Ron Paul: close US Department of Education

Shut Down the Department of Education! | Ron Paul Institute | Ron Paul:

March 24, 2025 =- "President Trump’s executive order from last week titled 'Improving Education Outcomes by Empowering Parents, States, and Communities' could help bring about a major step toward restoring constitutional government and improving education. 

The executive order directs that the secretary of education, 'to the maximum extent appropriate and permitted by law, take all necessary steps to facilitate the closure of the Department of Education and return authority over education to the States and local communities ... while ensuring the effective and uninterrupted delivery of services, programs, and benefits on which Americans rely.'

Ron Paul in 2012. Photo: David Carlyon.

CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons.

"The order points out that the Department of Education was created in 1979. Thus, the American people somehow managed for a long time to educate children without a federal education department!.... The federal government introduced significant funding to local schools [in] the 1950s. Some of this early funding was targeted at science education and was a response to the Soviet Union’s launch of the Sputnik satellite. The first major legislation providing funding for, and imposing regulations on, local government schools became law in 1965.

"The Department of Education has been given nearly 50 years to work on improving education. Yet, instead of the Department of Education ushering in an education golden era, education in America has declined. According to the most recent National Assessment of Educational Progress, approximately 70 percent of eighth graders are below proficiency in reading, while around 72 percent are below proficiency in math.

"The problem is not that the federal government spends too little on education.... Washington, DC imposing another 'reform' on schools will only ensure that more children are left behind. The real problem is [that] education funding is controlled by politicians and bureaucrats who impose a 'one-size-fits-all' model on schools.

"The key to improving the education system is putting control of education back in the hands of those who best know a child’s unique needs and abilities — parents. Moving education programs from the federal government to state and local governments is a good first step.... In addition, President Trump must follow up his executive order by working with Congress to pass legislation shutting down the Department of Education.

"Homeschooling is one course many parents have chosen as an alternative to sending their children to government schools. Parents looking for a homeschooling curriculum incorporating the ideas of liberty should consider my online curriculum. My curriculum provides students with a solid education in history, literature, mathematics, and the sciences. It also gives students the opportunity to create their own websites and internet-based businesses.... 

"The curriculum is designed to be self-taught, with students helping, and learning from, each other via online forums. Starting in the fourth grade, students are required to write at least one essay a week. Students post their essays on their blogs. Students also take a course in public speaking. The curriculum does emphasize the history, philosophy, and economics of liberty, but it never substitutes indoctrination for education. The goal is to produce students with superior critical thinking skills.

"If you think my curriculum may meet the needs of your child, please visit www.RonPaulCurriculum.com for more information."

Copyright © 2025 The Ron Paul Institute. Permission to reprint in whole or in part is gladly granted, provided full credit and a live link are given. 

Read more: https://ronpaulinstitute.org/shut-down-the-department-of-education/

Parents should be told if minors switch gender, say provincial governments

Education Ministers in four Canadian provincial governments are changing school policies, requiring parents to be informed when minor-age children change gender identity at school. 

Saskatchewan mandates parental consent for name and pronoun changes at school | True North | Elie Cantin-Nantel:

August 22, 2023 - "The Saskatchewan government is requiring children under the age of 16 to obtain parental consent before they change their name or pronouns at school. Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe is the third premier to stand up for parental rights in the face of rampant gender ideology in public schools. The two others who have taken a pro-parent position on the issue are New Brunswick Premier Blaine Higgs and Manitoba Premier Heather Stefanson....

"'Parents must be included in all important decisions involving their children,' said Moe. 'Our government has heard the concerns raised by Saskatchewan parents about needing to be notified and included in their children’s education,' said Education Minister Dustin Duncan in a news release.... The Saskatchewan government is also mandating that schools disclose information about sex-ed teachings to parents and provide them with the option to opt-out.... 

"Speaking to True North [video], Don’t Delete Parents founder Faytene Grasseschi said it’s 'becoming very clear across Canada that parents are voicing common-sense concerns'.... 'What is happening in New Brunswick, Manitoba and now Saskatchewan is waking up the nation, and I expect it will have an impact in other provinces as well.' added Grasseschi. 'Parents are just now waking up to the fact that some schools have been keeping things from them, and they frankly aren’t ok with it.'

"Not everyone in Saskatchewan is, however, on board with the government’s new parental rights policies. Saskatchewan NDP leader Carla Beck accused Moe and Duncan of 'outing vulnerable kids' while NDP MLA Aleana Young accused them of being 'f***king cowards.'"

Read more: https://tnc.news/2023/08/22/sask-parental-consent-school/

New Brunswick’s fight for parental rights (feat. Faytene Grasseschi) | True North | July 2, 3023:

Canadian politicians stampeding away from policy of concealing gender transitions from parents | National Post | Tristin Hopper:

August 30, 2023 - "Canadian politicians are now stampeding away from a policy of public schools unquestionably affirming the self-described gender identity of children without informing their parents.... [T]he standing policy is that staff must immediately affirm the self-described gender identity of students ... and also withhold this information from parents upon request. 'Do not talk to anyone about (a student’s) identity, including parents/caregivers, to whom they have not already disclosed their gender identity,' reads the official guidelines on 'gender identity in schools' published by the Public Health Agency of Canada.

• "In a surprise move last June, New Brunswick Premier Blaine Higgs amended Policy 713 — a document governing gender expression in public schools — to require parental consent before a student could socially transition.... 
• Last week, Saskatchewan also announced that parental consent would henceforth be required for a student under 16 to assume new pronouns or a new name (students over 16 can do it without parental consent).... 
• Manitoba Premier Heather Stefanson announced plans earlier this month to amend the province’s Public Schools Act to broaden 'parental rights' surrounding gender identity. 'Parents want to know what’s going on in the day-to-day lives of their children,” Stefanson told reporters on Aug. 17....
•  And just on Monday, Ontario Education Minister Stephen Lecce told a news conference that 'parents must be fully involved' in circumstances when a child decides to go by different pronouns at school.

"According to polls, Canadians are wildly in favour of this new tack. Even before Higgs went public with changes to Policy 713, a May Leger poll found that 57 per cent of Canadians favoured some form of parental notification in cases where a student was changing their gender identity. Only 18 per cent supported the status quo.... The results of an Angus Reid Institute poll released Monday were even more decisive. Of respondents, 78 per cent said that schools should inform parents if a student changes their pronouns, and 43 per cent said it shouldn’t be done without explicit parental consent. Only 14 per cent agreed with the statement 'parents should neither be informed nor have a say — it’s up to the child.'

"Progressive politicians and LGBT rights groups have been quick to call the proposed changes transphobic or even hateful. In a column for CTV, former NDP leader Thomas Mulcair said the likes of Higgs and Moe were 'promoting discrimination and intolerance' in a cynical bid for votes. Former Ontario premier Kathleen Wynne accused Lecce of using parental rights to 'cover their trans and homophobia.'"

Read more: https://nationalpost.com/opinion/canadian-politicians-transitions-policy

Ontario independent schools up >50% since 2013

The number of independent schools in Ontario has grown by more than 50% in the last 10 years, despite the absence of tax funding. 

