Democrat Representative Says Parents 'Not Qualified' To Choose Schools For Their Kids

It's another case of Democrats saying the quiet part out loud.  The school choice movement has been fighting for decades for parents to have the ability to determine which schools get their tax dollars, including schools other than state sponsored institutions.  They have consistently hit a brick wall in terms of legislation, but that is starting to change. 

Conservative groups have long ignored the public school environment as a place of potential indoctrination, often assuming that leftist propaganda was limited to colleges.  However, identity politics and gender theory have now become commonplace within schools across America all the way down to Kindergarten and pre-school ages.  Numerous instances of school sponsored programs involving sexualized curriculum, Critical Race Theory and even drag queen shows are pervasive.

On top of this, many parents in 2020 also found themselves in conflict with public school mandates during the covid hysteria and realized they had few options in dealing with overzealous state restrictions.  In some cases, state officials were calling for forced mRNA vaccination of children in order to get access to educational facilities.     

These developments have startled millions of parents out of their apathy and injected momentum into School Choice policies - A plan to decentralize schooling and take power away from government bureaucrats and far-left teachers unions.  Multiple states have now introduced or passed legislation allowing tax dollars to be allocated for parents to move their children to private schools if they feel their public school is insufficient.  The laws vary, but are often associated with school vouchers. 

Not surprisingly, many Democrat officials stiffly oppose the concept, accusing Republicans of "defunding public schools" or "stealing money" from teachers.  Some leftist extremists have even claimed that school choice has "racist roots."  Here, Georgia State Representative Lydia Glaize argues that school choice is a problem, insinuating that parents are not smart enough to pick the school they think their kids should attend:

Georgia Rep. Lydia Glaize (D) says the QUIET PART OUT LOUD: "a lot of those parents did not finish high school.. I am extremely concerned that we would put money in their hands and that entire piece of life in the hands of parents who are not qualified to make those decisions" pic.twitter.com/z5Z7ktA0JY

— Corey A. DeAngelis, school choice evangelist (@DeAngelisCorey) March 20, 2023

The arrogance of this argument is obvious, especially when one learns that Lydia Glaize put all of her kids through private schooling.  The suggestion by Dems is that private schools should be reserved only for the elites, who believe they are more intelligent and more deserving of choice as well as a higher education.

It should be noted that while 82% of conservatives support school choice, according to polls 68% of average Democrats also want options.  Meaning, the majority of Americans on both sides of the aisle want school choice but Democrat leaders still stand against it. 

Democrat politicians may also consider school choice to be "problematic" because it would derail indoctrination efforts already well underway within the public school system, making it possible for parents to save their children from the hive mind and place them in an atmosphere that is actually focused on academics and merit rather than politics and victim status.  Not everyone can home school their kids, and this measure would be the next best option. 

Furthermore, public teachers unions overwhelmingly support Democratic candidates and policies, with over 94% of election donations going to Democrats.  Democrat organizations and teachers unions have had a long and disturbing relationship that has cost taxpayers extensive money in exchange for dwindling American test scores and plunging academic performance.  The real question is, why are failing teachers and failing schools being rewarded with continued funding when they should be facing consequences?

The school choice approach changes this dynamic by creating free market competition.  This would allow parents, in theory, to take money away from public schools that are not meeting basic standards of education, forcing those schools and teachers to improve performance or be put out of business.  It also allows parents to punish schools that seek to harass their kids with political ideologies.  It really is a losing prospect for Democrats.  That said, it's interesting to see people who constantly pontificate on the virtues of "democracy" showing so much disdain for public choice.