Destroying Public Education

Last update June 26, 2023

The U.S. has some of the finest teachers, professors, public schools and universities in the world. An annual report produced by the Wharton School and U.S. News ranks the U.S. No. 1. That report is based on surveys of perceptions, not reality. In reality, the U.S. ranks 20th among OECD nations; 30th to 39th in math, 11th in science, according to PISA scores from more than 70 countries. The science ranking improved due to other countries falling behind.

As mentioned in the last article above, inequality has increased. The quality of education varies greatly between and within states. Public schools are funded by federal, state and local taxes. States and school districts that have wealthy tax bases have and spend more money on education. Massachusetts is no. 1, Texas is 34th, Alabama is last. Texas is a very wealthy state, spends less than most, and has high property taxes.

Overall, salaries and benefits for teachers and college faculty members in the U.S. rank 6th among developed countries, but again, that varies between and and within states. In theory, democracy and even plutocracy has special interest groups that influence legislation, taxes and spending. Unions were at one time very influential, strongly supported by Republicans under Eisenhower. The countries with the happiest people and healthiest economies have strong unions, they’re all social democracies, where the governments represent all the people and not just the very wealthy and wealthy special interest groups. Republicans today call them “socialist”, and have done all they can to destroy unions, and use unconstitutional voter suppression.

Everyone pays property taxes, homes, apartments, and all businesses; but not churches, until recently. The federal bill passed in 2017 that gave tax cuts to the very wealthy included a provision that began taxes on churches. Charles Koch’s bill, pushed through by Paul Ryan, who ate and went to college thanks to social security survivor benefits. Thanks to Reagan and his congress, we pay taxes on our social security checks and deposits, but that’s another subject.

Most people don’t make the connection between their own higher property taxes and cuts in federal and state spending, but those spending cuts, again due to tax cuts for the very wealthy, push necessary expenses down to local authorities, governments and school districts. They issue bonds, which generate tax exempt income for the same people who benefit from tax cuts. Unlike federal debt, those bonds have to be paid back on schedule.

The attacks on public education and teachers are part of our “culture war”, discussed in other essays. The primary instigators are “libertarians” like the Koch brothers, other very wealthy people who don’t want to pay fair taxes, and the “religious right”, “evangelicals“ and “conservative“ Catholics, who want taxpayer funds for religious schools. Their common goal is a theocratic aristocratic authoritarian oligarchy, their enemy a well educated populace capable of rational critical thinking.

There have been legitimate supporters of charter schools. Bill Gates is one. He made his fortune thanks to our society, our education system, and the government funded research that gave us computers, the internet, cell phones… He and his wife can spend their wealth any way they want.

Education scholar and activist Diane Ravich was once a supporter of charter schools. She saw the disaster created by religious right and some of the very wealthy backers.

In Wisconsin more than $200 million a year is going to Catholic schools. They need the money. The Milwaukee diocese is one of more than twenty dioceses or religious orders that went bankrupt or otherwise $millions in lawsuits.

In Texas more than $150 million a year in taxpayer funds is going to Responsive Education Solutions, a project of DeVos supported Hillsdale College in Michigan. Then have more than 85 campuses in Texas and Arkansas and an online school run from Virginia. As charter schools they receive more per student from state education funds than public schools.

The CRT propaganda was created by one man, Christopher Rufo. Youngkin won the governor race in Virginia using it. Religious right candidates have taken over school boards all over the country.

Update:

Tennessee governor Lee has been working with Hillsdale College to expand their “conservative christian” schools in his state. As mentioned above, Hillsdale already has at least 85 schools in Texas and Arkansas, all funded by taxpayers with money taken from public education.

Republican governors have added to teacher problems by denying vaccination and mask requirements. Twelve people have been identified as the major spreaders of COVID disinformation. At least three are associated with Koch funded entities. Hillsdale College is also involved.

In Texas, Governor Greg Abbott, a “conservative” Catholic up for re-election this year, capitalizing on the CRT propaganda, promised a “parental rights” amendment to the state constitution. As in other Republican states, it would allow harassment of teachers and school administrators, and persecution for perceived “offenses”. Abbott made the announcement at a Hillsdale College RES school.

In Florida, likewise “conservative” Catholic, governor Ron DeSantis, pushed through and signed “don’t say gay” legislation. It allows parents to sue schools and teachers.

There are teacher shortages all over the U.S., and getting worse. In Florida veterans are now allowed to be certified as teachers with only two years of college. There has been some disinformation spread, that does not include their spouses.

Texas governor Abbott convened a commission to study the shortages and propose solutions. It initially included very few teachers.

