Just as an architect of a building does careful planning to ensure a desired end result, so have the free state architects of school privatization planned for the end of public education as we know it. Croydon is the canary in the coal mine.
The “school choice” movement is a means to an end, and that end is not about the best interest of children, but is about dismantling and defunding “government schools,” also known as your community public school. The recent rush to slash the public school budget in Croydon to a level that cannot sustain their school ripped the cover off the school choice black box. Democracy only works if those who have the money and/or the power to opt out of public services instead choose to opt in for the common good. It’s called a social contract. The adequate education of children in our community and state is a common good and has value for all of us, not just parents.
School choice means parents will need to pay a portion (or all) of their child’s education either in time or money (or both) with additional fees, uniforms, books, materials and lab supplies. School choice means a parent has to find a school or program that will accept their child, especially if they have special learning or physical needs such as a wheelchair ramp or a speech pathologist. Parents will need to search for an educational program that provides a safe, academically sound program with trained teachers.
Glossy advertising of school choice programs often lure parents into “microschools” or low-cost private schools that may have uncertified teachers, no requirement for child protection criminal background checks, limited curriculums, limited special education services, no Americans with Disabilities Act accommodations and no transportation.
The need of these programs for profit and financial stability may lead to cuts in their basic services or even dissolution, leaving the child without an educational program. Buyer beware.
Our public school system in New Hampshire ranks consistently in the top 10 nationally. Our public schools accept all students regardless of socioeconomic status, ability, religion, race, homelessness or any other discriminating factor. Public schools, not charter schools, are required to maintain a comprehensive curriculum and offer special education services, free lunches and other services to help all students succeed. Our community public schools are run by a locally elected school board that is responsible academically and financially to the community as well as to the parents to provide an adequate education with state-set standards and services.
The concerned people of Croydon are bravely fighting back at the absurdity of this budget cut, which cannot fund the education that this community’s children deserve and have a right to expect under the New Hampshire Constitution and our state laws. This drastic budget cut by a small fraction of the voting public in Croydon is not just about money. It is about a group of individuals who are well-organized and are determined to change our way of life, our towns, our schools and our state to fit their ideological and political philosophy.
Croydon’s children and their families should not be a sacrifice to this libertarian ideological experiment to get rid of government and ignore the common good. We must fight back for our communities and our schools. In each town and city across our state, residents must get involved in their communities, be informed about candidates on both the local and state levels, consider running for local offices, volunteer in libraries and schools, join local public service organizations and vote! Croydon needs our support. Public education needs our support. New Hampshire needs our support.
State Rep. Linda Tanner, D-Georges Mills, represents the Sullivan 9 District. She is a member of the New Hampshire Education Committee.