There is actually an organization with that name (though I don’t think they use the acronym): the Alliance for Separation of School & State. The homepage of their website solicits support for their public proclamation:
“I proclaim publicly that I favor ending
government involvement in education.”
That sounds very much like “abolish all public schools.”
If you click on State Rankings at the top, it shows how many people from each state have signed on to their petition. Then, if you click Tennessee, it shows you exactly who these 595 people are (with location and some with comments, ranging from their religious affiliation, profession, or number of children).
In yesterday’s Oak Ridge Observer (I’ll link it when goes online, but until then, get your own) Stan Mitchell did a straightforward interview with both candidates for State Representative in our district. Both listed education as a priority — Jim Hackworth ranking it as his top priority. David Massengill said he supports more local control, which sounds good.
Question is, just how local? Local as in local school system? It doesn’t appear to be so. Go on down the Tennessee ASS&S list — it’s in alphabetical order — and guess whose name is on there? David Massengill. Of Clinton. Candidate for State Rep.
Massengill has signed a statement that “I proclaim publicly that I favor ending
government involvement in education.”Â
I fully support the right of parents to select the best and most appropriate education for their child or children — not just public schools, but also including home schooling (meeting the State’s modest qualifications and criteria), private, or parochial schools.
Despite that view, I steadfastly maintain that quality public schools are necessary to ensure our future. Every child must have an opportunity to learn — if they do not, then our immediate future as a nation is in grave peril.
ASS&S indeed.
Jesus Christ, what kind of backwoods, weird ass’d country would we end up with if most of these people taught their own kids? Holy crap, thats a scary thought.
We’d see America fall back about 300 years in a decade or two.
In fairness, I know several families who are or did participate in home-schooling; all but one were extremely successful. Their reasons varied from the child’s health concerns, ADD or learning disabilities, religious reasons, or simply a desire to spend a lot of time with their children.
I don’t think I could do a better job educating my children than Oak Ridge public schools, but there are locations where I would seriously consider it.
At the same time, the one family that failed, failed miserably. Their teens had memorized scripture, but couldn’t read or perform simple arithmetic… and there were no learning disabilities beyond their utterly irresponsible, destructive parents.
They lived in another state, and the kids are grown now. I hope someone got through to them.
Holy cow, good catch 🙂 I always want to be able to find little tidbits of relevant information like that that most other people don’t know. I don’t live in Anderson County, so I have no dog in teh fight but I can’t imagine much more hypocrital stance to take. Unless by “local” he means really local, as inside the home.
I wonder, just as an exercise in wondering, what the country or even the state would be like without any government funding for schools? The only choices for parents would be either privately funded (meaning tuition) schools, or home schooling. What would the results be? What would a graduate of such a system look like?
So AT, are you suggesting that we as a country limit the number of children that are home schooled?
I’d say we should limit the number of home-schooled kids to those whose teachers meet the standards that public school teachers are expected to meet in their district. High standard? No. But at least there’s more of a standard than being the pupil’s parent.
What he said.
Joel and AT, that standard is an unknown when it comes to welfare. Some children have a phobia about things that the school does not know what to do. How do you handle your crying boy or girl not wanting to start school because they said so? That is where the parents step up and make government learning not so scary. It may take a few years. As for the older kids you may be talking about, home school qualifications in Tennessee are kept to the standards you speak of. Tennessee has control of the problem of secular wolf children popping up at the mall.
But one issue I keep seeing in Tennessee government schools is the sexual predators. Should our children constantly be put in with the likes of Montgomery (Monty) Koons or William Marcus Kendall, both of ORS. Pick up and read some E. Tennessee papers, they are all over. Is the Anderson County government doing its job to keep these strange perverts out of public places for children? This is an issue with parents that home school also, if the state does not investigate home schools, the children are in danger.
Tennessee has some of the finest home schooled children in the nation. I know; I have had the opportunity to meet with a few of them. And Tennessee supports that, a choice for parents.
Please remember that we do not yet know if the allegations against Mr. Koons are true. He has been removed from the school as a precaution pending the outcome of the investigation, so the students are being protected.
Kendall was convicted and sentenced to prison in 2000. As a result, he is no longer eligible to teach anywhere.
But what about the other government offices that bring children in for educational purposes, our kids are there also? Kendall should be banned from anything that involves public offices. For example, Judge Layton has brought children in to work for departments. Would a job appointed or ordered be denied for sexual predators also? There is so much to keep track of when Joe Citizen has to keep notes on who works for whom in Anderson County.
Pingback: Citizen Netmom » Protecting the Innocent