What people are saying:

• Secular Education Association: Hey, every time one of you comments- it drives the algorithm. Did you all go to private school or what? We know, the propaganda worked on your bigotry. Cool.
  • Facebook User: Secular Education Association
  • Secular Education Association: Facebook User that image is commonly associated with Schlitzie, a real disabled performer from the 1932 film Freaks.

    So just to be clear: your response to a public education page was to use a disabled sideshow performer’s image as a punchline.

    That is not clever. It is exactly the kind of cruelty and ignorance we are talking about.

• Facebook User: Aw … the godless commies are mad.
• Facebook User: We are the public and we’d like a choice.
  • Secular Education Association: Facebook User we are also the public.. and we’d like fully funded, safe, inclusive, religiously neutral public schools that serve every child without pressure, favoritism, or exclusion.

    Families already have religious choices. Public schools should remain public.

  • Facebook User: Secular Education Association I never said anything about religion. I’m saying that people should have a choice for the education of their children
  • Facebook User: Facebook User fine you pay for it
  • Facebook User: Facebook User As long as my money goes to my choice and the public schools aren’t getting it,its a win/win for me and a lot of other people that are fed up with public schools
  • Secular Education Association: Facebook User why are you fed up? Be specific. And you better know exactly why each of the things you’re “fed up” with are happening. But we’re happy to school you if not. So go ahead Teresa. What are your gripes with public school?
  • Facebook User: Secular Education Association Stagnant academic performances. Proficiency remains low,especially in math (23%) and reading.(37%).Federal spending per student has more than doubled since 1979 when the Department of Education was established,yet scores have remained stagnant and in some cases,declined. Why should I keep funding something that is clearly not working?
  • Secular Education Association: Facebook User “scores are low, so stop funding the only schools legally required to educate every child” is not the argument you think it is.

    Also, NAEP “proficient” is not the same as grade-level proficiency, and federal funding is not the main source of school funding. You’re using crisis numbers to push abandonment. We’re not doing that.

  • Facebook User: Facebook User I agree but you pay for it!
  • Facebook User: Facebook User me me me ! How are your property taxes these days ?
  • Facebook User: Facebook User You already have a choice>
  • Facebook User: Secular Education Association Why keep throwing money at a problem that can’t be solved with money
  • Facebook User: Facebook User I assume that they are equivalent to my neighbors that have school age kids
• Facebook User: NYC has a lottery. If your kid is bright, you can apply for chance for them to attend a ‘good’ school. I’m not sure how ‘school chance’ is better than ‘school choice’.
  • Secular Education Association: Facebook User you have to go back further…. Why do they have a lottery?
  • Facebook User: Secular Education Association Huh? The lottery is for the good schools and they have more students who want to be in the good schools then they have positions, but choice isn’t allowed. Instead to be fair, it is random chance.
  • Facebook User: Facebook User Goes to show that there isn’t enough invested in all public schools.
  • Facebook User: Facebook User NYC spent $33,000 per k-12 student in 2025. In state college tuition in NY is $7,000. NY still has rubber rooms for teachers who cant be trusted with students, yet can’t be fired. 17 years for one teacher making 6 figures.

    When you are paying teachers not to work and spending $33,000 a year to teach the color wheel, its not an investment issue.

  • Facebook User: Facebook User So? This is about ALL public schools and using NYC as the only example is dishonest. Their issues are far broader and deeper than your simplistic comment suggests.

    If you think every child in every public school is a failure, then you have a serioius perception problem.

  • Facebook User: Facebook User umm I spoke about the NY lottery system, you commented that they were underfunded, I replied. Staying on the topic at hand is not dishonest in any way.

    Nationally, each k-12 student costs $17,000 per year. In-state tuition is $10,800 per year. Yes it is cheaper to educate an electrical engineer than to teach “hot cross buns” on a recorder.

    I am confused as to why you think every child is a failure. I certainly don’t believe that. But with every classroom being funded at near $500,000 every year, public education is not a financial issue.

  • Facebook User: Facebook User What I am pointing out is that your arguments suggest that public schools are failing schools while private schools are not, ergo, any student who attends public school is a failure and every student who attends private school is a success. Can you see how ridiculous that is?

    Your use of averages is dishonest. ONE special needs student with multiple disabilities can “average” $100,000 in services all by herself. How many of these children are there and are they NOT entitled to those services?

    Comparing a false “average” cost to tuition is intellectually dishonest.

    In addition, you backhand the teaching of skills that all students should acquire. Playing the recorder is as much about listening, coordination, cooperation as it is about playing an instrument, skills ANY electrical engineer needs, yes? You don’t respect teaching or education.

