ACLU Attacks School Vouchers

Denver Post Today
Seems the ACLU which used to be all about preserving freedom and free speech has decided to sue the Douglas County School District for their pilot program that would give financial aid to dozens of kids so that they could pay part of the expense of a private education paid.

Instead, by creating a lawsuit, tens of thousands of dollars will be taken from the public schools in Douglas County to pay for lawyers. How many teachers will lose their jobs because of this punitive lawsuit.

The Federal Courts have long approved of giving financial aid to private and religious colleges. Obama even increased the amount availabe in Pell Grants for college kids, but helping out younger children is illegal? Sounds pretty unfair to me.

Sounds unfair to take taxpayer funds from taxpayers that don't want their taxes used to fund religious schools... What about their "free speech" rights to not have to fund parochial schools they don't believe in?

And isn't it fascinating that all of a sudden you are worried about teachers losing their jobs, when you've been ranting for months that public employees, i.e., teachers, are getting fat off of taxpayers... Now, all of a sudden, that's a problem?

lol , good point, but once again, why is it OK for federal taxpayers to support religious schools, but not local taxpayers?

Haven't the Supremes already ruled that local support for private school vouchers is legal?
Or is the ACLU convinced that Colorado's own Constitution says public education monies can't be used to fund private schools. DougCo thinks they found a way around this by giving the voucher to the family instead of directly to the school, but that could be called splitting hairs in my book.

Personally I think the more kids in private school the better off for society, not only are the private schools cheaper per pupil than the public, the education is better. And more kids graduate.

my question is

why should taxpayers pay for others children to go to private schools.

Thank you for making that point... We shouldn't...

(I thought we already covered "a transfer of wealth from non-students to students" to go to school in the "Stupidity Tax" thread...?)

LadyJazzer wrote: Sounds unfair to take taxpayer funds from taxpayers that don't want their taxes used to fund religious schools... What about their "free speech" rights to not have to fund parochial schools they don't believe in?

And isn't it fascinating that all of a sudden you are worried about teachers losing their jobs, when you've been ranting for months that public employees, i.e., teachers, are getting fat off of taxpayers... Now, all of a sudden, that's a problem?

Another mistaken point of reality from the regressive religious bigots. You are not funding the parochial schools LJ, you are funding the student. Where the parents of the student decide to educate their child with the money provided for that purpose is irrelevant provided the school is one that is recognized and accredited by the district and by the state. Remember that the state is as prohibited from discriminating on religious grounds as it is from choosing based on religious grounds. To exclude a religious education institution from the rest of the private schools because it is a religious educational institution is to actively engage in discrimination based solely on religion by the state - clearly against any reading of the Constitution.

Do you have a link?

navycpo7 wrote: my question is

why should taxpayers pay for others children to go to private schools.

You are not paying for the child to go to a private school Chief, you are paying taxes so that the child has the opportunity to become educated even if their parents are unable to afford to pay for them to become educated. That education is so important that the Supreme Court of this nation has ruled that you and I and every other property owner and taxpayer must even assist the children of other nations who are residing here in violation of the national immigration laws in receiving that education. Where the parents choose to spend the money that the county and state raise through taxes for this purpose is not relevant since it is the necessary education of the child that the money funds regardless of which school the money is spent in.

I highly recommend watching the movie "Waiting for superman" it will explain why parents want their kids out of public schools..
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CinnamonGirl wrote: Do you have a link?

What do you wish a link to CG, the case where the Supreme Court said that an illegal child must be allowed to attend a state funded school? Do you want a link to something that shows it is illegal to discriminate on the basis of religion? Perhaps one to the court case where it was said that the government must not only be tolerant of religion it must also be accommodating of it?