Number of independent schools in Ontario grew by 52% since 2013 | Western Standard - Jonathan Bradley:

Nov 23, 2022 - "Ontario is seeing explosive growth in independent schools, according to a report done by the Cardus Institute. 

"'Unlike Quebec and every Western province, Ontario offers zero taxpayer funding for independent schools, yet many parents value them enough to pay for tuition over and above the taxes they contribute towards district schools,' said Cardus Education Director and report co-author David Hunt in a Tuesday press release. 'Ontario’s Ministry of Education, political leaders, researchers, the media, and the public should seek to understand why our neighbours, friends, and family members are making these choices'....

"The report said there are at least 1,445 independent schools in Ontario — up by almost 52% since 2013-2014. Enrolment increased by 29,531 students from 2013-2014 to 2019-2020, the most growth of any Canadian province. The schools educated more than 154,000 students in Ontario as of 2019-2020. 

"The report went on to say two-fifths of independent schools have a specialization, such as special education or Montessori. It added 4% of the schools are elite institutions. Three-quarters of elite schools are in the Greater Toronto Area. Less than two-fifths of them are religiously based. 

"The report continued by saying one-quarter of independent schools are Jewish or Muslim. It said 64% of independent schools are in the suburbs, while 28% are in rural or semi-rural areas.... 

"Hunt said there is 'extraordinary diversity among Ontario’s independent schools.' 'Each school serves unique and specific student needs that district schools either don’t or can’t meet,' he said." 

Read more: https://www.westernstandard.news/news/number-of-independent-schools-in-ontario-grew-by-52-since-2013/article_585d95cc-6b5b-11ed-993f-475db8c6e44f.html

The Value of Independent Schools | Independent Schools Queensland, April 27, 2021:

OP-ED: Ford government should increase school choice in Ontario | True North - Michael Zwaagstra -

May 6, 2023 - "The Ontario government wants to promote diversity. That’s why it’s made 'equity' and 'inclusion' a key focus in K-12 schools. However, if Ontario wants to actually promote diversity in education, it should help increase school choice and expand the educational options available to parents.

"Unlike Quebec and the four Western provinces, Ontario does not fund independent schools, which means parents who wish to enroll their children in a non-government school must pay the full cost of tuition (along with their regular taxes that pay for the public school system). In essence, they pay twice for their children’s education.

"This might not be a problem for wealthier families who can easily afford high tuition fees, but it’s not so simple for middle- and lower-income families. As a result, only 6.9% of Ontario students attend independent schools compared to 13.2% in British Columbia and 11.7% in Quebec. The partial funding of independent schools by these provinces makes this option more affordable for many parents.

"Importantly, when provinces fund independent schools, they do so based on enrollment. Thus, it’s more accurate to say that money follows the student because independent schools only receive funds if parents choose to send their children there. Clearly, independent schools meet an important need for many families and should remain available as an option.

"Another positive reform would be to follow Alberta’s lead and allow the creation of charter schools. Contrary to what many people assume, charter schools are not independent schools but are rather autonomous, not-for-profit schools within the public system. And they’re non-sectarian, cannot charge tuition, and must be open to all students. Charter schools have proven to be quite successful in Alberta. Some charter schools, such as Foundations for the Future Charter Academy in Calgary, provide a traditional back-to-basics approach, while others, such as Boyle Street Education Centre in Edmonton, focus on alternative programs targeting at-risk youth. With the recent decision by the Alberta government to lift the cap on charter schools, the number of these schools—and the number of students enrolled in them—will continue to grow in that province."

Read more: https://tnc.news/2023/05/06/zwaagstra-ford-school-choice/

Kids lost avg. 4 months' learning during pandemic

Children Lost One-Third of a Year of Learning During the Pandemic, Analysis Finds | Reason - Emma Kemp:

February 3, 2023 - "According to a new analysis of over 40 studies from around the world, children lost an average of one-third of a year of school during the coronavirus pandemic. Researchers say the loss is largely due to the disruption and damage school closures — and the subsequent shift to distance learning—brought on children's physical and mental health. This latest assessment is further evidence that pandemic school closures contributed to historic learning loss among children — a loss that seems increasingly difficult to repair.

"Published on Monday by the Nature Human Behaviour journal, the analysis compiled the results of 42 studies examining pandemic learning loss from 15 countries around the globe. It found that, globally, children lost 35 percent of a school year's worth of learning during the pandemic.

"The studies also indicate that attempts to reverse the severe learning loss caused by COVID school closures have been far from successful. Upon returning to the classroom, the deficits created during the pandemic have remained 'incredibly stable," indicating that pandemic-era learning losses are likely to follow children throughout the rest of their academic careers. The deficits are particularly pronounced in mathematics, which ... 'might be due to parents being better equipped to help their children with reading, and children advancing their reading skills (but not their maths skills) when reading for enjoyment outside of school.'

"Learning loss was more pronounced in the middle-income countries, like Mexico and South Africa, included in the analysis. Indeed, middle-income countries accounted for the three highest estimates of learning loss. Studies from low-income countries were excluded due to poor data quality, though researchers note that 'learning deficits are likely to be even larger in low-income countries, considering that these countries already faced a learning crisis before the pandemic, generally implemented longer school closures, and were under-resourced and ill-equipped to facilitate remote learning.'

"Even in a high-income country like the United States, the magnitude of learning loss remained steep. One study included in the analysis found that the average public school student in third grade through eighth grade lost half a year of math learning and a quarter of a year in reading.

"However, two countries studied, Sweden and Denmark, managed to experience no significant learning losses. Sweden famously managed to avoid most school closures during the pandemic and notably never closed primary schools. While Denmark did have school closures, one study theorized that the lack of learning loss could be due to the country's 'reliable digital infrastructure with Denmark being one of the absolute top-scorers in digital skills, broad-band connectivity, and digital public services in Europe'....

"Currently, the picture for American children is bleak. Without immediate intervention, 'learning loss will be the longest-lasting and most inequitable legacy of the pandemic,' Thomas Kane, a Harvard economist who reviewed the analysis, told the New York Times. According to the Hoover Institution, U.S. children attending school during the pandemic are likely to experience a 5 percent reduction in their lifetime earning potential — a number that rises to as high as 9 percent in some states."

Read more: https://reason.com/2023/02/03/children-lost-one-third-of-a-year-of-learning-during-the-pandemic-analysis-finds/

Read study: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41562-022-01506-4

Judge strikes down Biden's student loan bailout

Biden's Student Loan Forgiveness Plan Is Unconstitutional, Says Federal Judge | Reason - Elizabeth Nolan Brown: 

November 11, 2022 - "A federal judge has ruled unconstitutional President Joe Biden's plan to forgive student loan debt. In a decision issued yesterday, U.S. District Judge Mark T. Pittman ruled in favor of plaintiffs Myra Brown and Alexander Taylor. Brown has student loans but is entirely ineligible for Biden's forgiveness program because her loans are privately held. Taylor has loans but is ineligible for the full $20,000 in debt relief. The Job Creators Network Foundation sued on their behalf, arguing that Biden's bailout plan violated the Administrative Procedure Act (which requires a period of public comment) and that the Department of Education lacks the authority to implement the program.