  • Facebook User: Facebook User public schools are failing. On an epic scale. They have an 82% graduation rate, but only 37% can read at or above a 6th grade level. 60% of college freshmen at 4-year schools have to take remedial (high school) math and English courses. Harvard has remedial classes. UC San Diego accepts students of 3.5 GPA or greater quality and they have to offer MIDDLE school classes. In Illinois, 40 k-12 schools don’t have a single student who can read at grade level.

    I’m not minimizing learning skills, but when people say underfunded, that isn’t even close to the truth.

    Been teaching for 9 years. I respect it completely. Shame my colleagues don’t.

  • Facebook User: Facebook User No, they are NOT failing. Is YOUR local public school district failing? Is every student attending your local public school a failure?

    You are a teacher? Are you a failure teacher? Are YOU failing your students? Are they all failures?

    No, you do NOT respect the profession. Public schools accept EVERY child, regardless of skill. Private schools pick and choose. They stack the deck and are self-dealing. Fine, but do NOT expect the PUBLIC to pay for it.

  • Facebook User: Facebook User wow. If 60% of A/B college freshmen have to retake highschool and middle school classes, I call that failing.

    Yes, our schools were failing so we decided to homeschool. Some notable personal examples.
    – the school district was advertised as best in the state. It failed 28 of 32 state educational measures, but it was still the best in the state.
    – the only other high school had girls performing fellatio, in class, with the teacher present and they didn’t notice. Isn’t 8th grade great?
    – students not allowed to take books home. 15 minutes of lecture with th rest of period for homework.
    – last year my son asked me, “what’s a cocktail blocker”? Turns out a teacher called him that at lunch. Also found out the teacher was asking girls out when they turned 18. School said no punishment since he was retiring anyway.

    I don’t think every student is failing. I think a percentage of the 37% who can read are successful.

    Yes, im a teacher. Yes, I fail students. Failed 12 last year. Early in my career I failed 72% of a class. It didn’t win me any friends.

    Public schools might accept every child, but they only educate a very small percentage. At least private schools don’t lie about what they are doing.

    Public schools take about $250,000 per child and hand them a diploma saying they have mastered the skills of high school education knowing full well that only 37% of them mastered grade school skills.

• Facebook User: Another union post…afraid to lose money from the teachers
  • Secular Education Association: Facebook User what? We are parent led. Every time you comment nonsense it drives our reach though, thanks!
  • Facebook User: Facebook User you do realize private schools don’t take everyone, right? Public funds should not go to a school who denies enrollment to students within their boundaries. Also, private schools are now raising their rates so even with the vouchers, poor families still can’t afford it.
• Facebook User: Besides the constitution guarantees a “free and equal education”. Not a private one.
  • Facebook User: Facebook User Equally crap
  • Facebook User: Facebook User not only is that not true, nowhere in the federal constitution is education a guarantee, much less a free and equal one
• Facebook User: This argument makes no sense. It’s not like private schools “get” tax$ if your kid doesn’t get in. Also, public schools could specialize and kids from other schools could apply to go there assuming good grades, behavior, etc. this incentives schools and kids to do better
  • Secular Education Association: Facebook User you have to read for it to make sense. VOUCHERS.
  • Facebook User: Facebook User Private schools are taking money away from public schools through vouchers. Vouchers will destroy public schools, not make them better. Private schools can pick who they want to attend. They don’t have to accept individuals with disabilities, poor students, students with behavior problems, LGBTQ+ students…..
  • Facebook User: Secular Education Association yes yes I understand. Saying vouchers in all caps doesn’t make your point any better, it makes you seem like a sheep
  • Facebook User: Facebook User is the goal of education funding to teach the kid or is it to preserve an outdated program? I agree, this will pose a challenge to many failing districts, this will also benefit the smart, motivated, and driven students who would otherwise be stuck in failing districts.
  • Secular Education Association: Facebook User THE GOAL IS TO TEACH ALL CHILDREN. Those districts are failing because of decades of defunding and gerrymandering and bullshit like you have clearly bought into.
  • Facebook User: Secular Education Association no need to be rude. If the goal is to teach all children, then it makes sense that the money given to the state by taxpayers should follow the child. Keep local tax $ with the local public school, have state and federal $ follow the kid. Public and private schools aren’t enemies. They’re both trying to do the same thing.
  • Facebook User: Secular Education Association So vouchers pay for private school even if your child is not accepted and does not attend the private school? I don’t see how this occurs. Please explain.
  • Facebook User: Secular Education Association Decades of defunding? Right now it costs just over $17,000 per K-12 student every year. It costs $10,800 for instate college tuition for a 4 year college per year. How does defunding public school make it more expensive to teach the color wheel to 8-year-olds than to teach an electrical engineer?
  • Facebook User: Secular Education Association No your goal is to NOT TEACH all children. If a school sucks, then no child should be able to leave it because… I have no idea why you would want this. Please explain.
  • Facebook User: Public schools have to teach everyone. That means they need special programs for all students to achieve success or students need to be sent somewhere to get the appropriate teaching. Vouchers will take away the already tight budgets. Work on making public schools better.
• Facebook User: Give all children equal dollars and all schools will be able to provide transportation and lunch. Then we will have real choice. The Public Schools are abusive and produce sick children. All children should leave the Public schools.
  • Facebook User: Facebook User Have you met some of your neighbors because not everyone is qualified to educate.
  • Secular Education Association: Facebook User did you go to public school?
  • Facebook User: Facebook User Where do you live?? Must be a red state.
  • Facebook User: Facebook User Show evidence of abuse and sick children. Which state or city do you live in?
• Facebook User: Don’t public schools pick the rules? I see a lot of “mays” in there.

