on this ‘free money.’
Homeschools and private schools that accept students with this government-enabled money will suffer the same consequence as Hillsdale College did when it first accepted students with Pell Grants. The Supreme Court confirmed that when the government provides the funds, they get to set the rules.
In the short term, it seems like a good idea. Even the leftwing teacher unions such as the NEA oppose it because they think it threatens the monopoly of the failing public school system.
If it [school choice] could be done without the real risk of even greater government control, we, too, would support it.
But in the long run, it could ensnare parents and make them dependent on government handouts with government mandates.
When that happens, government bureaucrats throw their weight around and start demanding things like teaching climate change extremism; Critical Race Theory; the 1619 Project; Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) and the LGBTQ+ agenda, complete with false pronouns.
According to the bill’s webpage, HR 9462 aims “[t]o amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to allow a credit against tax for charitable donations to nonprofit organizations providing education scholarships to qualified elementary and secondary students.”
…Committee Chair Jason Smith [R-Neb.] stated in the press release, “We have a responsibility to expand educational opportunities and parent choice for students trapped in schools that fail to help them succeed.” He said that over 365,000 students have benefited from state-level programs.
Education is the province of state and local government -- NOT the federal leviathan.
Lawmakers and bureaucrats are more accountable at the state level, which is why the U.S. Constitution’s list of enumerated federal powers in Article I, Section 8, does NOT include education.
Instead of getting more people hooked on taxpayer money, we need to starve the beast.
That means shutting down the U.S. Department of Education and cutting off the flow of federal dollars to the leftwing educationists who are dead set on miseducating our children and teaching them to have contempt for America.
To Donate to USPIE -- https://uspie.org/donate
MORE INFORMATION
11.25.23 -- “My Worries Not the Usual Ones About School Choice & Education Savings Accounts” -- By Donna Garner -- https://donnagarner.org/11-25-23-my-worries-not-the-usual-ones-about-school-choice-education-savings-accounts-by-donna-garner/
1.17.23 – “The Only Answer for America: Type #1 for All Classrooms -- Cannot Be Mixed – Just Like Oil and Water” – by Donna Garner - - https://donnagarner.org/only-two-types-of-education-type-1-vs-type-2-cannot-mix-oil-water-4-27-22/
8.31.22 -- “Teaching the Public To Recognize Good from Bad Curriculum Standards and Curriculum” -- By Donna Garner -- https://donnagarner.org/teaching-the-public-to-recognize-good-from-bad-curriculum-standards-and-curriculum/
11.1.23 -- “Obama Stole America’s School Students’ Minds” -- By Donna Garner -- https://donnagarner.org/11-1-23-obama-stole-americas-school-students-minds-by-donna-garner/
2.18.23 -- “School Choice and Nationally Normed Tests” -- By Donna Garner -- https://donnagarner.org/2-18-23-school-choice-and-nationally-normed-tests-by-donna-garner/
11.22.22 – “Op-Ed: 'School Choice' Is Not the Answer - Here Is How to Escape Gov't-Controlled Education” -- By Sheri Few – Western Journal -- https://donnagarner.org/op-ed-school-choice-is-not-the-answer-here-is-how-to-escape-govt-controlled-education/