Real public schools are supposed (if the teachers are allowed to do their job) to teach children to grow up as individuals that are lifelong learners and avid readers — that think for themselves.
But publicly funded, private sector charter/voucher schools that are imbued with the ideas of right-wing Christian nationalism (mostly MAGA) do NOT teach children to think critically, do NOT teach children to think for themselves, do NOT teach children to challenge what they are told or taught by asking questions.
These right-wing fundamentalist MAGA schools program children from the start to all think alike, to grow up as one more brick in the wall of MAGA extremism.
Governor Greg Abbott of Texas likes to say that he supports vouchers because he wants “education, not indoctrination.” This is hilarious because most vouchers are used for religious schools, whose purpose is indoctrination. They certainly do not teach students to think critically, as that might refute their mission.
Tom Ultican read the recent report by the Network for Public Education about the growth of faith-infused charter schools. The report is called “A Sharp Right Turn.” If you want your child to learn critical thinking, these schools would be the wrong choice. Critical thinking means that you are encouraged to question what you are taught.
Ultican writes:
Carol Burris and team at Network for Public Education (NPE) just published, “A Sharp Turn Right” (STR). NPE President Diane Ravitch noted there are several problems associated with charter schools’ profiteering, high closure rates, no accountability…
“This new report, A Sharp Turn…
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Crazy Normal - the Classroom Exposé 
Susan Schwartz
July 3, 2023 at 13:41
Exactly!
I couldn’t teach today.
I was celebrated for my ability to enable and facilitating Critical Thinking.
I would be unable to choose my curriculum materials.
Lloyd Lofthouse
July 3, 2023 at 17:06
Murphy started teaching in 1989, right out of college. His first classroom was across from mine. A few years later he left that district for another one but we kept in touch. Last time we emailed each other, he said each year is worse than the last one. Now, all the challenges and problems we had back in the 1990s seems small in comparison – a conventional war vs a nuclear war.
I retired at 60 with 30 years of teaching. He recently finished his 34th year and he thinks he might not e able to retire on what that many years in teaching is worth according to the CalSTRS calculator. I keep telling him that if he stays in, the stress might kill him before he can enjoy his CalSTRS earned retirement. He and his wife worry that the enemies of public education will bankrupt that retirement system and it won’t be able to meet its obligations.
The Kock, Walton, Gates, ALEC libertarian-fascist, MAGA war against public education never lets up and just gets worse each year. After Moscow Mitch stole the U.S. Supreme court for THEM, now they have that in their pocket doing their bidden to subvert the United States Constitution and destroy this republic.