“How can public schools ever be doomed when we are forced under the threat of the government gun to pay property taxes and continue to fund these horrible schools?”
CORRECT. As long as government continues to fund them, in their present form, they will NEVER go away.
It’s really that simple.
With the phrase in loco parentis (in place of the parents), the courts (and society) have granted public schools, teacher, and admistrators broad powers over the kids. In essence, the schools can't please everyone so you get a general application of the three Rs AND ethics that reflects that of society as a whole...or the political leaning of the local and/or state school administrators.
Decades ago, corporal punishment was acceptable in public schools. Now it's not. Today, unAmerican history is acceptable. If you don't like it, it's not necessarily the school's fault - it's all because society granted the school the power to stand in place of the parents. What's "in style" changes with the times, but the fundamentals of in loco parentis remain unchanged.
I will happily bash schools for their stupid actions. But the parents, in many ways, are codependent enablers. They're feeding the beast; if they knew the deal maybe they'd bolt, but there are plentry of parents who sort of don't care because "well, at least the kids are getting socialization" (like the foul-mouthed defendant in a recent SCOTUS ruling...I bet her parents are proud of what they've raised).
And if I'm honest, many teachers go into the system not knowing that they're pawns because even THEY don't have much power to help the kids....that's why so many of them burn out. In turn, there are also plenty of detestable teachers who are totally fine with what's "in style" and THRIVE with their power and protection that comes with the job.
If you want to gut the schools, pull your kids out and either homeschool them or put them in a private school (where, in some way, you may have LESS rights...beware). That will contract the demand for public schools, and it'll be harder to support property tax rates.
Until then, parents are sort of part of the problem.