The Dumbing Down of America is A Conservative Policy by Design: A Local Impact Reflects National Issues Regarding Education
Today, Cincinnati Public Schools, announed cuts to teachers and social worker positions. If you're curious as to why this is happening, conservative, religious zealots at the statehouse in Ohio have determined that finding a way to siphon off funds for public education to private, often religious, institutions is a smart use of state funds. It's classist, racist, probably unconstitutional, and incredibly dangerous. Many of the families benefitting from these vouchers can, in fact, afford private education, meaning these vouchers are simply making them richer.
Full Disclosure: My wife teaches in a public school. My children attended private school. We benefited from vouchers for two years.
This is an act designed to destabilize and destroy public education, a key tenet of the Trump administration. The redistribution of funds from public to private students leaves families who depend on public education vulnerable. It means less money for qualified, dedicated teachers. It means less funds for safe, state-of-the-art facilities and classrooms. It means shifting education accountability from a public benefit to less stringent and less regulated accountability and reporting. It means a deteriorating foundation of education, critical thinking skills, and preparation for the future for ALL public students in Ohio. Of course, the most vulnerable students in poor rural and urban districts will be most affected.
The conservative attitude toward education is absolutely crystal clear. They want and need an ignorant electorate. Less education means less questioning of the regime and less resistance. If you believe that a god to certain people and an unhinged octogenarian have the best interests of students in mind, you may need to research and reconsider this position.
The greater fear in having a less educated, more controllable working class is that the critical skills necessary to succeed in a changing economic landscape will deteriorate quickly. Add to this the disdain for social supports, and you have a HUGE problem. A brain drain that will further cripple our nation.
Some of this is, of course, driven by so-called culture wars. "Indoctornation," "DEI," and "SEL" are all boogeymen for the right that do absolutely nothing except attempting to make things more fair and equal for everyone by encouraging empathy, kindness, and equity. Of course, that may mean your child hears about a gay person. Or read about the racist foundation upon which our country is built. Or, your god forbid, they are taught to be kind. It's all smoke and mirrors to hide this transfer of wealth and distract from the brain drain epidemic in our country.
If your child lost a teacher today or your family lost access to a social worker, I am sorry. Let's focus on identifying the real issues behind this and vote accordingly.
Empty Classroom. Image Generated by AI