VEA says no to choice

I thought all leftists were pro-choice….I guess only when it comes to killing babies.  Choice in education is not acceptable according to Kitty Boitnott of VEA in Times Dispatch.  Why?

Because our government run schools take care of people:

• Her parents, who spoke little English, were unable (or unwilling) to drive her to school, so she would call the school office to ask if someone could come get her. As far as I know, someone always did.
• The principal pulled a snack from the stash she kept in her office and told him the next time he came to school with no breakfast, he was to come straight to her.

She is right!  No private run school system would do these things! 

Because government run schools are safe havens:

• Public schools are succeeding every day with students like these — in ways that go beyond academic achievement — by offering not only a free and appropriate public education, but also a safe haven

I thought schools were about education?  So the argument for public education is that they are safe? Ask Justin Creech if he felt public education was safe for him (of course, you can not, he was killed by his classmate!) Once again, no private school could be safe, only government run public schools are a safe haven!  Forgive me for puking!

Because the promise of vouchers(choice) is false:

•  I believe that the promise of vouchers and tuition tax credits programs is a false one for too many of the children who need our public schools the most.

Just saying it is “false” doesn’t make it so.  Why is it false?  The “promise of (vouchers) choice” works everywhere else but it wouldn’t work in education?  But the VEA are masters in free-market thinking and the brightest among us and it is demonstrated perfectly with the above comment!

Because trying to fix what we have would be too difficult:

• Instead of dreaming up so many different ways to abandon our public schools, wouldn’t it be more helpful and productive if folks spent the same amount of time and energy trying to work for meaningful reforms within the system?

Why challenge government run schools?  They don’t work! That is why we should challenge them!  At least, not as well as the private sector could!  Dreaming up??  Once again, we know that it works everywhere else! By the way, “reforms” don’t happen in government systems, but it is a nice idea by an entrenched bureaucrat with a pension!

Because this is were they learn about America:

• It is there that the vast majority of our nation’s citizens learn about what it really means to be an American.

Seriously?  Wow, I can’t believe that she said this!  Do we say the pledge anymore in our schools?  Do we teach how great the Founders were or how evil Columbus was?  Do we teach the greatest of America or the stains of America?  EXACTLY-Is this woman a complete dunce (perhaps a product of public education!) ?     Listen to:  SW VA teaches Climate Change.

Because it is about diversity:

• …through the practice of bringing together diverse members of the community with every effort made toward getting along and learning together.

I can’t take it!  It is obviously not about learning math and English…it is all about social engineering!

Why is Kitty opposed to school  choice?  It could be that the reason the VEA opposes choice could be because their pensions are tied to this broken system and with parents in charge, their little government indoctrination centers would collapse!

Delegate Saxman op-ed is outstanding: click here.

Listen to us as we say no to VEA: Click here.

Listen to us discuss charter school options: click here.

Private Schools keep VA costs down

  This is just perfect! I had to let you see this in case you missed it!

How much do private schools save Virginia?

According to an expert with the General Assembly’s Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission (JLARC), there are approximately 125,000 K-12 aged students attending private schools in Virginia. Approximately 24,000 students are home schooled.

If these students all entered the public schools system, what would the fiscal impact look like?

In FY 2007, Virginia spent roughly $3,750 per student for State Standards of Quality regular instruction purposes. When add-on costs (special education, vocational education, remedial instruction and English as a second language) are included the figure is $4,229 per student. Using these two figures a high and low end of the cost estimate can be established. Do the math and you arrive at a cost between $468 million and $531 million dollars.

Do the same math for home schooled children and you get a figure between $90 million and $101.5 million dollars. Overall, kids educated in private schools and home schools saved the Commonwealth between $558 and $632.5 million per year.

Given the fact that parents privately educating and home schooling their children are saving the Commonwealth roughly over half a billion dollars per year, isn’t tax relief on that basis in order? Virginia offers tax credits to encourage land conservation and historical preservation. Why shouldn’t we invest in our future as well by offering tax credits to parents and opening more educational opportunities for all children?