THE AMERICA ONE NEWS
Jul 30, 2025  |  
0
 | Remer,MN
Sponsor:  QWIKET 
Sponsor:  QWIKET 
Sponsor:  QWIKET: Elevate your fantasy game! Interactive Sports Knowledge.
Sponsor:  QWIKET: Elevate your fantasy game! Interactive Sports Knowledge and Reasoning Support for Fantasy Sports and Betting Enthusiasts.
back  
topic
Kevin Finn


NextImg:Illiteracy by design?

Reactions from public school teachers’ unions to the school funding options in Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill were full of the usual distortions that characterize the position of those unions. Union leaders, like Randi Weingarten, will sometimes magnanimously declare that parents should have the right to choose a private school option for their children, but they then insist that those parents continue to financially support a school their children do not attend.

It comes as no surprise that the teachers’ unions would take this position, since these funds represent pure profit for the public school. The school receives the tax dollars from these parents, but they do not have to provide a seat for that child. Perhaps this is why the unions repeat this objection.

Forcing parents to support a school that their child does not attend is government-sponsored thievery. Imagine if, instead of schools, we were talking about groceries. The state deducts a certain percentage from your paycheck every month and sends it to your local grocery store. In turn, the store makes a selection of government-selected foods available for you to pick up. The state says this is reasonable because society benefits from a healthy, well-fed citizenry. However, it makes no difference what your culinary preferences are, or if you are allergic to certain foods — the money is deducted and the food items selected by the government are packed up for you. It also makes no difference if you occasionally decide to dine in a restaurant; you still pay for the groceries intended for that meal.

Some families may find that they cannot eat any of the foods that are selected for them and, making sacrifices to do so, they go out and purchase their own. Nevertheless, they must still pay for the groceries that the state chooses for them or, refusing these, allow the state to sell those same groceries to other families and so reap twice the profit. Other families aren’t so lucky, and are forced to eat the food that’s provided to them.

Over time, statistics have shown that the percentage of people who thrive on the state-selected foods has decreased compared to those who select their own groceries. Some of the children who do not thrive on the diet decided upon by the state grow up sickly and become a burden on their families and ultimately, upon the government. Meanwhile, state representatives continue to spread the myth that the diet decided upon by the state is suitable for everyone.

People appreciate the freedom to choose, and there is public support for school vouchers or tax credits. Recent findings from the Cato Institute reveal 58% of Americans support taxpayer-funded K–12 private school vouchers. The results break down as follows:

Income < $20k — 74%

Black Americans — 69%

Republicans — 68%

High School Graduates — 64%

Moderate Democrats — 60%

White & Latino Americans — 56%

The very poor and many black Americans are the ones most victimized by dysfunctional public schools. Is it any surprise they’re looking for a way out?

Recent reports indicate that high school graduation rates are rising, for example here and here. That is encouraging news, until you also examine test scores in reading and math. If you lower the standards enough and simply pass students through regardless of their ability to read, write, reason, and perform basic calculations, you can pretend you’re meeting your quotas. This is an analogous situation to what’s occurring with the NYPD.

A 2015 study cited by Literacy Inc. claimed 19% of U.S. high school graduates were functionally illiterate, meaning they couldn’t read well enough to manage daily tasks or job requirements. A 2013 Department of Education study reported 19% of high school graduates read at a “below basic” level, struggling with simple texts.

A 2022 report from the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) showed that math and reading scores among 4th and 8th graders had hit historic lows. Low literacy among high school graduates correlates with higher unemployment, reliance on welfare, and incarceration. For instance, 50% of unemployed 16- to 21-year-olds lack functional literacy.

How are some states dealing with this? Astonishingly, they’re cancelling a final standardized test as a requirement for high school graduation. Passing students along despite their lack of readiness requires colleges to adapt. There are 592 U.S. colleges which are providing remedial education. As the saying goes, “We used to teach Latin and Greek in high school. Now we’re teaching remedial English in college.”

Why do you suppose Leftist “representatives” are so resistant to school choice? When we look at the record of contributions to political parties made by teachers’ unions, it becomes clear.

At the end of the day it is a simple matter of justice. Shouldn’t parents be able to choose the school to which they send their children? Should a school (or any institution) receive financial support for a service it does not provide?

Free image, Pixabay license

Image: Free image, Pixabay license.