Government Schools Are Bad for Your Kids is a devastating critique of K-12 government schools and an urgent plea for parents to withdraw their kids for their own good and the good of the nation. For over fifty years, the schools have been the subject of harsh criticism from the left and the right. Yet, all reform efforts have failed since the special interests have blocked various school choice proposals. After too many decades of failed promises, it is time to declare America's experiment in government schools a failure. It is time to pull the plug.
Government Schools Are Bad for Your Kids
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Ostrowski highlights many . . . faults of modern-day government schooling. Ostrowski spends the majority of the book detailing the numerous problems facing government schools such as crime, ( There are daily reports of violent crimes in the government schools, by students and teachers as well, and no doubt many more petty offenses go unreported because bureaucrats like to fudge statistics. ), sex ( many government schools are turning into fornicatoriums featuring more and more sex, and less and less education ), drugs ( schools are the key distribution point for illegal drugs in many communities ), plus the spread of illnesses and widespread use of psychotropic drugs to medicate children into subjugation. His criticisms are not only limited to those areas, as he continues to build a strong case that government schools are far beyond the point of repair. Overall, the book is an impressive effort which aims to strike a devastating blow at the indoctrination centers Ostrowski refers to as government schools. In order to accomplish this, parents must first free their children from the government education system. As we have seen by the homeschooling revolution which has surged in recent years, it appears that many Americans are already taking this path. Hopefully this trend will continue to the point that Ostrowski s vision becomes a reality. --The New American (Patrick Krey)
About the Author
James Ostrowski is a trial and appellate lawyer and libertarian writer from Buffalo, New York. He graduated from St. Joseph's Collegiate Institute in 1975 and obtained a degree in philosophy from the State University of New York at Buffalo in 1980. He graduated from Brooklyn Law School in 1983. In law school, he was writing assistant to Dean David G. Trager, now a federal judge in the Eastern District of New York. He was a member of the Moot Court Honor Society and the International Law Moot Court Team. He served as vice-chairman of the law reform committee of the New York County Lawyers Association (1986-88) and wrote two widely quoted reports critical of the law enforcement approach to the drug problem. New York Newsday described his report on drug-related AIDS as "superb." He was chair of the human rights committee of the Erie County Bar Association (1997-1999). He has written a number of scholarly articles on the law on subjects ranging from drug policy to the commerce clause of the Constitution. He has written several bar association reports and given continuing legal education lectures on habeas corpus, lawsuits against government officials and jury nullification. His articles have appeared in the Wall Street Journal, Buffalo News, Cleveland Plain Dealer and Legislative Gazette. His policy studies have been published by the Hoover Institution at Stanford University, the Ludwig von Mises Institute in Auburn, Alabama, and the Cato Institute in Washington, D. C. His articles have been used as course materials at numerous colleges and universities including Brown, Rutgers and Stanford. Presently he is an Adjunct Scholar at the Ludwig von Mises Institute and a columnist for one of the largest political websites in the world, LewRockwell.com. He is editor of the blog, PoliticalClassDismissed.com. He and his wife Amy live in North Buffalo with their two children.
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16 of 16 people found the following review helpful
By Andrew Rule
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
"Government Schools are Bad for Your Kids" is an excellent first book to present to those who have woken up to the fact that something is wrong with America, but can't put their finger on it. It is a great book to hand to parents to encourage them to think about the education they 'purchase' for their children.
The book is relatively short, quick to read and to the point. It reads like a consumer guide for parents deciding on where to send their kids to be instructed. One choice of which (which this book is focused on) is government schools, which every parent should evaluate as a price vs. benefit purchase, as any other item in life: housing, food, clothing, etc.
Although government schooling is 'free', or rather everyone is forced to pay for it anyway, whether he likes it or not, the benefits at this price are not desirable as Ostrowski points out. He encourages parents to 'shop around' and compare what other options are, despite having to pay for it on top of the mandatory government school tax, to see what is most beneficial to their families. He makes the case that in the long run, other than government schooling is cheaper with better results.
Although I found the book did not have much new to say to convince me, it will not be shocking to those who still support or are concerned with government schools. If fact, that seems to be the point: to not overly alarm the reader. Also, the book doesn't really give a whole lot of esoteric knowledge. Most of what Ostrowski says everyone knows about anyway, but nobody acknowledges it, especially not the bureaucrats. His service is he points out the obvious facts and backs them up with lesser known facts, quotations and data.
Who should get this book: people who recently got involved with the Tea Party Movement, 9/12ers, Ron Paul supporters, libertarians who have friends of child bearing age to hand a short book to them, etc. This is especially a must for homeschoolers who still have un-supporting or critical family members or friends, to help explain their decisions.
If you are for encouraging the educational free market, and want to help communicate that to your family, friends and acquaintances, this book is a good tool for you.
The book is relatively short, quick to read and to the point. It reads like a consumer guide for parents deciding on where to send their kids to be instructed. One choice of which (which this book is focused on) is government schools, which every parent should evaluate as a price vs. benefit purchase, as any other item in life: housing, food, clothing, etc.
Although government schooling is 'free', or rather everyone is forced to pay for it anyway, whether he likes it or not, the benefits at this price are not desirable as Ostrowski points out. He encourages parents to 'shop around' and compare what other options are, despite having to pay for it on top of the mandatory government school tax, to see what is most beneficial to their families. He makes the case that in the long run, other than government schooling is cheaper with better results.
Although I found the book did not have much new to say to convince me, it will not be shocking to those who still support or are concerned with government schools. If fact, that seems to be the point: to not overly alarm the reader. Also, the book doesn't really give a whole lot of esoteric knowledge. Most of what Ostrowski says everyone knows about anyway, but nobody acknowledges it, especially not the bureaucrats. His service is he points out the obvious facts and backs them up with lesser known facts, quotations and data.
Who should get this book: people who recently got involved with the Tea Party Movement, 9/12ers, Ron Paul supporters, libertarians who have friends of child bearing age to hand a short book to them, etc. This is especially a must for homeschoolers who still have un-supporting or critical family members or friends, to help explain their decisions.
If you are for encouraging the educational free market, and want to help communicate that to your family, friends and acquaintances, this book is a good tool for you.
12 of 12 people found the following review helpful
By C. Mazur
Format:Paperback
If you're wondering how health care will look under increased government control, look no further than our schools (and this book).
The result of public control is a mediocre product that people tolerate because it's "free", and because most can't afford the better option (since so much of their money-- taxes--- is already going to pay for the "free" option).
Those who can afford it often escape the inferior product by paying additionally for a better one. A private one. So they pay twice; mandated taxes for the lesser, then additional money for the one the really want.
The result of public control is a mediocre product that people tolerate because it's "free", and because most can't afford the better option (since so much of their money-- taxes--- is already going to pay for the "free" option).
Those who can afford it often escape the inferior product by paying additionally for a better one. A private one. So they pay twice; mandated taxes for the lesser, then additional money for the one the really want.
12 of 12 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
This book is a must read for all parents with school age children. Children deserve the best education possible. Parents owe it to themselves, and their children, to not take education for granted and to evaluate all of the options available. The advice in this book can literally change lives. It is the perfect Christmas gift for parents.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
Excellent Synthesis of the Problems of Our Day
To include schooling, our modernist materialist dependent society, the decay of the family, our out of control government - it's all here. Read more
Published 20 months ago by Ann Asher
1.0 out of 5 stars
Meah. Actually, Meah squared.
Though I have many libertarian sympathies, this is far from a legitimate and unbiased evaluation of the public schools (or private ones for that matter). Read more
Published on March 7, 2011 by A center libertarian
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