What say all of you, should I send this letter to the Des News editor? Utah is going to have a vote this fall as to whether to allow parents school choice or not. Most Utahns do not favor this choice. See the letter below.
For such a conservative state, Utahns' devotion to government-run schools is a surprise. Utahns must favor the public school system because of a commitment to the teachers. That seems to be short-sighted. Vouchers would introduce competition for excellent teachers. Their salaries would finally rise; something that won't happen with the current government-run system. Why would Utahns support a system that continually chips away at traditional Christian values? In addition, Utah students are not taught their Christian heritage in the public schools. Little by little anything Christian is being stripped from the curriculum. Every Christmas more law suits surface to quiet the school choirs wishing to sing the songs of this nation's heritage.
We're not talking teaching any particular Christian faith, just simply telling our children the truth about their heritage and welcoming those of other faiths or no faith to appreciate it, too. It won't happen in the public school system. In addition Utah students are increasingly exposed to pornography, profanity, immodesty, and crudity throughout each school day, something the public school system will not control for fear of violating freedom of expression. On the horizon for Utah students are increasingly aggressive sex-education classes that condone teenage sex (if practiced safely). Students will be required to take classes on homosexuality (to learn to identify their sexual orientation) as is already occuring in the public schools in Washington and Ohio.
Public schools cannot keep Utah students safe, either physically or morally. They are too large with too many layers of administration. The voucher system would help establish smaller schools with more parent involvement. In the public-run schools parents are needed for participation in raising money, but have little say as to what curriculum will be taught.
Whether the voucher system is adopted or not,the public system will probably continue to disintegrate as more and more parents pull their children out of the system to home-school. It is a trend seen nation-wide. Home schooling families are double taxed under the current system. The voucher system would return to families some of the taxes they have already paid. They would have the freedom to choose the kind of education their children needed. This freedom seems more consistent with Utah conservative values than the government controlled education system in place today in Utah.
Sunday, May 27, 2007
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I say send it to the paper and as an email to be spread around everywhere. This is important and not enough people read the paper. I'll email this out to friends in Utah.
ReplyDeleteokay, thanks Jarem. I think I'll do that.
ReplyDeleteGood letter, Mom. Send it in! I think you make valid points. I had no idea that in Washington and Ohio schools they were teaching kids how to identify their sexual orientation. That's terrible! Exhibit #2 in defense of a non-traditional, non-public-school education!
ReplyDeleteGreat letter. Send 'er in. I'm still sending my kids to public schools. "In the world but not of the world", right? They will either be great examples to everyone.....or they'll start smoking pot. I'll be pushing for the former. :)
ReplyDeleteOooo...I'd push for the latter, Daniel. I hear it's really relaxing. :) j/k!
ReplyDeleteFor the record, just because many Utahns are against the proposed legislation does not mean that they are against the motives behind the legislation. Unfortunately, there are legislators in Utah (as in any State) that are completely incompetent when it comes to writing legislation. As citizens, we need to be cautious that we do not support something before we read and understand the foreseeable implications. There are many people that are pushing for a school choice bill, but that do not support the bill that has been proposed. With that said, I do agree that it is surprising that the bill has received such little support. From what I have heard on the radio, the lack of support is partially due to confusion as to what we will actually be getting if this legislation is implemented. Honestly, it is better to oppose something that you do not fully understand than it is to vote for something blindly because you feel that it must be good because of the subject matter. Some proposed school choice legislation (unsure about Utah's) actually backfires and hurts the parents' ability to do what they choose. I think you should send the letter to the paper so that people start researching this and other issues. Our society would function a lot better if people would get out of their comfort zones and actually take part in our republican form of government.
ReplyDeleteDan, I guess that is the problem, lack of understanding as to how it will all play out if it passes. I don't think I'll send the letter. I'm getting cold feet. I don't want people from the left or right to go on a tirade about homosexuality or government vs non-government. The letter is about conservative values and their voting inconsistencies.
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