"Pittman found that the program did not violate administrative procedure. Instead, he found that the Higher Education Relief Opportunities for Students Act of 2003 ("HEROES Act") — which Biden used to justify his move — does not actually 'provide the executive branch clear congressional authorization to create a $400 billion student loan forgiveness program.' Bident's student debt relief plan 'is thus an unconstitutional exercise of Congress's legislative power and must be vacated.' 'In this country, we are not ruled by an all-powerful executive with a pen and a phone,' Pittman wrote in his decision....

"In a statement yesterday, Job Creators Network Foundation President Elaine Parker said Biden's bailout 'would have done nothing to address the root cause of unaffordable tuition: greedy and bloated colleges that raise tuition far more than inflation year after year while sitting on $700 billion in endowments. We hope that the court's decision today will lay the groundwork for real solutions to the student loan crisis'....

"The Department of Justice has filed an appeal, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said yesterday. More than 26 million people have already applied for student loan forgiveness, she said, and the Biden administration will keep their information 'so it can quickly process their relief once we prevail in court.'

"The Job Creators Network Foundation suit is one of several cases challenging the program. These include a lawsuit from six Republican-led states and one from the Cato Institute. 'Cato's suit joins at least six others, with plaintiffs making various claims of harm,' noted Neal McCluskey, director of Cato's Center for Educational Freedom, in a blog post. 'The ultimate aim of all the suits, though, is the same: To stop a move that is not only patently unconstitutional, but will inflict many painful costs on society.'

"'The constitutional issue is straightforward: The Constitution gives the power of the purse to Congress, but in declaring that it would forgive up to $20,000 in loans for households making below $250,000 a year, the Biden administration essentially created about $400 billion in new spending,' McCluskey wrote late last month."

Read more: https://reason.com/2022/11/11/bidens-student-loan-forgiveness-plan-is-unconstitutional-says-federal-judge/

SCOTUS gets school funding decision right

Overlooked in the controversy over their overturning of Roe v. Wade was another SCOTUS decision that will also have a great impact on children in the future.

The Death of Separationism and the Life of School Choice | Law & Liberty - John O. McGinnis:

June 23, 2022 - "In a Supreme Court term of many consequential decisions, Carson v. Makin stands out for its likely enduring legal and political effects. In Carson, which was handed down on Tuesday, the Court held that Maine could not prevent parents from using its tuition assistance for rural residents at sectarian religious schools. As Chief Justice Roberts said, a 'State need not subsidize private education. But once a State decides to do so, it cannot disqualify some private schools solely because they are religious.'

"The case is the culmination of a series of rulings in which the Roberts Court has held unconstitutional any condition that withholds generally available state aid from religious institutions. Previous cases had prevented aid from being withheld on the basis of the religious identity of the institution. This case extends that principle to prevent it from being withheld on the basis of the religious use to which the institution puts the tuition assistance — in this case to a school that includes religiously based instruction. The Free Exercise Clause requires neutrality between religious and nonreligious institutions and uses to which citizens can put their government-provided assistance.

"The doctrine of unconstitutional conditions is familiar across the breadth of constitutional law. A state, for instance, could not prevent citizens from using generally available tuition assistance for private schools on the basis of what a teacher said about the American Revolution, because that would be an unconstitutional condition on free speech. Carson makes clear that the doctrine of unconstitutional conditions is as applicable to Free Exercise as to other constitutional rights.  

"The broader significance of Carson v. Makin is that the Court has made it clear that the Free Exercise Clause will be treated like other rights and will not be limited by the nonoriginalist principle of Separation of Church and State.  The case ... spends little time quoting sources from the founding on the meaning of either the Free Exercise or Establishment Clause. It is nevertheless informed by the movement toward originalism, because what has historically distinguished the treatment of the Free Exercise Clause from other rights is a nonoriginalist view of the Establishment Clause, namely that it incorporates a broad and wooly principle of Separation of Church and State. And that view was itself sometimes supported by a faulty originalism, relying on a few snippets from founding era materials, like Thomas Jefferson’s 'wall of separation' comment in his reply to a letter from the Baptist Church in Danbury, Connecticut.  

"If the Constitution had indeed established a principle of complete separation, it is plausible that a state would have a compelling or at least substantial interest in preventing parents from using generally available aid at a religious school. Separationism would suggest that religious institutions and the state must have no connection. Separationism also animates the notion there must at least be some 'play in the joints' between the two Clauses, meaning that a state’s concern about the Establishment Clause could justify restrictions on the scope of Free Exercise rights.... But the Carson majority notably does not deploy the phrase, 'play in the joints.' The dissents by Justice Stephen Breyer and Sonia Sotomayor rely on that phrase a total of nine times between them. The dissents also expressly relied on separationism, while the majority dismissed any separationist concern. Thus, the meaning of the Establishment Clause is what ultimately divides the Court....

"Scholarship debunking the separation of church and state as the original principle lurking behind the Establishment Clause has been crucial to recent developments in the religion clauses, because it provides the background for Carson’s doctrinal moves. In particular, Philip Hamburger’s magisterial Separation of Church and State shows that there was very little opinion at the time of Framing that attached anything like this principle to the Establishment Clause. The use of the term by Thomas Jefferson (not of course a Framer) was extremely unusual. Instead, according to Hamburger, what animated the Establishment Clause was the concern of religious dissenters that they not suffer discrimination and that the state, as Hamburger puts it, not take 'cognizance' of religion by creating religious tests and putting other religiously infused requirements into law. Measured against this understanding of the meaning of 'establishment' and its dangers, Carson’s insistence that religious schools not be discriminated against in generally available programs is completely consistent with the Establishment Clause’s strictures. A program that is non-preferential between secular and any religious education hardly establishes a religion.... 

"Carson is not only important for what it does for Establishment Clause jurisprudence but what it does for the school choice movement. That movement already has political momentum. First, many public schools have been heavily criticized for closing for too long during the pandemic with substantial losses of learning, particularly for the poorest students. Second, many parents are furious with what their public schools are teaching, viewing commonly used history curricula in particular as tendentious and unpatriotic. Many also worry about an emphasis on equity over excellence. As a result, a parental rights movement is emerging as a powerful electoral force.

"School choice is the logical institutional manifestation of parental rights. A parent who can choose the school his or her child attends has more influence on the child’s education. At a traditional public school, a parent can only vote in a school board election, and once the school board is elected, he or she retains no substantial leverage at all. School choice provides the invaluable right of exit. Carson assures those who want to send their children to religious schools that religious choices can never be excluded from a choice program. Thus, it energizes parents who want a religious alternative to the traditional public school to join with parents who want alternatives for secular reasons. The ruling thus contributes even more energy to one of our most important contemporary social movements."

Read more: https://lawliberty.org/the-death-of-separationism-and-the-life-of-school-choice/

Homeschooling percentage has doubled in U.S.