  There are no guarantees in life. My kids attended public school because I could not afford private schools.

  • Secular Education Association: Facebook User no actually they don’t pick the rules. They have to take everyone.
  • Facebook User: Facebook User NO….they accept everyone and if they do not have an appropriate placement they are required to make one or send that child to a suitable setting.
  • Facebook User: Facebook User No, public schools do not “pick the rules”. There are federal and state laws that public schools must abide by. Private schools are exempt from almost all of them. Private schools should not get a single cent of public money.
  • Facebook User: Facebook User Are your kids failures because they attended public schools? I’m thinking they are not.
• Facebook User: The money is to educate a STUDENT….. not run an empty building. The money goes where the student goes. Public schools have four decades of buildings producing uneducated students. Private schools provide better education for most, at LESS cost to public. The tiny group of “special” students unable to fit into regular education, will still receive special education, in special ed classes. Every child (and the tax payers) win.
  • Facebook User: Facebook User it is clear you are towing the MAGA line. Have you ever taught in a public system! My wife and I spent 68 years in a public system and I am telling you public schools are not failing! If you think it is fair to steal taxpayer money to pay tuition to a private school when the families are making over $150,000 per year while at the same time cut the funds from public schools that are educating poor, minority, and handicapped students you have a very sick sense or fairness!
  • Facebook User: Facebook User Well said. My local public school district spends $17k per year, the parochial school I sent my sons to currently charges $7k a year for tuition (second child is less). The Church does not subsidize the school. They have a 100% graduation rate and a 96% college admission rate. I trust parents to make the best choices for their kids.
  • Facebook User: If a restaurant sucks, if a hospital is killing patients, if a vehicle breaks down……. do you say “have you worked there”?

    US Public schools fail THEIR standards of performance, they fail against other first world nations, and fail to meet expectations of customers (parents/taxpayers).

    The customer does not need to “prove” the product/service is bad; the vendor must prove it is good. That is a key problem in the discussion. Schools must PROVE the perception is wrong, DEMONSTRATE your product meets our standards.

    Highest cost product, should exceed all expectations. We are paying Lamborghini prices, for Yugo results.

  • Facebook User: “Stealing” is what the government does when they mandate my child attend their school and demand I pay them for it at the threat of putting my family on the street. I guarantee every one of those families pays more than their fair share of taxes. Asking for a small fraction of it back so they can send their child to a school that best fits their child while the government keeps the lion’s share is not fair, if you think otherwise you have a truly sick idea of “fair”!
  • Facebook User: Facebook User Of course they have a 100% graduation rate and 96% college admission rate – they accept the kids they want, kick out kids who are underperforming. Perhaps they should have kicked out the 4% who didn’t get into college, so that could have been 100%, too. And, of course they can educate kids for less – They don’t have to follow all the rules the state requires, and they probably pay teachers and staff half of what they are worth.
  • Facebook User: Facebook User the charter schools are not really good for anyone… They may have uniforms but none of the kids know how to read or write
  • Facebook User: Facebook User My local public school district has its own internal police force, complete with a chief. Public schools are dangerous places. Disruptive kids who interfere with learning in the classroom are a problem. And you’re right, not in a parochial school. I admire parochial school teachers who consider the work they do as a “ministry”. And yes, they probably work for less. Wouldn’t it be great if parents had the opportunity to send their child to a school free of fear and distractions? My kids are grown and gone and I can tell you that their tuition is the best money I ever spent. I want that “choice” for every parent.
  • Secular Education Association: Facebook User just say you think your kids are too good to be educated with everyone else’s. Just be honest.
  • Secular Education Association: Facebook User KIDS ARE NOT THE PROBLEM YOU DISGUSTING POS.
  • Facebook User: Secular Education Association I had a colleague who was a Deputy District Attorney. She started her career prosecuting domestic violence cases and then later was reassigned to truancy cases. She told me that she was surprised that she ended up with many of the same “clients”. She said that the children of parents who beat up each other, use drugs and engage in an assortment of crimes are sitting in public school classrooms. She sent her kids to parochial school too. You’re right, the kids are not the problem.
  • Facebook User: Secular Education Association
    You just care that your service/product is unacceptable to the customer….. “…just be honest”.

