I'm Tired of the Attacks on Public Schools

I'm tired of the attacks on public schools, because some people want tax money to be spent on private or parochial school education for their children. We have a great system of public schools in this country. It serves the goal of a democracy where all children receive an education that will prepare them for adult responsibilities. It serves the needs of employers who need an educated workforce that meets defined standards to provide essential workplace skills. It saddens me that public schools are under attack by a phalanx of religious right-wingers who are trying to defund public schools. As I understand it, their plan is to reduce tax support for public schools to the extent that the schools will fail and become so undesirable that most parents will be in favor of vouchers so they can afford to educate their children in parochial, private, and so-called charter schools or by home-schooling. The voucher system has been approved by some state courts as not violating the constitutional prohibition of support of religion by government. The legal reasoning that supports this decision to reduce the scarce tax resources available for public schools is apparently blind to their overall benefits. While it cannot be denied that a quality education can be achieved for some students in some non-public schools, it has not been shown that non-public schools will serve the needs of students from all economic levels and home environments. The public school system, if it has any short-comings, needs strengthening rather than weakening. Parents who want advanced learning for their children should put their talents to work to help improve public schools rather than destroy them. In this modern era, educational requirements are more complex than ever. Parents who want their children to learn about the family's religion should work with their churches to obtain this. Surely, reason will prevail.