California Parents Contributing to the Homeschool Boom | California Globe - Katy Grimes:

September 21, 2021 - "California is experiencing a homeschool boom, and it’s not just a result of school lockdowns during the COVID pandemic. The pandemic may have been the first time parents really and thoroughly saw what their kids were being taught in California public schools. And many were shocked.

"Lance Izumi, senior director of the Center for Education at the Pacific Research Institute recently finished writing his latest book, The Homeschool Boom, which looks at the increase in homeschooling across the United States, and in California. Izumi says at the start of the pandemic, in spring 2020, just over 5 percent of American households reported homeschooling school-aged children, based on data from the U.S. Census Bureau. By the fall of 2020 – only 6 months later – that percentage had more than doubled to 11 percent. 

"Izumi notes that the Census Bureau used clarifying information on the survey to ensure that households were reporting true homeschooling and not distance or remote learning through a public or private school. The percentage of homeschooling households in Florida went from 5 percent to 18 percent, while New York went from 1 percent to 10 percent...

Graph courtesy California Globe

"'Between the 2020 and 2021 school years, tens of thousands of students have left the regular public schools,' Izumi said. 'The latest total shows that 160,000 students have left the public schools here in California. Where have these students gone? Many are now being homeschooled. In Los Angeles, the number of parents filing private school affidavits, which parents must file with the state in order to homeschool their children independently, more than doubled.”

"Izumi says the increase in the numbers of minority parents who have decided to homeschool their children is noteworthy. 'Among African Americans nationwide, the percentage homeschooling families skyrocketed from 3 percent to an amazing 16 percent — a five-fold increase from spring 2020 to fall 2020. Among Hispanics, the proportion of families who are homeschooling their children doubled from 6 percent to 12 percent'....

"Izumi said he believes that the next big wave in education will be homeschooling. His prediction is bolstered by the Census Bureau, which concluded that families are seeking solutions that will reliably meet their health and safety needs, their childcare needs, and the learning and socio-emotional needs of their children. 'Further, the Bureau said that from pandemic pods to standalone virtual schools to homeschooling organizations, parents are increasingly open to options beyond the neighborhood school,' Izumi said. 'So the pandemic and the ineffectiveness of the regular public schools to teach students during the pandemic have led to a real revolution in how parents are viewing how best to ensure the learning of their children.'

"'Before the pandemic, federal survey data found the most cited reason given by parents for homeschooling their children is concern about the environment of schools,' Izumi explained. 'These concerns include safety, drugs, and negative peer pressure. The second most cited reason is dissatisfaction with the academic instruction at schools. The academic research on homeschooling shows that homeschooled students perform better, on average, than non-homeschooled children.'"

Read more: https://californiaglobe.com/articles/california-parents-contributing-to-the-homeschool-boom/

Closing private schools was unconstitutional, U.S. appeals court rules

California’s school closure rules violated private school families’ rights, appeals court rules | Los Angeles Times - Kristen Taketa: 

July 23, 2021 - "An appeals court Friday ruled that state leaders violated the rights of parents by forcing private schools to stay closed during the COVID-19 pandemic.... The appeals court ruling is the latest development in the lawsuit Brach vs. Newsom, which was filed against Gov. Gavin Newsom last July by California public school and private school families.... 

"A national conservative group called the Center for American Liberty led the lawsuit effort. The lawsuit challenged the state’s rules preventing K-12 schools from offering in-person instruction in counties with high coronavirus case rates. The plaintiff families argued that the rules deprived their children of a meaningful education and violated their due process rights and equal protections under the 14th Amendment. While K-12 schools had to remain closed in counties with high coronavirus case rates, other educational facilities could remain open, including child-care programs and K-12 schools in low-COVID counties. The plaintiffs argued that the state’s rules were therefore arbitrary and treated people unequally. In San Diego County, some school districts reopened as early as last fall and remained open throughout the pandemic, while others had to wait until spring to reopen because of state restrictions....

"In December, a district court dismissed all the plaintiffs’ due process claims for public and private school families. The district court said the 14th Amendment’s due process clause does not recognize a fundamental right to basic education, and the plaintiffs had failed to explain how distance learning constituted a wholesale denial of a basic education. The appeals court reversed that lower court’s decision pertaining to private schools and remanded the matter back to the lower court.

"'California’s forced closure of their private schools implicates a right that has long been considered fundamental under the applicable caselaw — the right of parents to control their children’s education and to choose their children’s educational forum,' wrote Judge Daniel Collins in the appeal court’s opinion Friday.... The court also said the state was justified in having different closure rules for public schools, child care centers and other facilities....

"Harmeet Dhillon, chief executive of the Center for American Liberty, called the appeal court ruling 'a huge victory for parents’ rights.' 'The Ninth Circuit rightly ruled in parents’ favor, affirming that they — and not Gavin Newsom or faceless bureaucrats — have the right to decide how best to educate their children,' she said in a statement. But Dhillon said she is disappointed that the appellate court ruled only in favor of private school families, not public school families.

"'While we are thrilled for our clients whose rights are vindicated by today’s decision, we are disappointed the Ninth Circuit did not rule that all students, including those in public school, have a basic right to an education. We will continue to advocate for the educational rights of all students,' Dhillon said."

Read more: https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/news/education/story/2021-07-23/appeal-court-rules-in-favor-of-private-school-families

Read court decision: https://cdn.ca9.uscourts.gov/datastore/opinions/2021/07/23/20-56291.pdf

More Americans opting out of school system

Kindergartners Abandoning Public School in Fall 2021, Too | Reason - Matt Welch:

April 9, 2021 - "'We're proud to show the nation what is possible in terms of safely educating our one million students,' New York City Schools Chancellor Meisha Porter tweeted Wednesday.... Porter may need to refresh her math. The nation's largest school district announced Thursday that kindergarten applications for fall 2021 were down a whopping 12 percent over last year, after having dropped 9 percent the year before.... [I]t's clear that the pandemic enrollment hit — which this school year cut overall K-12 participation down 4 percent, to 960,000 — will not be a one-year phenomenon. Early learners are abandoning public schools, and not just in New York....

"We already knew that the 2020–21 year was a wipeout for public school kindergarten enrollment nationwide—down 16 percent, according to an NPR survey of 100 districts last October. Hard numbers are devilishly hard to pin down, varying from state to state (as do kindergarten attendance requirements), but the rough estimate is that about one-third of overall K-12 decline this year (which itself has been estimated at between 2 percent and 5 percent) is attributable to kindergarten alone.

"Where have all the 5-year-olds gone? Not Catholic schools, which despite being much more likely to be open five days a week saw their biggest single-year drop (6.4 percent) in a half-century, concentrated most heavily at the pre-K and kindergarten levels. Overall private school numbers, however, appear to be slightly higher.

