From Richard Rostron of The Response:
Government Schools offer snapshot of what we get with socialism
They call them “Public Schools,” but we really could, and some say ‘should,’ call them “Government Schools.”
Our schools are funded by and run by the government.
The government sets the standards and divvies up the money (all of which, by the way, comes from the taxpayers).
Considering, we could even call them “Socialized Schools.”
At a time when more and more young Americans are reported to be comfortable with socialism, “Government Schools” offer a snapshot of what we can expect from socialism in general.
This seems appropriate considering that Seattle and New York City just elected socialists mayors, while a Gallup poll reports that 66% of Democrats view socialism positively but only 42% approve of capitalism.
This report comes at the same time as a FOX News report about Chicago Public Schools spending on staff and student travel from 2019 to 2024:
- 2019 – $3.6M
- 2020 – $1.8M
- 2021 – $0.3M
- 2022 – 3.4M
- 2023 – $6.9M
- 2024 – $7.7M
No doubt, 2020-22 shows a decline in spending related to the pandemic.
But 2019 predated the pandemic and shows half as much spending on staff and student travel as 2024.
According to the FOXNews report, that spending included team-building trips for teachers to Hawaii and to Africa.
Who doesn’t wish the company they work for would send them on junkets around the globe?
It’s difficult not to see this spending as potentially frivolous.
At the very least, bosses should demand explanations.
But the direct managers include administrators hired by a school board elected with a heavy influence of the teacher’s union.
Another layer of authority could possibly come from Chicago’s City Hall.
But with the mayor of Chicago, Brandon Johnson, a member of the Teacher’s Union, it’s difficult to see him as exactly impartial.
But much of this could be forgiven if our Government Schools excelled at educating our children.
So how are Government Schools doing on that score?
According to an Illinois Policy article, in 2018 and 2022, only 25.1% of Chicago Public School students were proficient in reading according to SAT scores.
In math, 21% were proficient in 2018 and 20.5% in 2022. These are not exactly glowing numbers.
In McHenry County, these numbers are better.
A report in a McHenryCountyBlog.com article shows that 54% of students are proficient in reading and 30% in math.
If you hired a painter to paint your house and they did a good job on half of the trim and a third of the walls, would you feel your money was well spent?
Now try that analogy out with a surgeon.
According to the same article, McHenry County “All-in spending per student” for 2024 was $17,476. Is that a good deal if you have a 50-50 chance they’ll learn to read proficiently, or a one-in-three chance of achieving the standard for math?
Some might say you’d do better with your money if you took it to a casino.
There are no reports, this commentator is aware of, that McHenry County teachers are taking expensive trips to exotic destinations.
But these are not inspiring report cards.
According to the NAEP’s “The Nation’s Report Card,” on a scale of 0-500 for eighth graders in Midwestern Public (Government) Schools scored 272 and Private Schools scored 293.
For reading, the number was 257 vs. 277.
Keep in mind that public schools are known to often grade on a curve and pass students along to avoid the stigma of holding a student back.
Additionally, public schools have adopted peculiar priorities in terms of their focus in recent years.
Public schools have pushed the LGBTQ agenda and often demonstrate a decidedly condemning perspective on America and the nation’s history (the author of this article has also written a book challenging the push to condemn America on racial matters – A Deplorable Neanderthal Contemplates White Guilt, which is available on Amazon and on the author’s Website – AmericanAdventureBooks.com).
Whatever an individual may feel about those subjects, is it really the Government School’s job to push an anti-American agenda on American students?
And what does that say about turning our children over to a socialist form of educational system?
