-By Israel Teitelbaum
Parents for Free Choice in Education has launched a grass roots drive for school choice. Advocates are being asked to sign a letter being sent to U.S. Senators and Congressmen requesting they sponsor the Civil Rights Act for Equal Educational Opportunity. This would require states to end discrimination in the funding of education.
The Act completes what the Civil Rights Act of 1964 left unfinished when it required equal opportunity in housing, employment, travel, entertainment and other public accommodations. Only education was specifically excluded by limiting it to only public education. The new legislation would remove the word “public” and require equal educational opportunity for every child, including those attending private and religious schools.
Religious groups, schools and all concerned organizations are being asked to sign a letter being sent to U.S. Congressmen and Senators requesting they sponsor this legislation. This letter will be sent once 100 organizations are signed on. Subsequent letters are planned each time an additional 100 organizations sign on.
Individuals are being asked to email this letter directly to their U.S. Congressmen and Senator and to follow up with a phone call.
In announcing this national drive for school choice, Israel Teitelbaum, cofounder of Parents for Free Choice in Education, stated, “Although the late economist Milton Friedman recommended school vouchers 57 years ago, this is the first national attempt to implement his system. Voucher programs, such as the one in Utah, failed precisely because they bore no resemblance to Friedman’s plan. They did not satisfy the needs of most children and placed undue burdens on the hard-working taxpayer. This legislation follows his plan to the letter, and is sure to improve education for all children, and remove the enormous burden of double taxation from parents who send their children to private or religious school.”
The letter reads as follows:
As a Representative in the U.S. Congress, you are surely most concerned with the urgent needs of our nation’s children and their families. Although this is not a matter that appears much in the press, there is a desperate need to repair our nation’s broken school system. Countless children and their families are suffering daily and lives are being destroyed. This is a matter of great urgency and is surely worthy of rising to the top of any priority list of domestic issues.
The enormously costly programs that have been tried over the last four decades have not worked. Yet, we have refused to rectify that which is the very cause of the problem. As the late economist Milton Friedman described the solution, all that is required is to apply the principles of free enterprise. Monopolies have never worked well in enterprise, and the same applies to education.
The impact that school choice will have on our society goes far beyond improving education. Parents will be free to raise their families in accordance with their values and religious traditions, without being financially coerced to send their children to schools that conflict with these values. This will impact the sharp turn to the left that our society has taken under the influence of our current system.
School choice is an issue that impacts every child, mother and father in the United States. Legislation that will allow them better educational opportunities will energize them to political action. Many parents have rejected voucher programs that violated the requirements set forth by Dr. Friedman, because they did not satisfy the needs of most of the children while placing additional burdens on the hard-working taxpayer. However, civil rights legislation that follows the pattern of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 will be embraced by voters of all stripes, from left to right.
You are surely aware that most voters today are apathetic and remain uninvolved in politics because experience has proven that their vote does not make a difference. Here is legislation that will make an enormous difference. Undoubtedly voters will be fired into action, especially those involved with family and religious groups, as well as the vast minority community.
We urge you to sponsor The Civil Rights Act for Equal Educational Opportunity, to require equitable funding for every child, including those attending private and religious schools, while respecting these schools’ rights in hiring and provision of services.
Please be assured that our communities are ready to do all that we can to support this legislation and encourage others to do the same.
Thank you for giving this your priority attention.
Groups, schools and organizations that wish to sign this letter may write to PFCE at Israel@SchoolChoiceVoter.org.
Individuals are being asked to send this letter directly to their representatives in Congress.
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Israel Teitelbaum is currently creating a new school choice organization to help further the efforts to improve our public schools. His blog will soon be up and running at SchoolChoiceVoter.org. Mr. Teitelbaum can be reached at israel@schoolchoicenj.org.