"About the only unambiguous growth categories in the entire field of minor education are learning 'pods' (ad hoc groups of parents pooling their efforts either full or part time, to fill in the gaps left by school closures), and homeschooling. That latter category is absolutely exploding — up from 3.3 percent before the pandemic, to 5.4 percent in the spring of 2020, to 11.1 percent last fall, according to the Census Bureau's Household Pulse Survey, which takes care to distinguish between genuine D.I.Y. education and remote-learning hell.

"The tantalizing question raised by New York City's fall application numbers against the backdrop of the homeschooling spike is: Has the pandemic fundamentally altered the public's appetite for public education? Bruno V. Manno, senior adviser for the Walton Family Foundation's K-12 Education Program, thinks so.

"'The result of the Covid-19 shock dynamic in K-12 is a more pluralistic education system, one that's being redefined to include more options from more providers for more families and students,' Manno wrote for Education Next last month. 'Some significant number of parents and students will return to some version of the "old normal." But some won't. Some have exited, permanently. So the long-term effect is a question of magnitude.'

"The shift is already having a direct impact on per-student-based school budgets and staffing, even as the Biden administration hurriedly shovels the better half of $200 billion in federal bailout money out the door. Gilbert Public Schools in Arizona laid off 152 employees last month. Hillsborough County, Florida, the country's eighth largest school district, will soon ax 1,000 more employees after already losing 2,000 during the pandemic.... [E]ven with the record levels of federal funding, the basic math of K-12 funding is that with declining enrollment comes a declining number of jobs....

"After 13 months of the pandemic, public school K-12 enrollment is down all over the country, private school enrollment is flat or slightly up, and homeschooling has shot through the roof. This spring is the first time millions of parents will have truly been able to make a premeditated, non-panicky decision about the best schooling options for their kids. If such deliberation continues to produce measurable exit from government-run institutions, the basic structure of American education will change in profound ways."

Read more: https://reason.com/2021/04/09/kindergartners-abandoning-public-school-in-fall-2021-too/

Pandemic response harms children in many ways

Covid: The devastating toll of the pandemic on children | BBC News - Nick Triggle:

January 30, 2021 - "They are not likely to get seriously ill with Covid and there have been very few deaths. But children are still the victims of the virus - and our response to it.... From increasing rates of mental health problems to concerns about rising levels of abuse and neglect and the potential harm being done to the development of babies, the pandemic is threatening to have a devastating legacy on the nation's young.

"The closure of schools is, of course, damaging to children's education. But schools are not just a place for learning. They are places where kids socialise, develop emotionally and, for some, a refuge from troubled family life. Prof Russell Viner, president of the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health, ... told MPs on the Education Select Committee earlier this month: 'When we close schools we close their lives.' He [noted] a range of harms to children across the board from being isolated and lonely to suffering from sleep problems and reduced physical activity - alongside school closures all children's sport is currently banned.... Many experts are baffled by the approach to children's sport given the low risks of transmission outdoors and the clear benefits for emotional and physical wellbeing.... 

"The stress the pandemic has put on families, with rising levels of unemployment and financial insecurity combined with the stay-at-home orders, has put strain on home life up and down the land.... Unsurprisingly, there are clear signs the upheaval in children's lives is having an impact on children's mental health. The Mental Health of Children and Young People in England 2020 report, which is ... the official stocktake of the state of children's well-being ... found overall one in six children aged five to 16 had a probable mental health disorder, up from one in nine three years previously. Older girls had the highest rates.

"Older teenagers and adolescents have been affected too as they have seen their prospects shrink. The Youth Index, published in January by the Prince's Trust in partnership with YouGov, has been tracking the well-being of young people aged 16 to 25 for 12 years. It found more than half of young people were always or often feeling anxious - the highest level ever recorded. Jonathan Townsend, of The Prince's Trust, fears young people are 'losing all hope for their future'.

"At the opposite end of the age spectrum, health visitors, who support parents and babies during the early years, are worried about the impact on newborns. Research shows the first two to three years of a baby's life is the most crucial period of human development.... In some areas, health visitor numbers have dropped by half. This and the social distancing rules mean for a lot of parents the only support they have received has been online.... [T]he absence of baby and parent groups, and the friendships that naturally develop from them, has meant the babies of the pandemic have not benefited from the stimulus of social contact that is vital to their development. Alison Morton, head of the Institute of Health Visiting, says this has been an 'invisible' cost of the pandemic, but one that will have a lasting impact, particularly in the most deprived areas....

"There are around one million children with special educational needs and disabilities - around one in 10 of whom have complex and life-limiting conditions, such as severe cerebral palsy or cystic fibrosis.... Those with the most complex conditions can require care at home from specialist nurses and carers. This has become harder to obtain as staff have been redeployed or charities forced to cut back on their support networks.... Dame Christine Lenehan, director of the Council for Disabled Children, says in some cases children have ended up 'incarcerated' in their homes. 'There are some who have barely had any formal education since lockdown began.' She says even those who are the most independent have struggled, with many schools - she estimates more than half - unable to address the additional learning needs of children with special needs who are learning remotely....

"Between April and September there were 285 reports by councils of child deaths and incidents of serious harm, which includes child sexual exploitation. This was a rise of more than a quarter on the same period the year before. But children's commissioner for England, Anne Longfield, is worried this is just the tip of the iceberg, arguing the lockdowns, closure of schools and stay-at-home orders have led to a generation of vulnerable children becoming "invisible" to social workers. Referrals that would normally come in from a variety of sources, form health visitors to school nurses, dropped last year.... 

"Figures show that before the pandemic there were already more than two million children in England and Wales living in households affected by one of the 'toxic trio' - domestic abuse, parental drug and alcohol dependency or severe mental health issues. The fear is this will have risen significantly."

Read more: https://www.bbc.com/news/health-55863841

American families turning to homeschooling

Families Turn to Homeschooling as the Education Establishment Fumbles Its Pandemic Response | Reason.com - J.D. Tuccille:

July 11, 2020 - "President Donald Trump got a lot of pushback for his criticism of school reopening guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) — including from the CDC itself. But even many people who share the CDC's goal of minimizing health risks in the midst of a pandemic agree that the guidelines aren't especially practical....

"'To prevent the spread of the coronavirus, school leaders must ensure social distancing — limiting group sizes, keeping students six feet apart, restricting non-essential visitors, and closing communal spaces. Those measures run counter to how schools usually operate, with teachers and students working together in close quarters, children socializing throughout the day, and the buildings serving as a community gathering space,' Education Week noted in June....

"That has educators across the country scrambling to un-crowd classrooms so that social distance can be maintained. Remote learning via online classes, and hybrid approaches that have kids in school some days and learning remotely on others, are the go-to solutions for now.... 'Some schools, particularly those with ample resources and some experience with remote learning, had a far easier time of it than most,' reports the Wall Street Journal of pandemic-prompted efforts at teaching online. But for most schools, 'it was a failure' because of inexperience with the approach, limited access to technology, and a lack of commitment on the part of participants....

"Unsurprisingly, there's an upswing in families planning to homeschool their kids this fall, either through their own efforts or through dedicated online classes and schools that have experience with remote learning. While it's difficult to track numbers when it comes to homeschooling, 'several states, including Texas, Utah and Washington, have reported sharp upticks in interest,' according to NBC News. North Carolina's website for families announcing plans to homeschool crashed at the beginning of July 'due to an overwhelming submission of Notices of Intent.'