    Just as you might tell a restaurant/mechanic/hospital/whatever…….YOUR product failure, is NOT my problem.

  • Facebook User: Facebook User Then parents need to pull kids to better school. I can’t make a vendor improve, but I can chose where my money goes.
  • Facebook User: Facebook User Well, send your child to private school. Private schools don’t provide better education. Private schools don’t have to accept individuals with disabilities or students they don’t want. This is highly discriminatory. Public schools educate everyone. Work on improving public schools, not destroying them. All children deserve a good education no matter who they are and no matter their ability.
  • Facebook User: Facebook User They don’t accept kids who are failing, or on IEPs or have behavior problems. Of course they will have great stats when they can kick those out who are not performing and send them back to the public school.😢😢😢
  • Facebook User: Facebook User My local public school board spends a considerable amount of time dealing with parents angry that “boys who identify as girls” are permitted to use girl’s restrooms, girl’s locker rooms and participate in girl’s sports. I don’t think the school I sent my kids is having this problem. https://www.pressenterprise.com/2025/08/22/riverside-school-board-urged-to-take-stand-on-transgender-athletes/
  • Facebook User: Facebook User Then public schools should perform. Competition always improves the service/product. Public schools “educate everyone”, but do do poorly. Who says? The CUSTOMERS (parents/taxpayers). It does matter how a vendor feels (plenty of companies fail).

    All those “special” students, will still have the SAME ACCESS to the SAME SCHOOLs they have today. For them, public school is the best vendor.

  • Facebook User: Facebook User They are performing. You must live in a red state. When you take money out of the system it will not be improved. Fix the public schools to improve education for all students.
  • Facebook User: Facebook User Maryland has been Democrat from teacher to Governor for decades. So….. it must rate at top in nation, right? Nope. California, nope. New York; nope.

    Maybe if you stopped worrying about politics, maybe the academics in the schools would be better.

  • Facebook User: Facebook User Communities pay for community schools NOT for children to take that money and go somewhere else.
  • Facebook User: Facebook User So you say public school isn’t as good as private. So send your kid to private with help financially from the government. Then say “special” students as you call them should go to those public schools that aren’t as good. Glad my kids will be learning along side all kids in their public school. They learned to accept everyone there and came out reading well above average as well as lots of other great skills!! Are there some PS that are terrible, yes. Are there some terrible private schools yes. However, find a better way to fix all those schools!
  • Facebook User: Facebook User
    45 years of Federal Dept of Ed
    45 years of massive growth in EdD “experts”
    45 years of falling public school academic performance
    45 years of superior academics in Catholic schools.

    Correlation is clear that EdD, unions, and political BS destroy academic performance. School choice allows students the opportunity to actually receive an education. Teachers now have opportunity to join schools focused on education.

    School choice vouchers allow families to leave bad schools.

  • Facebook User: Facebook User I guess we agree to disagree. Yes change can be good but again you say to leave PS, but it’s good enough for “special” kids. Well there won’t be funds left to help those kids that really need the extra support. Since you act like everyone else should leave for a better option, which is not always a better option. Plenty of PS are performing extremely well and punished for those school systems that aren’t.
  • Facebook User: Facebook User Private schools DON’T provide “a better education for most”. Studies have shown that, when all other factors are held equal & the only difference is type of system, the difference in performance between private & public school students is not statistically significant.
  • Facebook User: Facebook User NAEP Statistics disagree

    Test Scores and Academics
    National Assessments: On the Nation’s Report Card (NAEP), Catholic school students in the 4th and 8th grades consistently score higher in both reading and mathematics compared to their public school peers.

    National Catholic Educational Association

    Proficiency Gaps: Research highlights that Catholic schools frequently narrow the achievement gap, with low-income and minority students in Catholic schools often outperforming their public school peers from similar demographics.

