Beyond Home-Schooling: A Strategy for True Education Reform, Part II

Last week I wrote the first part of this series. I pointed out that real education reform will only happen if the current government monopoly is dismantled. The criminal cabal of big government, big labor and big business that now controls education will not permit reform of the public system. For them, it would mean losing power and money.

As I make the case for privatization, the reaction from most people is that it would be impossible. I believe that the system would collapse of its own weight by a general public education strike. Even if only 25% participated, the politicians would be forced to listen. Funding of the public system is dependent upon attendance. That is why schools are becoming increasingly dictatorial about attendance. There is an organization called boostattendance.org doing television advertising. (The Ad Council is a propaganda arm of the federal government.)

First, we must have a massive public information campaign. We need to reach out to teachers and parents through seminars. I call upon the burned out teachers such as Susan Sluyter to join the effort. Your country needs you. You might think that privatization is too radical, but I assure you that the government system is too entrenched to permit reform around the edges. Privatization will temporarily be painful for both parents and teachers, but the alternative will be eventual destruction of our society with a violent ending.

Home school organizations need to support the effort. They may believe that the problem is solved for them, but they are deceived if they believe that the cabal will leave them unmolested. The government already has its eyes on you and as their power continues to grow they will eventually take your freedom to home school. If you fail to get involved, you will lose your freedom. School choice organizations need to get involved as well. The cabal is coming after you, too.

There is already a well established core of anti-Common Core organizations. I call upon them to recognize that while their efforts are important, even if they achieve repeal, it will not alleviate the fundamental problems with government controlled education.
The cabal will simply rebrand as some politicians are already suggesting. The problems with the curriculum preceded Common Core and they will persist. I liken it to focusing on the mole on your back while your body is riddled with melanoma.

We need the support of conservative media, especially talk radio. Steve Deace, a true Christian conservative with a growing audience, recognizes that government education is part of a four-legged stool that props up big Marxist government. We’ll buy your book, Steve, but we need you to join the effort to publicize a school strike. We need political leaders with courage to support the effort.

We need the support of the Christian church. Pastors, your country is dying before your eyes. Children are going to hell because of government education. Do you care enough to educate your congregation? Are you brave enough to abandon your seeker sensitive strategy?

Our public information campaign could lead to a national “look at your school tax” day. Encourage everyone to get out their property tax bill and look at the bite that school taxes take. Even you renters are paying it; ask your land lord. Have media and political leaders highlight what government education spending is costing us. Let the people know what they could spend to have true freedom of choice in education if the money was returned to them. This country spent almost $600 billion on elementary and secondary education in 2010.

If parents were responsible for their children’s education, if they had a stake in it, they would be involved and teachers know that parental involvement is the primary key to educational achievement. Teachers would have choice as well. There would be more diversity in a private system. They could teach a curriculum that fit them.

Once the level of public outrage is maximized, we could plan a strike to coincide with the start of the school year. There might be some temporary inconvenience and expense for parents, but the sacrifice would be worth it to preserve your children’s future.
Once we have a strike and get the attention of the law makers, we should submit a list of demands:
1. Abolish all federal control of education
2. Abolish the U.S. Department of Education
3. Abolish all federal funding for education
4. Legislation prohibiting teacher unions
5. Criminal Investigations of corporations that may have lobbied, colluded with or coerced education officials or legislators. Anti-trust investigations of educational publishing and testing companies.
6. Repeal of all mandatory attendance laws.
7. Repeal of all laws prohibiting or restricting home schooling and the pardoning of anyone prosecuted under such laws.
8. Repeal of all school property taxes.

It is vitally important that the task of privatizing education be undertaken with haste. The survival of our society and freedom depends upon it. When we depend upon the government to provide all things for us, we trade our freedom for tyranny. As government provides everything, it must control everything. As my daughter correctly pointed out, the most important factor in educational achievement is parental involvement. Today, most parents are not involved because they expect the government to provide the education. When parents do get involved, too often they are silenced by the “professionals” who want their unquestioned allegiance, but are not interested in their input. Government education supports the tyranny of big government.

History has proven over and over again, that as tyranny increases, people will rebel. As governments get more powerful, rebellion gets crushed. We must stop it before it gets too big or the end will be violent.

Image: Courtesy of: http://curriculumanddesign2011.wikispaces.com/Classroom+Management