"Parents asked about their reasons for pulling their kids from schools cite both concerns about their kids contracting COVID-19 in the classroom as well as worries that traditional school districts aren't up to the challenges of teaching through remote and hybrid models. They can either place their faith in an education establishment that hasn't earned that sort of trust, or they can experiment with alternatives that have grown increasingly popular in recent years precisely because they satisfy the demand for flexible and effective learning approaches.

"'It looks like the high school is only offering a remote learning options,' a friend who has three teenage daughters and lives outside Chicago told me. 'Could you resend me that list you made of homeschooling resources?' Why, yes. Here it is! A lot of homeschooling options are online, given the low cost involved in delivering complete schools, classes, lectures, and the like over the Internet. The internet can also mean easy ways to order books, tools, and materials for families who prefer hands-on learning.

"Splitting the difference between family-based education and institutional schooling is a growing movement of home- and community-based microschools that deliver lessons to small groups of kids. That allows parents who need to work to pool their resources while ensuring adult supervision. For a monthly fee (or free in Arizona), Prenda offers its curriculum for use by both microschools and by families for their own children.

"Traditional schools right now are fumbling the response to a crisis and convincing much of the public that they are dangerous to children and society. Families fleeing from those schools in search of alternatives are going to prove a tough audience for arguments that kids should be trapped in poorly managed classrooms that aren't up to the latest challenge."

Read more: https://reason.com/2020/07/11/families-turn-to-homeschooling-as-the-education-establishment-fumbles-its-pandemic-response/

Izzit.org promotes free society with free videos

Videos used by schools question minimum wage, climate change | Toronto CiryNews - Matthew Barakat, Associated Press:

February 5, 2020 - "The federal judge’s message to an assembly of social studies students at a Virginia high school seemed straightforward: Courts too often meddle in the affairs of private commerce. The senior appellate judge, Douglas Ginsburg, was talking about the Constitution, telling students how the courts got it wrong by ruling that the commerce clause gave the federal government authority to regulate the cats that roam author Ernest Hemingway’s former home in Key West. 'The Framers didn’t design an almighty federal government that could reach down right into your backyard,' the conservative judge said on a video shown during the presentation.

"Ginsburg’s appearance at Justice High School was a collaborative project between Fairfax County Public Schools and a group called Izzit.org, which provides educational materials and videos to students across the country. Izzit’s materials have a decidedly libertarian outlook, though that’s not always immediately apparent to the teachers who download their free content. A video that questions the rationale for minimum wage laws is under math, for example.

"Another video, called 'Unstoppable Solar Cycles,' downplays man’s role in climate change. The video comes with a quiz in which the correct answer is that man 'plays a small part in global warming.' Another, called 'I am Human,' questions 'America’s historical obsession with race' with criticism of former President Barack Obama for choosing to identify as African American rather than biracial.

Fairfax County schools, on the outskirts of Washington, D.C., defended its collaboration with Izzit. 'Izzit is an educational non-profit that specializes in creating free, standards-aligned content for educators that fosters critical thinking and respectful debate,' the school system said in a statement....

"Samantha Parsons, who works for UnKoch My Campus, said Izzit’s work fits with the agenda of the Charles Koch Foundation, which has given hundreds of millions of dollars to colleges in recent years to bolster what Parsons and others have said is an effort to promote right-wing ideology on campuses. She said Izzit, like the Kochs, uses words like 'liberty' and 'freedom' to mask its right-wing agenda....

"Izzit President and Chief Executive Rob Chatfield said Izzit advocates a distinct philosophical perspective. He was reluctant to categorize it as conservative or even libertarian, because he said those terms carry a political connotation that Izzit has no interest in promoting. 'It’s that people who are free tend to be happier, wealthier,' he said. 'If that’s the underlying theme that students pick up on, we’ve done our job.'

"Tax records show the Koch Foundation gave $83,000 in 2016 and 2017 to Izzit’s parent company, the Erie, Pennsylvania-based Free to Choose Network, according to tax documents. Chatfield, though, said Izzit itself has never received direct funding from the Koch network and primarily gets its funding from 'self-made entrepreneurs.'

"Izzit, founded in 2006, says its goal is to 'help educators teach the next generation about the ideas, institutions, and benefits of a free society.' More than 300,000 teachers — most in public schools — across the country use its materials, Chatfield said."

Read more: https://toronto.citynews.ca/2020/02/18/videos-used-by-schools-question-minimum-wage-climate-change/

Also read: Stossel teaches kids about free market (video)

TN libertarians want school board transparency

Williamson County mother, libertarian group sue Tennessee School Boards Association under state Open Records Act | Chattanooga Times Free Press - Andy Sher:

December 18, 2019 - "In a case whose outcome could have major implications for some of the state's various local government associations, a libertarian group on Tuesday filed suit against the Tennessee School Boards Association, saying the organization should be subject to state public record laws.

"Suing on behalf of Williamson County parent and plaintiff Karrie Marren, the Beacon Center's legal arm is arguing the association acts as a 'functional equivalent of government, charged with training school board members in this state.' The suit charges that Marren was 'frustrated by the unresponsiveness' of Williamson County school board members who are 'legally mandated to receive their training and ethical standards from the Tennessee School Board Association.'

"As a result of the school board association's rejecting her request, the complaint says, Marren is suing under the Tennessee Public Records Act. The suit was filed in Chancery Court in Williamson County. TSBA's headquarters is in Williamson County.

"Braden Boucek, Beacon's vice president of legal affairs, said in a statement that 'taxpayers are entitled to transparency when it comes to how their children are educated and how their education tax dollars are spent.' He added that 'regardless of where you stand politically, transparency is one of the bedrocks of democracy, and any functional equivalent of government needs to be subjected to the same transparency laws. When a 'private' organization receives nearly all its money from taxpayers and gets preferential treatment to participate in the state's retirement program, they should be accountable to the very taxpayers who are funding them.'

"A favorable ruling could roil various local government associations in a state which has the Tennessee Municipal League for cities, the Tennessee County Services Association and other entities that provide similar services as Tennessee School Boards Association."

Read more: https://www.timesfreepress.com/news/local/story/2019/dec/18/williamscounty-mother-libertarigrosue-tenness/510860/
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Another libertarian party launched in Israel

New Israeli libertarian party to launch next week - Israel National News 7 - David Rosenberg:

November 29, 2019 - "As Israel edges closer towards its third election in less than a year, a new center-right party is preparing to launch, joining an already crowded field of right-leaning parties. The New Liberal Party of Israel, formed by three former members of the libertarian-leaning Zehut party, is set to officially launch next Wednesday at a conference in Tel Aviv.

"Based on the principles of classical liberalism and free-market economics, the new party shares much of the ideology of Zehut, which endorsed the Likud shortly before the September 17th election, bowing out of the race due to the promise of a ministry position in the next government led by Binyamin Netanyahu, and the adoption by the Likud of some of Zehut’s positions on medical marijuana....

