Vouchering to Gomorrah

August 5, 2006

Libertarian-bent lawyer Tim Sandefur posts this note at Panda’s Thumb:

Neal McCulskey of the Cato Institute and Matthew Yglesias of The American Prospect have a debate going over whether school choice programs would help resolve the evolution/creationism controversy. Here’s McCulskey’s first post, Yglesias’ reply, and McCulskey’s rebuttal.

Vouchers. Parental choice is an issue across the curriculum, but it is especially poignant in sex education, biology, and history. In those three areas there are national movements to direct curricula, some of the movements in each area based on a great deal of misinformation and disinformation.

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14 Comments | Creationism, Curricula, Education, Geography - Political, Intelligent Design, Public education, Religious Freedom, School vouchers, State school boards | Permalink
Posted by Ed Darrell

. . . and it will trickle down to education

August 4, 2006

Heard this one before?

“Income-tax cut urged, Huntsman says it would benefit schools, but educators are wary,” is a headline in this morning’s Deseret Morning News in Salt Lake City.

Gov. Jon Huntsman, Jr., wants a cut in the state income tax. Education funding shrank a great deal as a priority in Utah in the past decade, and educators want to make up lost ground — much of the state income tax goes to support education. Read the rest of this entry »

1 Comment | Business, Current History, Education, Public education, State school boards | Permalink
Posted by Ed Darrell

Madison on education

August 3, 2006

August 4 is the 184th anniversary of Madison’s letter to William T. Barry, with a discussion of the value of education to a free, democratic republic. Parts of the letter are among the most popular of Madison quotations.

A popular Government, without popular information, or the means of acquiring it, is but a Prologue to a Farce or a Tragedy; or, perhaps both. Knowledge will forever govern ignorance: And a people who mean to be their own Governors, must arm themselves with the power which knowledge gives.

James Madison, letter to William T. Barry, August 4, 1822

Madison Building inscription

Photo of inscription to the left (north) of the main entrance on Independence Ave., of the James Madison Building, Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.

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1 Comment | Education, Good Quotes, History, James Madison, Public education, Public libraries | Permalink
Posted by Ed Darrell

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