Homeschool dad: Public funding of private education is harmful to freedom

[For more articles and perspectives on SB 1647 and school choice
this legislative session, click here]

One of the big legislative issues this year is SB 1647, a landmark school choice bill filed by Senate Pro Tem Greg Treat and heavily promoted by several state and national free-market and school choice organizations (including OCPA, who is currently advertising here on my blog).

Seemingly unexpectedly by Treat and allies, the Oklahoma homeschool community is heavily against the measure, arguing that it will lead to future infringements on the unparalled freedom to home educate that we enjoy here in the state of Oklahoma. This opposition could easily have been foreseen, as the homeschool community in Oklahoma has more often had to fight "friendly" legislation aiming to help them than they have had to defend against unfriendly bills.

Here is another op-ed by a homeschool parent giving the homeschool perspective on SB 1647 and similar efforts:

Preserving privately funded education in Oklahoma is vital to education freedom

by Nathan Teague (originally published in The Oklahoma)

We Okies have a strong heritage of working hard, providing for ourselves and minding our own affairs. Freedom, which emanates from doing so, is at risk with the advancement of public funding into the remaining remnants of privately funded education in Oklahoma. Senate Bill (SB) 1647, SB 1509, House Bill 3482, SB 1583, SB 1420, and SB 1135 (current bills I am aware of which advance such) are harmful to all Oklahomans. 

“He who pays the piper, calls the tune” is a fundamental and enduring tenet of life. Control over any of our personal affairs, including education of our children, starts with singular and exclusive reliance on our own financial means for provision of them. 

Once government provides any percentage of financial outlay, it can, and usually does, exercise control of the item or service provided. When it does, it becomes the ultimate control authority. There is no such thing as shared individual — government control. Hence why parents have lost control in the public school system.  

Read the rest of his column here.