Yet More Problems With Charter Schools
By Among the many problems with decentralized charter school systems is that students end up being taught anything that the crazy people who often run them want. Such is the case in Louisiana with its loony state voucher system (presently under court review). The 8th grade history book for some of these schools is teaching an, um, controversial view of history. Take this passage about hippies:
They went to Canada or European countries to escape being drafted into military service.
They went without bathing, wore dirty, ragged, unconventional clothing, and deliberately broke all codes of politeness or manners. Rock music played an important part in the hippie movement and had great influence over the hippies. Many of the rock musicians they followed belonged to Eastern religious cults or practiced Satan worship.
All codes of politeness or manners. Those darned Satan worshipers!!! Clearly, they should have followed the moral guidelines of Louisiana native Jimmy Swaggart.
Other textbooks used in this system have taught such great things as that most slaveowners were real kind to their human property, the KKK was a totally reasonable organization, and lots of other special things that will leave the young people of Louisiana hopelessly clueless about the world.
Of course, it’s not like direct state control is always a wonderful solution so long as non-professional ideologues can take over the system. See Texas with its crazy history textbook ideas. But at least there solving the problem is reasonably straightforward, if difficult. With hundreds of charter school/voucher school systems, these fires can’t be put out.