Frank Daniels is a retired colonel with the Army Reserve and a Dover resident.
The Opinion, “A $2.5 billion question about Delaware schools,” by Kathleen Rutherford, published Sept. 7, is an excellent synopsis of the terrible state of education in Delaware.
Using a simple cost-to-benefit ratio, spending $2.5 billion to raise the reading proficiency rate from 40% to 53% (which is still horrendous) equates to $192.3 million per percentage increase. Is that the most effective and proficient use of our hard-earned tax dollars?
As the piece states, 36% of our state budget is allocated to the Department of Education, which, in my opinion, is a black hole. The department needs to eliminate all its curriculum programs that promote indoctrination and get back to its primary function: teaching students the basics. Forget the concept of transgenderism and allowing students to identify however they want. Those students belong to their parents, not the Department of Education.
While the Opinion is long and highlights many of the educational problems created by the Democrats who run this state, the best set of paragraphs is in the section titled “Give families more opportunity.”
It is there where Ms. Rutherford highlights the absolute failure of our governor to lead in education reform by not having Delaware already enrolled in the new federal scholarship tax credit program. As a former public school math teacher, Gov. Matt Meyer should know the importance of teaching versus indoctrinating. That said, was he really that effective as a math teacher?
Enrolling Delaware in this federal scholarship program is a no-brainer, as it represents zero — I mean, zero — cost to the taxpayers in Delaware. However, the Trump Derangement Syndrome that is prevalent in this state, to include the governor’s office, has caused our governor to wait and see what might happen in other states.
Thirty of 50 states have already enrolled. So, Gov. Meyer, why wait? It’s time to lead, follow or get the hell out of the way. Forget the “Boss” Tweed machine of New Castle County that runs this state, its Democratic bosses and the state’s teachers unions, and start thinking about improving the education of the children.
As a federal taxpayer, enrolling Delaware in this program allows me and anyone who decides to participate the ability to receive a $1,700 tax credit for “qualifying cash contributions to organizations that provide scholarships for elementary and secondary education expenses.” Those organizations exist in Delaware and would allow any Delawarean participating to use their tax credits. No cost to the state!
It is obvious that continuing along the current path of education in Delaware is not working, and throwing more money into the black pit of our Department of Education is not going to solve the problem. Give the parents of our students, and all taxpayers in Delaware, the opportunity to provide an avenue for our children to attend the schools of their choice. Denying every family the ability to make that choice is truly a crime, especially when there is zero cost to the taxpayers of Delaware.
Our public schools are a disaster and focused on the political choices forced on them by the Department of Education. I reiterate: Give every taxpayer in this state, especially the parents of every student, the opportunity to choose a school of his or her choice with this federal tax credit. Not enrolling Delaware in this program is a slap in the face of every Delawarean who would opt to participate in it.
Reader reactions, pro or con, are welcomed at civiltalk@iniusa.org.