"[T]he new venture ... was launched by three former Zehut candidates who refused to accept the party’s endorsement of the Likud earlier this year.... Economist Gilad Alper, physics lecturer Rafael Minnes, and educator and school reform activist Libby Molad lead the nascent party, which recently released a draft of its platform.

"On security, foreign policy, and territorial issues, the New Liberal Party places itself to the right of center, opposing the establishment of a Palestinian state and placing Israel’s security at the top of its agenda....

"On socio-economic issues, the party’s platform backs reduced regulation, taxation, and government intervention in the economy and increased privacy rights, along with the separation of synagogue and state. 'We will separate religion from politics.... Government involvement with religious institutions results in unacceptable coercion, as well as discrimination against single people and people from the LGBT community in comparison to married couples, the banning of mass transportation on the Sabbath, the wasting of taxpayers’ funds, and unnecessary feelings of resentment between secular and religious Jews.'

"The platform also calls for removing Israel’s marriage registry system from state religious authorities and the establishment of civil marriages, along with ending the chief rabbinate’s administration of Israel’s kashrut certification system. Like Zehut, the New Liberal Party emphasizes the need to 'end the war on cannabis' – including recreational marijuana – and to expand access to medicinal marijuana.

"Regarding education, the party’s platform promises reforms which would decentralize and shift control of the education system from the Education Ministry to local communities. In addition, the New Liberal Party endorses the voucher system to increase parental choice."

Read more: http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/272456
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Ontario court blocks Student Choice Initiative

Provincial government releases official guidelines on Student Choice Initiative, details of tuition cuts | The Varsity (University of Toronto), Adam A. Lam & Andy Takagi:

March 29, 2019 - "The Ontario government has released official guidelines for the Student Choice Initiative (SCI), the provincial mandate to give students an opt-out option for certain ancillary fees.... Incidental fees charged by universities to support clubs, student societies, and programs that fall outside of the provincial framework for compulsory fees will be required to have an opt-out option for students. The ability to opt out, according to the guidelines, must be presented to students before paying fees for that semester....

"Services can be deemed 'essential' by individual institutions, as long as they fall within the government’s established framework, which includes athletics and recreation, career services, student buildings, health and counselling, academic support, student ID cards, student achievement and records, financial aid offices, and campus safety programs. Levy-funded groups like various student unions — including college student associations, [student newspapers], and campus radio stations — will require an opt-out option, unless the university rationalizes these services as falling within one of the essential categories."
Read more: https://thevarsity.ca/2019/03/29/provincial-government-releases-official-guidelines-on-student-choice-initiative-details-of-tuition-cuts/

Province reviewing decision that struck down Student Choice Initiative | The Journal (Queen's University), Raechel Huizinga:
November 29, 2019 - "The Divisional Court of Ontario unanimously struck down the Student Choice Initiative on Nov. 21.... In May, the Canadian Federation of Students–Ontario (CFS-O) and the York Federation of Students filed an application for judicial review against the Ford government over the SCI. The court heard arguments from both parties on Oct. 11.

"While the Ministry of Colleges and Universities (MCU) confirmed in a statement to The Journal on Monday it’s reviewing the court decision, there has been no word yet on whether the Province will appeal the decision. 'We will have more to say on this at a later date,' Tanya Blazina, team lead of the Ministry’s issues management and media relations, wrote....

"According to court documents published by The Varsity, the judges unanimously agreed neither the Cabinet nor the Minister had the authority to interfere with the 'democratic decisions taken by students respecting their student association membership fees. There is no statutory authority authorizing Cabinet or the Minister to interfere in the internal affairs of universities generally, or in the relations between universities and student associations specifically,' the decision read."
Read more: https://www.queensjournal.ca/story/2019-11-28/news/province-reviewing-decision-that-struck-down-student-choice-initiative/

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John Stossel teaches kids about free market (video)

Stossel: Exposing Students to Free Markets - Reason.com - John Stossel and Tanvir Toy:

January 22, 2019 - "It's school choice week. Many kids don't have choice in where they go to school. The school choice movement is trying to give them that opportunity. Of course, having choice when it comes to what kids learn is important too.

"Many schools teach kids that capitalism hurts people. So John Stossel started a charity called Stossel in the Classroom. It offers teachers free videos that introduce kids to free market ideas. Students rarely hear about these ideas in school.

Graduates from Queens Technical High School in New York City ... watched the videos while they were in high school.... 'They really opened up my mind to think differently' said Xiomara Inga. Antonio Parada added the videos 'changed the way that I viewed the world.' Gabriel Miller ... explains, 'We are taught that this country is horrible.' But after watching the videos, 'I felt ashamed for what I initially believed … [so] I wanted to give back.'

"Diony Perez was inspired to open his own business.... Johann Astudillo learned about unintended consequences from a video about minimum wage.... Victoria Guerrero learned that most rich people get rich by providing some benefit to society.... Stossel says he is glad his charity helps students understand free market ideas."

Read more: https://reason.com/reasontv/2019/01/22/stossel-exposing-students-to-free-market?utm_medium=email
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Also read: Izzit.org promotes free society with free videos

Libertarian offers college education for $11K/year

Private College for $11,000 a Year? Libertarian Businessman Creates an Alternative to Higher Ed Waste - Hit & Run : Reason.com - Jim Epstein:

January 25, 2019 - "Bob Luddy is the founder and owner of CaptiveAire, the world's largest commercial kitchen ventilation manufacturer, with $500 million in 2018 revenues, zero debt, 1,300 employees, and factories in seven states. His latest venture is a non-profit college that seeks to slash typical costs and improve quality, offering an alternative to the wasteful practices of higher ed.

"Thales College, which is launching this fall in the Raleigh, North Carolina area, isn't Luddy's first education venture. He started a charter school in 1998, and a Catholic school in 2001. The charter, Franklin Academy, is the third largest in North Carolina.... But, in Luddy's view, charters have limited potential for disruption because state regulators won't consent to radical approaches.

"So in 2007 he launched Thales Academy, a network of K-12 private schools affordable for working-class families....Thales keeps costs down by cutting out virtually all administrative employees and nonessentials.... Annual tuition is $5,300 for elementary school, and $6,000 for junior high and high school.

"Luddy's latest project brings his brand of cost cutting and innovation to higher education. Students will pay $10,667 annually for a degree that will take just three years, since classes will run 45 weeks per year rather than the conventional 30.... Thales will be a teaching college, where the faculty doesn't face pressure to publish or perish. Lectures will be offered online, so that students can watch (and rewatch) at home. Since online learning can't replicate the value of one-on-one mentoring, each student will get at least an hour per week alone with a professor....

"Thales College won't seek accreditation because doing so would be a 'hindrance,' says Dr. Timothy Hall, who will serve as the school's director of operations and academics. Accrediting institutions require that colleges have research libraries and a certain number of Ph.D.s on their faculty, according to Hall. Luddy sees college research libraries as a waste of money in the online age, and Hall says that the school will hire the best teachers, whether they have doctorate degrees or not.

