Substantial-Wrap8634 OP t1_jdx5in0 wrote on March 27, 2023 at 8:58 PM

Reply to comment by wheeelchairassassins in Looking for partners to found a democratic, progressive, non-profit K-8 private school by Substantial-Wrap8634

Thank you for your thoughtful response. I would like to go through and address your concerns to the best of my ability.

Private and charter schools are the reason for public education quality decline- First, charter schools are public schools. They are free to the students living in the district in which they are located. Limits to acceptance in a charter school is based on fit and available space. Charter schools are born out of the push to make public education better.

Private schools make public schools worse if the school district or town decides to provide education vouchers/school choice. These options allow parents to take their tax money out of the public school and supplement that with their own funds to send their kids wherever they send them. I am aware of this and would like to do some more thought and research around how to address this issue when accepting students into my school.

However, without vouchers, sending a child to private school actually improves the financial standing of a school district. If I send my child/children to a private school, my tax dollars stay with the public school. Now there’s the same amount of money divided among less children.

“Politically founded” - thank you for saying that because it’s brought more attention to how I put out information. For the record “progressive education” is “an educational movement that gives more value to experience than formal learning”, it has nothing to do with the progressive left. A democratic school indicates how the school is run, not a political ideology. The school is run by the students, teachers, parents, admins, and surrounding community voting on the decisions relating to how the school is run. It is not at all a political affiliation.
Advocate for public school change- I have, a lot. And, it sounds like you have found success in moving the ball forward, and I commend you and appreciate you for that. I, however, am obviously not as effective or strong as you are, and so I hit my head on the brick wall that is bureaucracy enough that I had to tap out. I am glad there are people like you out there doing the work, because all education is important. I had to find a different way to make change.
“Money Grab” - this will be started as a 501c3 non-profit. There is no money grab. In fact, I have a distinct feeling that this will cost me far more money that I ever draw as a paycheck in the future. Also, part of the reason it is a non-profit is so that I can get grant funding to drastically reduce or eliminate tuition for folks that typically cannot afford private school. I think the lack of diversity and accessibility of private education is a huge problem and one that I am deeply hoping to address.

I hope that clarifies some of my perspective. I am 97% sure it won’t change anything about how you are feeling about this post or the school, but that’s okay. I really do welcome the feedback because your pushback helps me reflect on my own position, so that I can hopefully be and do better.

wheeelchairassassins t1_jdxpy0j wrote on March 27, 2023 at 11:22 PM

No, I think those are fair points. And yes, the wording on progressive education is definitely one that in this climate can spark fierce responses from any angle.

I, personally, have been against school vouchers since the mainstream discussion really took off in the 90s. I whole heartedly back it when the local district can not adjusted provide for a child's needs (largely disabilities of all sorts) but I have had a problem with money being taken out of districts to go toward other schools based on parental choice alone. I have always just seen it as something that should be used for the NEEDS of a child, not the preference of the parent.

There is a lot of wiggle room allowed by the department of education among private and charter schools and while I understand fully privately funded schools, I do think it makes great education much more difficult for those who come from lower income access excellent education.

It isn't about the people running schools necessarily - I do believe the intentions are often well meaning. The problem, for me personally, is leaving kids whose parents do not have the means financially to pay for the school itself, or the transportation or boarding (when that is a factor).

All kids should have full and free access to excellent education, and the more private and charter schools that pop up, the families who are just getting by, or even just a little comfortably get by, have less access to quality education. That isn't the private institutions fault necessarily - but if public schools didn't essentially require their teachers to pay for supplies on their own, while offering salaries far below those at private - the quality of educator will inherently lower in there public sector.

We should have never allowed vouchers that weren't bad in need to begin with is my real issue - but if you are trying to f found a school that teaches truly thorough curriculum and is accessible to any child that wants to go, I wouldn't say it's the worst thing. I just think what the education system has become with not just the de-emphasis on public schooling, but also financially punishing schools that do not do as well on standardized tests. These are the places that need MORE funding, and instead the municipal/state/department of education takes money away from "failing schools". They have become a place of Calvinist indoctrination instead of true learning - and that I DO blame on alternative school options.

But reality is, there is no turning back. We already have irreparably fucked up the public school system so I guess all you can do is try to provide somewhere for any child to be taught how to learn and think critically, and not just rote memorization and how to follow orders.