Courtney Gore, the co-host of a right-wing online talk show, won a seat on a Texas school board on the basis that she would undo leftist indoctrination and get rid of educational materials with inappropriate messages about sexuality and race. Then she took office and actually read the curriculum, finding that the subject matter simply taught children “how to be a good friend, a good human.” The Texas Tribune talked to her about why she ran for office, what she thinks is behind the push to take over school boards, and the backlash she's faced since speaking out against the ultra-right element of the Republican party.
Far-right agitators have been infiltrating school board meetings for years. Some are becoming members, promoting school vouchers, which harms public schools.
Pro-voucher billionaires are using school board races to sow distrust in public EDU & install a voucher system in which public money flows to private & religious schools. The largesse from billionaires Tim Dunn & bros. Farris & Dan Wilks has made its way into local pols.
"Looks like we just threw Gov. Lee’s entire voucher scam in the trash. Thank you to all the parents, students, teachers, superintendents, and concerned Tennesseans all over the state who stood up, spoke out, and defended our public schools from being dismantled and defunded."
-Rep Gloria Johnson
“Enormous Right-wing cash is spent on “reports” from think tanks & pro-voucher “fellows” to tell legislators vouchers will save money & help kids.
The reality is borne out in states where the scam has already passed: broken budgets, cost-overruns, grift and fraud.”
-Josh Cohen, professor & author
Excellent: The TENNESSEAN: writers from FL & AZ explain how vouchers are undermining public schools in their states and urge TN not to be smitten, too. -Gene Bryant
The gross 🤮 pastor from #Monroe#NorthCarolina who said ‘men’ that #rape women wearing shorts should not be punished, also runs a private (fake)#Christian school that received almost $1 million of tax-payer funds to ‘educate’ children!
Ike’s take on the Brown vs. Board of Education ruling: according to Hagerty's diary entry, the president was
"concerned, as are all of us, on the effect of the ruling. There is a strong possibility that some of the southern states will take steps to virtually cancel out their public education system and turn to state-aided 'private institutions. The President fears such a plan would handicap Negro children but [also] would work to harm 'poor whites."
We were going to apply for #schoolvouchers and then donate the money to an abortion provider, but my family ultimately decided to not apply and just keep that money in public education.
Because we, like so many private school families, made the decision years ago to pay private school tuition ON TOP of our ad velorum taxes.
By the looks of it, we may have been the only family to do so. WTF is wrong with #Oklahoma people?
#GregAbbott needs to stop with the special sessions of the #TxLege. No one I know wants #SchoolVouchers. How much more money will our state leaders suck out of the poor and middles classes to benefit their rich donor base? Enough is enough. I’ve written to my state representative, for what good that might do.
school vouchers don't help disadvantaged kids. After the Arkansas Governor pushed through a voucher scheme, several schools raised their tuition to keep #poor kids out. A school voucher is a grift to funnel your tax dollars into private hands
Riding the wave of “parent rights” crusades into the national political arena, TX Gov. Abbott made school vouchers a top legislative priority.
Since 1995 Coalition for Public Schools in Texas assembled a broad spectrum of religious, child advocacy, & education organizations, now 50 groups representing 4 million Texans