11 Comments

Thank you David Pepper! This egregious theft of public funds needs to be made more known. I post your column on Spoutible.com

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Read Jess Piper's substack "The View From Rural Missouri" to hear first hand what all this means. Their education system is being decimated as well, the same way.

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Very important information about the voucher system and how it’s implementation can harm our public school system.

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While I'm nor an Ohio and, I appreciate your work. A similar story is playing out in virtually every state.

The GOP's goal for decades has been to destroy higher education, and they've made remarkable progress in that, thanks to their majority of state legislatures and a number of court decisions tearing down what's left of any separations between church and state.

They are winning, and in so many states, particularly in states with large metro, this might be irreversible and has accelerated. Thanks to Covid decimating cities' tax base (work from home + declining office/building valuations = lower property tax $ coming in) people leaving for the suburbs, a low birth rate, and young people waiting longer to have kids because they can't afford to, enrollments are plummeting. Which means less $ for school districts, less kids overall in public schools and the destruction continues.

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So, after we approve the anti-gerrymandering constitutional amendment in November, and then get TRUE politicians in office from across Ohio, can we then bring charges against DeWine, Husted, Yost, and SO many others, for breaking laws enshrined in the Ohio Constitution? Please say yes!

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They are also starting to infect our public schools with Lifewise Academy, in school religious instruction to primary grades over five years. They are at Northmont (Clayton/Englewood/Union) every school board meeting now. They take the mic and bully the board, all the while claiming they will instill character traits in students.

I’m trying to get neighbors to SHOW UP at the board meetings, but they don’t believe this is happening. “Is there anyone at the news stations??” Like Sinclair stations? Yeah… nobody is coming to save us… nobody. SHOW UP!!! https://lifewise.org/startalifewise/

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As the implosion of profitable news media continues, the journalism skews ever more to BS. It’s like a law of nature.

Speaking the start — actually because the reasons behind the start — charters have been shitty schools, harming public education for no valid social benefit. Like anything, there are exceptions, and like too often the case, too few to matter. Sad to say, this is an old story going back to the first charters.

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I hope you shared this with Cleveland.com or asked to write rebuttal guest column.

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Ugh. Vile woman, along with her vile brother and huckster family. I’d forgotten about her.

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I almost never disagree with you but I disagree here. The MAGA GOP vision is not to "privatize public education" - that is merely their means towards an end which can be more clearly stated as "education is only for the wealthy (ruling) class" and absolutely not for the serfs. Serfs merely need to do the bidding of their MAGA overlords - for a pittance, of course, or preferably less."

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The attack on public education, a system adopted by popular demand put in place by states in the late 19th century was essential to provide a competent workforce for the industrial revolution. It is still relevant as we all continue to benefit from a competent citizenry, including scholars and scientists who add credability to our national purposes "For the People, By the People." The disgustingly wealthy people just want to increase their wealth. General use of school vouchers is antithetical to our national purpose.

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