To The Reader's Forum:
Taxpayers spend billions of dollars on K-12 education, most of it going for teacher and administrative salaries. A large percentage of union dues is used to back politicians who then vote on more money "for the children." Politicians seem unaware of the real danger of Common Core, the federal takeover of education in states. Common Core must be terminated. Congress must stop funding this violation of our U.S. Constitution and NY Constitution and laws. Additionally, the U.S. Department of Education must be eliminated.
States, parents, and local school boards should be in control of education. Parents must have a right to choose where their children go to school. State aid should follow the student so that parents can send their child to any type of school they choose: charter, church, private, or be homeschooled. Competition among K-12 schools would raise standards. By making commonsense changes, the outdated practice of teacher tenure, which is political payoff for votes, would be eliminated. Citizens must stop feeding this merry-go-round.