I draw a big distinction between K-12 and secondary institutions.
Clearly, I'm just not sure you're correct to do so.
First off, the NEA has no influence in community colleges. That’s a big one.
That's so untrue, it boggles my mind. Virtually every state has an NEA arm that is heavily involved in the community colleges. Heck, Iowa's NEA arm is right now trumpeting
the big funding increase they got for community colleges
Second, they charge tuition to students.
I'm not sure why that matters. So far, it hasn't stopped the left-wing loons from taking their toll on community, state and private colleges. Also - I'm currently paying tuition for public school, so does that exonerate it in your mind? Didn't think so.
Third, they are not mandatory.
What distinction were you making? My mandatory taxes help fund the community college, my mandatory taxes help fund the public school. However, attending the public school is not mandatory. I can choose to homeschool my kids, send them to private school, send them to the local public school, or pay more to send them to a different public school.
If you called your child’s school a “community school”, I would still ask - why should I pay for your child’s education?
Ah...now we're getting into familiar territory. I'm not convinced that you should.
You said you pay for them to attend a different school, do you pay the full cost of their attendance there?
It's costly (before the discount for my wife working there), but I'll bet it's still shy of what the tax money would be. Neither do I get a refund of the tax money I've paid that supports the in-zone school.
If your beef is the educational malaise that has resulted from squandering of taxpayer money on large numbers of NEA-indoctrinated government schools, I'm with you. If you're going to argue specifics over why I've made a poor choice for my kids putting them in the specific school they are in - you proceed at your own risk, because you really don't know that many specifics about me, my kids, or the school in question. If you think your generalized understanding is enough, then good luck.
Nope, I argue the general - in general, government schools are a really lousy source for education - and take every parent’s claim that their kid’s school si the exception at face value. After all, I don’t know you or your school, so unless I think you’re a liar or an idiot, I really have to accept your claims.
I have a beef with the schools taking my tax money, when I don’t, never have, and never will use them. I also have a beef with the government requiring that I pay for them and that any child who cannot afford an alternative use them.
Community colleges also should not be supported by taxpayer money but at least people are not forced to go to them or be arrested. I think it’s a shame that the NEA is trying to dabble but at least for now they are a good choice. So many teachers at the community college are actual professionals in the communities, the idiocy can only go so far.
Anyway, I never said you made a poor choice for your children. Just that government schools are in gneral a poor choice. Glad you’ve found one you like.