[Vision2020] Devisiveness Must Stop

[Dale Courtney]

Don wrote: 
> I realize that some people outside of Moscow and off Vision 
> 2020 also have referred to public schools as "government 
> schools." But it's not common usage, and people on Vision 
> 2020 who use "government schools" aren't doing it to 
> communicate, they're doing it to zing the public schools and 
> the people who support them.

I have to disagree. In *your* circle of friends it may not be called
government schools. But there is a vast movement afoot (if you haven't
noticed) for privatizing education. That's the school-choice movement; the
voucher initiatives (all over the country); and those for educational
tax-rebates. 

I did a little research on the term "government schools". It seems that it
was first used by Milton Freedman over 50 years ago. 

If you look on the web, you will see that the term "government schools" has
169,000 articles online. And while the Libertarians have been stalwart from
the beginning to "call them as we sees 'em", the term has stuck in other
circles as well -- especially those seeking to reduce the mess that the
educational-industrial complex has fostered upon us. 

> If public schools are to be called "government schools,"
> maybe Moscow's private schools should be called 
> "anti-government schools." (Especially when people connected 
> with some of them campaigned against the last public school
> levy.)

Back in 1985, Patrick Cox made the following statement: "To make schools
responsive to parents, the first step is to stop using the terms the
government taught us. They are not *public* schools.  They are *government*
schools.  And competitive schools are not *private*, they are *voluntary*
schools."

It seems like not a bad distinction since many "private" schools are not
"private" in the sense of "closed" but are voluntary (students are not
forced to attend; parents are free to choose the best form of education for
each child).

So, Don, you're going to have to take on not only the few "vocal" members of
Vision2020 who keep reminding you that our schools are government-run,
government-owned, government-operated, etc. 

You'll have to take on 50+ years of the Libertarians who have called for the
dismantling of the educational-industrial complex and outsourcing education
("separation of school and state"). 

Afraid of some competition? Government workers are *always* afraid of real
competition. 

Best,
Dale
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Do we really think that a government-dominated education is going to produce
citizens capable of dominating their government, as the education of a truly
vigilant self-governing people requires?
Alan Keyes
 
Dale M. Courtney
Information Architect
dmcourtn@moscow.com