Last month the five theocon Catholic Federalist Society (originalist) judges on the SCOTUS made two decisions that will impact education. One forces states to fund religious schools, a second forced schools and school districts to allow prayer on school property during school events.

Those judges, all chosen by theocon Catholics Paul Weyrich and Leonard Leo, aren’t done destroying the separation of church and state, or imposing Catholic doctrine on our country and all of us. It should be recognized that such “conservative” Catholics are a small minority in our country, even among Catholics.

Republican senator Susan Collins said that Gorsuch, Kavanaugh and Barrett lied to her and in their senate hearings. They were certainly not truthful.

ALEC was founded by Catholic activist Paul Weyrich. Early funding came from Adolph Coors and tobacco companies. The Coors family is now worth more than $5 billion, and are still “Dark Money” donors.

This article was prescient. Wisconsin taxpayers now give more than $200 million a year to Catholic schools. Texas gives more than $150 million a year to Responsive Education Solutions, a project of DeVos supported Hillsdale College.

Update 03/01/2023:

Florida governor DeSantis recently began his efforts to take over a liberal arts college. Christopher Rufo, the man who came up with anti-CRT propaganda, spreading all over the country, is now one of the new board members.

Rufo was a fellow with the Weyrich co-founded right wing Heritage Foundation, now with the right wing Manhattan Institute.

There has been and will be further reaction to DeSantis's plans for higher education.

Update 05/11/2023

In recent school board elections "conservatives" won more board member seats in several states, Moms For Liberty candidates and another organization I hadn't heard of before endorsed them. Project 1776 took credit for six of seven seats in Tarrant County. Christian Post is a "conservative" organization.

The owner of Patriot Mobile helped fund MFL candidates in North Texas, gaining majorities in at least four school One of their candidates, with no qualifications in education, took a seat on the Denton, Texas ISD board, replacing the highly qualified incumbent. He's an assistant to the dean at Texas Women's University. Only 18,000 people voted, Denton ISD has more than 80,000 students. They claimed victory in eleven elections this month.

In Colorado MFL candidates took over a school board, at least half of teachers said they'll leave next year.

In North Carolina MFL candidates won school board seats. Now, as in Texas, right wing organizations are trying to eliminate tenure for college professors.

Private schools are allowed to discriminate. In addition to religious issues, they don't admit handicapped students.

The Texas legislature is in session now. Abbott and Lt. Governor Dan Patrick are pushing legislation to eliminate tenure for college professors, and vouchers for private schools. The Texas House blocked a vote on school vouchers this week, but it will come up again. It's not a coincidence that Abbott and Patrick have spoken at "christian" schools. If the voucher legislation doesn't pass, Patrick has said there will be a special session, costing taxpayers at least several $million.

Texas has a "weak governor" system, Patrick is the most influential person in the legislature. Given name Dannie Goeb, from Maryland, bankrupted bar and radio station owner, who made $millions from the sale of a successful radio station. He led and helped fund the repeal of the Houston Equal Rights Ordinance.

Perhaps repetition, every student in Texas who leaves a public school takes $6,000 from their public school district, charter schools receive $8,000 to $12,000 in state funds. If you missed it, please read the section above about RES.

Update 06/24/2023

The 2023 session of the state legislature ended without passage of legislation regarding school funding and giving teachers raises. Schools have been losing highly qualified teachers because of right wing politics and the pandemic more than money, but teachers in some school districts certainly are underpaid.

The Senate and House passed bills that would provide tax cuts, but the House adjourned, Dan Patrick and the Senate he controls wouldn't vote on that one. We're seeing reports that the dispute between House speaker Dade Phelan and Patrick is about property tax cuts. That's incorrect. The senate version would give parents vouchers for private schools or home schooling, $8,000 per year. That's $2,000 more than public school districts receive.

The $millions in public funds, taken from public education, would go mostly to Catholic schools.

Yesterday I found another charter school system that's operating in at least several states, Connections Academy. I learned about it from an ad in an online game, "free online education." Free to students and parents, funded by the states.

There's a brick Connections Academy school in Houston, which claims 12,000 students. I couldn't find how much state funding that school receives, but it's at least $8,000 per student.

Connections Academy is owned and operated by UK based Pearson PLC, an international entity that made $4 billion in 2021.

Results from charter schools such as theirs have been poor.

Update 06/26/2023

Faith and Freedom Coalition is Ralph Reed, who ran Robertson’s political organization until he was found to be involved with the Abramoff’s bribery scandal.

Helfenbien is a VP at Falwell’s Liberty U.

The reasons we left our church included a director bringing Right Now media into the church, including a video series for youth from a Liberty VP.