Voters Dissatisfied with Quality of Public Education—Poll

At the Republican primary debate last week, presidential hopefuls disparaged the state of education in the nation, with some candidates advocating for the abolition of the U.S. Department of Education and the promotion of school choice options.

It’s an issue that seems sure to reappear as voters signal strong concerns with the quality of traditional public education. The Center Square Voters’ Voice Poll, conducted by Noble Predictive Insights, found that more Americans are dissatisfied than satisfied with the quality of education at their local public school.

The poll of 2,500 voters found that 39% were satisfied with the quality of their local public school’s education, and 41% were dissatisfied. The poll asked 1,000 Republicans, 1,000 Democrats and 500 independent voters about their views.

Moderates who lean Republican had the highest dissatisfaction rate, 52%, followed by voters who identified as strong Republicans with a 51% dissatisfaction rate. Of all Republican respondents, 47% said they were dissatisfied. Of Democratic voters, 33% were dissatisfied.

https://heartlanddailynews.com/2023/08/voters-dissatisfied-with-quality-of-public-education-poll

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Tim Scott Challenges the Schools

Certain educrats have a tell when they’re afraid of losing control of our kids: They go to the Leftmedia with scare tactics, and they claim Republicans are “waging war” on education.

In this case, it’s they who are waging war — against South Carolina Senator and Republican presidential candidate Tim Scott, who simply wants to empower parents and make sure schools aren’t using our kids as pawns in their woke social experiments.

Just last year, in fact, Scott introduced legislation to cut federal funding to schools that implement transgender policies denying parental notification. And now, Scott has introduced a plan to create a “family first” culture in education.

More specifically, Scott’s 12-point plan promises to “defend every parent’s right to know what their child is hearing and reading in school” and “empower every family the right to opt out of propaganda that attacks their values and religious liberty.” Additionally, the plan pledges to break the backs of the teachers’ unions, protect girls’ sports, and take critical race theory out of the classroom.

“Teachers’ unions, Big Tech, and Joe Biden are on a mission to make parents less important,” said Scott in a press release. “I have a bold agenda to support and empower parents — from the classroom to the locker room to the smartphone. We must empower parents and give them a choice, so that every child has a chance.”

Scott faces a steep uphill struggle to win the GOP nomination and then the White House, but while his plan shares some characteristics for improving education that other candidates have embraced, it shows an emphasis that is unique to Scott. Even CNN has noticed his focus on education: “Scott has made education a central theme of his campaign since its launch in May,” the network reports, “frequently citing his own experience growing up in poverty and attending college on a partial football scholarship. He often tells audiences at campaign events that education ‘is the closest thing to magic,’ and has stressed the importance of education in overcoming the disadvantages facing poor Black Americans.”

Maybe that’s why those on the Left are so critical of Scott’s plan. Maybe that’s why they say he’s targeting race and gender (like we haven’t heard that charge before).

In reality, he’s tapping into a national movement to remove politics from our classrooms, keep the focus on traditional values and proven educational methods, and give parents a say in where they send their kids to school. Of course, none of these measures sit well with Democrats, who want nothing more than to protect their education monopoly.

“At its core,” writes the Washington Examiner’s Kaylee McGhee, “Democrats’ opposition to school choice stems from the realization that it would break the education monopoly they’ve spent the past several decades building. If parents have the financial power to leave the government’s system, then that system no longer has control — control over government funds, over the ideological upbringing of children, and over the families who have been bullied into thinking they have no say in the matter.”

One of the best ways to shatter the federal education bureaucracy and empower parents is to eliminate the Department of Education, which, incidentally, four Republican presidential candidates pledged to do in last week’s first debate. Tim Scott wasn’t one of them.

Nonetheless, giving parents an educational voice is one of the central pieces of Scott’s plan, which allows parents to decide “whether it’s public school, private school, charter school, STEM school, or homeschool that is best for their child.”

In the end, Scott’s presidential aspirations may be a long shot, but the eventual GOP nominee would be wise to give his plan serious consideration. It’s a detailed, workable, and winning plan to save our schools from the Marxist assault on our children.

https://patriotpost.us/articles/100136 ?

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Australia: Deakin University: Pressure to change name due to racist views held by Alfred Deakin

An Australian university is under pressure to change its name because the former prime minister it is named after held racist views.

Deakin University in Melbourne is named after Alfred Deakin, who served as Australia's second Prime Minister in 1903, and the nation's first Attorney-General.

He helped pass the Aboriginal Protection Amendment Act of 1886, which led to the forced removal of Indigenous children from their families, known as the Stolen Generations.

Deakin also helped create the White Australia Policy in 1901, which restricted the number of non-white migrants coming to Australia.

In 1901, Deakin controversially predicted: 'In another century, the probability is that Australia will be a white continent with not a black or even dark skin among its inhabitants.

'The Aboriginal race has died out in the south and is dying fast in the north and west even where most gently treated.

'Other races are to be excluded by legislation if they are tinted to any degree. The yellow, the brown, and the copper-coloured are to be forbidden to land anywhere.'

Deakin was prime minister of Australia for three terms - from 1903-1904, 1905-1908 and 1909-1910. He died in 1919.

Sixteen academics from Deakin University created a seminar titled 'We need to talk about Alfred Deakin and his ideal of a White Australia', in 2020, and questioned why the university was named after someone with such racist views.

However the university's Vice-Chancellor Professor Iian Martin said a potential name change was not on the cards.

'This is not something that we are looking at and is absolutely not something that those Indigenous leaders...are asking to do,' Professor Martin told The Age.

While acknowledging the views of Mr Deakin would not be acceptable today, Prof Martin said changing the name would not help people understand previous injustices.

'If we simply expunge things from the record, what hope is there learning from the mistakes of the past,' he said.

Indigenous leaders, university staff and relatives of Mr Deakin have all been consulted by the university, Prof Martin said.

He stressed Indigenous leaders did not want the name to be changed.

According to their website, Deakin University 'is committed to Reconciliation and Treaty, advancing the educational aspirations of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples'.

'All our endeavours aim to reflect Australia's full history and seek to build an inclusive future'.

Deakin University has been a leader in Indigenous education for 40 years, the vice-chancellor added.

Mr Deakin served three terms as prime minister and was instrumental in Australia becoming a Federation.

He also helped establish the High Court and the Court of Conciliation and Arbitration.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-12473099/Deakin-University-change.html

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My other blogs: Main ones below

http://dissectleft.blogspot.com (DISSECTING LEFTISM)

http://antigreen.blogspot.com (GREENIE WATCH)

http://pcwatch.blogspot.com (POLITICAL CORRECTNESS WATCH)

http://australian-politics.blogspot.com/ (AUSTRALIAN POLITICS)

http://snorphty.blogspot.com/ (TONGUE-TIED)

http://jonjayray.com/blogall.html More blogs

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