"Lack of accreditation means students won't be eligible for federal loans, and if they decide to transfer schools, other accredited institutions may decline to honor the credits they've accrued.... Hall's 'not sure' if not being accredited will disqualify Thales alums from admission to some graduate programs, but anticipates that most will go right into the workforce....

"In Luddy's view, ending all federal subsidies would be the fastest and most effective way to upend higher education. But that's unlikely to happen anytime soon. Societal change comes not through advocacy, but via 'exit:' Create alternatives and people will vote with their wallets."

Read more: https://reason.com/blog/2019/01/25/private-college-for-11000-a-year-liberta
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Billions spent on schooling show dismal results, U.S. National Assessment finds

Regressive Education | Liberty Unbound - Wayland Hunter:

May 22, 2018 - "Amid the current idolization of teenagers’ political activity, it may be interesting to consider the latest report on American students’ intellectual proficiency. It’s the results of tests conducted on the reading and math skills of eighth graders for the National Assessment of Educational Progress in the US Department of Education....

"[T]he dismal results of these tests have received little attention since they were announced on April 10.... One useful summary appears in an item on the conservative news site CNS. There’s no conservative spin in the story; there doesn’t need to be. The fact is as simple as CNS puts it: 'Sixty-five percent of the eighth graders in American public schools in 2017 were not proficient in reading and 67 percent were not proficient in mathematics'....

"But what does reading proficiency mean? In terms used by the Department of Education’s National Center for Education Statistics, 'Eighth-grade students performing at the Proficient level should be able to provide relevant information and summarize main ideas and themes. They should be able to make and support inferences about a text, connect parts of a text, and analyze text features. Students performing at this level should also be able to fully substantiate judgments about content and presentation of content'....

"Even the Voice of America’s bland presentation ... indicates that proficiency tends to decline with schooling: 'About 40 percent of 4th graders were found to be proficient in reading and math. The report found just 25 percent of 12th grade students had math proficiency, while 37 percent reached that level in reading. In science, 38 percent of 4th graders were rated proficient, while about 34 percent of 8th graders demonstrated proficiency.'

"It costs something to promote this ignorance. The NCES data show that California (to cite one example) spends $70.5 billion on its public schools, or about $11,300 for each student. The result is that only 32% of its eighth graders are proficient in reading, and only 29% are proficient in math....

"Maybe the students are smarter than their elders, after all. The elders pay their useless taxes without demur, but I doubt that even the student leaders would be willing to plunk down 11 grand a year for the education that fits them for their public roles."

Read more: http://www.libertyunbound.com/node/1852
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Utah lets children walk to school by themselves

Utah Gives Parents the Right to Parent | Intellectual Takeout - Kerry Macdonald:

March 29, 2018 - "For parents in Utah, it is now legal for their children to walk or bike to and from school without an accompanying adult. They can also let their kids play outside unsupervised, and be allowed to stay at home unattended.

"These newfound freedoms are the result of the 'Free-Range Parenting Bill,' unanimously passed by the Utah legislature and recently signed into law by Utah governor, Gary R. Herbert. Utah’s law is said to be the first of its kind in the nation.

"State officials and lawmakers told the Washington Post that authorities in Utah were 'not in the business' of arresting parents who allowed their children to roam freely, but lawmakers felt compelled to pass the legislation after Child Protective Service in other states opened criminal cases against parents who did....

"We likely walked to school on our own, played outside in our neighborhoods without adults watching, and stayed at home from time to time while our parents were away.... Increasingly, these parenting practices are considered suspect, and even criminalized. The high-profile 2015 case of the Meitiv family in Maryland brought national attention to this issue when the parents were indicted by Child Protective Services for allowing their children to walk home together from a park without an adult. They were subsequently cleared of any wrongdoing, but the incident revealed just how much has changed....

"Parents increasingly get caught up in a government dragnet of child protective services for exercising standard parental judgment.It’s a sad commentary on American childhood when we need laws to protect parents from persecution for letting their kids walk, play, or stay unsupervised. But if that’s what it takes, then call your legislators."

Read more: http://www.intellectualtakeout.org/article/utah-gives-parents-right-parent
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Trump's war on NAFTA threatens 3 economies

Imitating Obama? | Liberty Unbound - Gary Jason:

October 23, 2017 - "I confess that I am no fan of Trump. Actually, that dramatically understates it. I regard him as a dangerous populist ignoramus whose crudity of character makes him unfit for office.... My only hope was that Trump, once in office, would at least pretend to be presidential....

"But unfortunately he has pursued his nativist and protectionist agendas. On the nativist agenda, he killed DACA — setting up the deportation of upwards of a million young people brought here involuntarily, and raised with scant knowledge of the countries of their births. Not only did he refuse to increase the H-1B visa and other programs that legally allow in college-trained STEM and medical professionals, but he has actually proposed cutting all legal immigration by half....

"On Trump’s protectionist agenda, after killing the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement, Trump has set his sights on killing NAFTA.... Obama — Trump’s match in protectionism — started trade wars with both Mexico and Canada shortly after assuming office [but] slowly but surely came to understand why more than 90% of economists favor free trade. Obama eventually approved of the three free-trade agreements left to him by George Bush, and late in his second term negotiated the TPP.... But Trump is even more of a populist fool....

"The Wall Street Journal reports just how close to a collapse of the NAFTA talks we are.... [S]hould the talks collapse ... Colorado-based ImpactECON, has put the net job losses at 125,000 for Canada, 256,000 for the US, and a whopping 961,000 for Mexico over the next three to five years.

"If NAFTA does get repealed, tariffs would undoubtedly result.... Both Canada and Mexico will be furious at seeing the US dump the deal and will likely raise tariffs enormously.... The American Automobile Policy Council estimates that the rise of the price of domestic auto parts from the tariffs will cost 50,000 US jobs....

"The ImpactECON study says the small gains in US employment in production of machinery and chemical industries will be swamped by losses in the agricultural, auto, and apparel industries.... Under NAFTA, our agricultural exports to Mexico and Canada have risen fourfold, hitting $38 billion last year. If NAFTA is junked, the Mexicans could revert to their pre-NAFTA tariff levels of 75% on US chicken and corn syrup, 45% on turkey, potatoes, and dairy products, and 15% on wheat....

"Of course, the joke in all this is that the US was losing manufacturing jobs long before NAFTA.... The real 'culprit' is not international trade; it is automation and creative destruction.... The failure of many American workers to adjust to the shift from low-knowledge to high-tech factories results primarily from the pathetically poor average education they receive.... All of this could be cured if we did what supposedly socialist Sweden did over a quarter century ago: immediately adopt a universal voucher program — that is, require all public schools in America to adopt perfectly pro-rata voucher systems within one year....

"Rising protectionism and fear of trade don’t just run the risk of depression and trade wars — which in turn run the risk of military war. They also distract us from the real cause of long-term blue-collar unemployment: a horribly broken educational system."

Read more: http://www.libertyunbound.com/node/1771
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