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How to Talk About: Education Freedom

EDUCATION FREEDOM
*PDF Download

Funds students, not systems. Unfortunately, school districts and unions hold all of the power in areas without educat...

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In 60 Seconds: Education Freedom

*In 60 Seconds: Education Freedom
What is Education Freedom?
Education freedom funds students, not systems. Unfortunately, school districts and unions...

Activate your membership to gain access to IWN content!

Unlock members-only content, resources and events by activating your Free Pass or gain access to additional features by selecting a monthly membership package. Join Now Already a member? Login

Template Letter: Refusal to Sign Code of Conduct Email

*PDF Download: Refusal to Sign Code of Conduct Email

In the recent past, the code of conduct issued by your local school district was used to simply state common sense rules. But no longer. 

Now, school districts across the country incorporate political messages into these documents, which are used to indoctrinate students. While simple rules, like “don’t hit each other” and “wear appropriate clothing,” can be found in these codes, they are now often accompanied by other stipulations that violate students’ constitutional rights. 

So-called “equity” initiatives include bias incident reporting systems, penalties for “misgendering” and “deadnaming” students, and include extremely narrow interpretations of what constitutes “hate speech.” 

I  object to these documents being used to  indoctrinate children in taxpayer funded  public schools and therefore refuse to sign this code of conduct.

Here’s the template letter:

Dear [Insert Principal’s Name],

This email is to inform you that we will not be signing the district’s code of conduct because it violates students’ rights.

Mandating preferred pronouns that are contrary to a student’s biological
sex is in violation of the 1st Amendment. Bias incident reporting systems, also detailed in our district’s code of conduct, restrict free speech and are being challenged in courts across the country. Finally, our district’s policy that bathroom and locker room use is based on gender rather than sex is a serious threat to the safety of female students in vulnerable spaces.

Please understand that our refusal to sign this document is a polite request that our school board members review and reconsider the policies that violate student rights and threaten their safety.

Thank you for your time and thoughtful consideration.

Sincerely,

[Your Name]

In 60 Seconds: Earned Leave For New Parents

*PDF Download: In 60 Seconds – Earned Leave for New Parents

We all want American families to have the time and resources they need to welcome a new child. A new federal entitlement program would:

  • Require a new payroll tax,
  • Disrupt existing paid leave arrangements,
  • Leave all workers with less money in their paychecks,
  • Result in fewer job opportunities, particularly for women.

In reality most full-time employees have some paid time off. But this doesn’t mean all families have the time and resources they need when welcoming a child. Those who lack paid leave often end up leaving their jobs and using public assistance.

Here’s the breakdown of earned leave in 60 seconds: 

What’s at Stake:

We all want American families to have the time and resources they need to welcome a new child.

Bad Solution:
A new federal entitlement program would:

  • Require a new payroll tax,
  • Disrupt existing paid leave arrangements,
  • Leave all workers with less money in their paychecks,
  • Result in fewer job opportunities, particularly for women.

In reality most full-time employees have some paid time off. But this doesn’t mean all families have the time and resources they need when welcoming a child. Those who lack paid leave often end up leaving their jobs and using public assistance.

A Better Path Forward: Earned Leave

  • Budget neutral and gender neutral
  • Does not raise taxes or expand government
  • Completely voluntary, doesn’t affect others

Qualifying workers can opt to receive benefit payments following the birth or adoption of a child. Workers’ retirement benefits would then be delayed or they could pay additional taxes to offset the earned leave benefits’ costs.

How This Helps:
All workers decide for themselves when they need benefits most, benefits they’ve earned.

Expands access to leave for those who are most vulnerable today (low-skill, low-wage workers). Family leave is critical because it:

  • Is associated with better health for mothers and babies.
  • Encourages greater involvement of fathers.
  • Encourages workers to return to work rather than leaving work force for government aid.

This is fair to workers who do not want and will not use earned leave benefits. They will not have to pay for someone else’s benefits. Employers would still have an incentive to offer employees paid leave benefits. Instead of making government bigger, this makes it work better.

Addressing Concerns: 

 

In 60 Seconds: The Paid Leave Debate

*PDF Download: In 60 Seconds – The Paid Leave Debate

We all want American families to have the time and resources they need to welcome a new child.

In reality most full-time employees have some paid time off. But this doesn’t mean all families have the time and resources they need when welcoming a child. Those who lack paid leave often end up leaving their jobs and using public assistance.

Here’s the issue of paid leave in 60 seconds:

What’s at Stake

We all want American families to have the time and resources they need to welcome a
new child.

Bad Solution:

A new federal entitlement program would:

  • Require a new payroll tax,
  • Disrupt existing paid leave arrangements,
  • Leave all workers with less money in their paychecks,
  • Result in fewer job opportunities, particularly for women.

In reality most full-time employees have some paid time off. But this doesn’t mean all
families have the time and resources they need when welcoming a child. Those who
lack paid leave often end up leaving their jobs and using public assistance.

A Better Path Forward: Earned Leave

  • Budget neutral and gender neutral
  • Does not raise taxes or expand government
  • Completely voluntary, doesn’t affect others

Qualifying workers can opt to receive benefit payments following the birth or adoption
of a child. Workers’ retirement benefits would then be delayed or they could pay
additional taxes to offset the earned leave benefits’ costs.

How This Helps:
All workers decide for themselves when they need benefits most, benefits they’ve earned.

Expands access to leave for those who are most vulnerable today (low-skill, low-wage
workers). Family leave is critical because it:

  • Is associated with better health for mothers and babies.
  • Encourages greater involvement of fathers.
  • Encourages workers to return to work rather than leaving work force for government aid.

This is fair to workers who do not want and will not use earned leave benefits. They will
not have to pay for someone else’s benefits. Employers would still have an incentive to
offer employees paid leave benefits. Instead of making government bigger, this makes
it work better.

Addressing Misperceptions: 

In 60 Seconds: Child Care

We all want American children to be well cared for and ready for school. But the government should not unfairly subsidize one type of childcare (daycare/preschool) at the expense of all families.

Instead, we should empower all families to make the choices they feel are best for their children.

Here’s the issue of child care in 60 seconds:

What’s at Stake

We all want children well cared for and ready for school. But government shouldn’t favor one arrangement (daycare/preschool) over others. Instead, we should empower all families to make the best choices for their unique situations.

Most parents prefer family or home-based daycare. 

  • Most working mothers would prefer to work less and spend more time with their children. High taxes and living costs make it difficult for families to live on one salary.
  • Between 2005 and 2017, the number of home-based childcare providers fell by about 50 percent

Unfortunately, governments tend to subsidize larger, institutional childcare centers, making it harder for home-based centers to compete, and leaving families with fewer options.

Institutional daycare is parents’ least preferred option.

  • 53 percent of married and 40 percent of single mothers think one parent staying home is best for children.
  • Just 6 percent of parents think a quality daycare center is optimal.

Greater daycare or preschool enrollment does NOT improve outcomes and may cause harm.

  • A federal study of Head Start showed no academic benefits and some emotional harms.
  • While intensive programs can help very at-risk students, there’s no evidence of benefits for the general population.

The Better Way Forward:

Make daycare more affordable.

  • A Mercatus Center study found that low child-staff ratios did not improve the quality of child care, but significantly increased costs.
  • Increasing child-staff ratios by one infant, for example, could “reduce the annual cost of child care by between $850 and $1,890 per child across all states, on average.

Policymakers should support all families.
Rather than increasing subsidies for daycare, policymakers should help all families with young children by reducing tax and regulatory burdens and supporting strong, flexible labor markets so families can make the childcare decision that they feel is best.

Addressing Misperceptions