    Pacific Research Institute (PRI)
    Graduation & College: Catholic high schools report a graduation rate approaching 99%, with up to 88% of their graduates going on to pursue four-year college degrees.

    Why the Discrepancy Exists
    Curriculum Focus: Many Catholic schools emphasize a phonics-based approach to reading and enforce stricter grading scales than their public counterparts.

    Pacific Research Institute (PRI)
    Environment: Smaller class sizes, an emphasis on personal discipline, and mission-driven school communities are frequently cited as key contributors to student success.

  • Facebook User: Facebook User And when you hold all variables constant so the only difference is type of system, the differences in performance are statistically insignificant. If you’re going to read the report, read all of it.
• Facebook User:
• Facebook User:
• Facebook User: Here’s a concept:
  Improve the public education system. Parents wouldn’t push for school vouchers.

  Private schools do not admit everyone who applies.
  This is why informed parents do their due diligence.
  Bottom line? Parents want a better education for their children.
  That should be society’s goal as well.

  • Facebook User: Facebook User Fine. But not with taxpayer money. You PAY for your privilege, not me.
  • Facebook User: Facebook User
    Missed my point.
    Even with billions in taxpayer dollars, the public school system sucks.
    A parent can direct their tax dollars towards a better education for their child.
  • Facebook User: Facebook User riddle me this. Improve public education while cutting its funding and funneling that money to voucher schools. Just how does that work
• Facebook User: Outlaw K through 12 private schools. Result, the wealthy will full fund public education to ensure that their children obtain a quality education. Everyone wins. Better pay for teachers, better curriculums fully supplied.
  All that school vouchers do is give the wealthy parents already sending their children to private schools a reduction in the amount they will be paying, and our taxes will be needed to give these wealthy parents the benefit.
  Private schools decide if they want your child to attend, it’s not up to you, parents don’t have free choice.
  Best solution is to outlaw private schools forcing the wealthy to invest in public education so their children as well as those not wealthy get a quality education.
  This has worked in other countries.
  • Facebook User: Facebook User if you did that, you could expect an immediate increase in students that no public district is ready to handle.
• Facebook User:
• Facebook User:
• Facebook User:
• Facebook User: So basically you hate educational freedom…in a truly free society all those things would be in play, and clearly you’d have nothing but contempt for it. Money alotted for my child should be spent whever I decide is best for MY child, if the public school wants that money then they have to be the better choice
  • Facebook User: Facebook User no, if you want private education for your child, you pay for it. Not tax payers!
  • Facebook User: Facebook User Send your child to private school. You don’t have to send them to public school, but don’t destroy the chance for all kids to have a good education. 😢
  • Facebook User: Facebook User Public school is a public service, like the fire department or the police department. Per-pupil funding is not a pool of money set aside for your child’s exclusive use. Demanding that public funding be set aside so you can send your child to a private school is as ridiculous as demanding that the portion of your taxes that go to the fire department be set aside and only used for fire protection at your house.
  • Facebook User: Facebook User 💯
• Facebook User: Then get rid of public schools that require tests or auditions.
  • Facebook User: Facebook User In what city or state is this happening?
  • Facebook User: Facebook User Cincinnati, New York just to name a couple.
• Facebook User: Except that privates get paid for teaching kids. Their incentive is to take any kid who is not detrimental to others.
  • Facebook User: Facebook User bullshit
  • Facebook User: Facebook User correct, and they go out of business it they do a crappy job. wish the same was true of government schools.
  • Facebook User: Facebook User They are selective, exclusive, and private. All the more reason NOT to use public money. My money is good enough but my kid is not?
  • Facebook User: Facebook User they’d only get your $ if your kid went there ..
  • Facebook User: Facebook User False. ANY tax money comes from ALL of us.
  • Facebook User: Facebook User ah I misunderstood what you were saying. I thought you were implying that private schools will magically get “free” state funds.
• Facebook User: That’s dumb. There is no public money, just taxpayer money. If the school does not fit your child then they can go somewhere else, there are tons of options. Wish the same could be said of government schools that trap kids and refuse to give them options.
• Facebook User: It is worth the risk given the waste, fraud and failure involved in government -run schools. Again, your organization wants more power and money to unions and government and take power from parents and students. You make them subjects rather than citizens.
• Facebook User: This is the stupidest, bag of blatant lies I’ve seen in a while. Public school absolutely does not take every child and even if they did, they certainly do not educate every child. AZ is last in education in the US, so no public schools have had DECADES of our $ and continuously done a shit job with it. No thank you.
• Facebook User: Bullshit