Education A to Z: I for Is Walmart Anti-Public Education?

by mommytotwo | More from this Blogger

04 Sep 2006 10:24 AM

Following my Education A to Z blog about homework, I want to continue down the alphabet and follow up with the letter I, as in: Is Walmart anti-public education?

To be honest, this wasn't the first topic for the letter I that I had planned on blogging about. I stumbled across this topic as I was doing some research for my original "I" topic, and I found this one much more fascinating.

I was shocked to read some of the following from the NEA (National Education Association) website.

-The Walton family, Walmart founders, give the bulk of their donations for vouchers, tax credits for tuition, and donations to charter schools. They have donated almost 250 million dollars in an almost six year time span to these types of services.

-From 1998 and on Walton Family Foundation gave more than 100 million dollars to places that offer vouchers to private schools, and to associations that don't support public education.

-John Walton donated millions and millions of dollars to the anti-public education movement by giving his money to causes that support anti-public education ballot initiatives, and even sat on the board of an organization that was for vouchers.

What does this mean for public schools? It means that one of the biggest, if not the biggest chain store, doesn't support public schools and the free education they have to offer. It means Sam Walton could have chosen to donate his millions to public schools, schools that need money. He chose not to.

There is much more to the article that I read about Walmart, things not relating to education, that caused me some concern as I was reading.

What do you think about the Walton family giving their money to support anti-public education? While it is their right, their money and they can do whatever they want; do you feel that it sends a negative message about public schools? Do you feel that Walmart is anti-public school? Does it change your mind about shopping there? It makes me think twice, because after all, I was a public school teacher for many years and I will be again soon. Why would I want to shop somewhere that doesn't support something I am so passionate about?

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Brandie (1720) 04 Sep 2006 10:47 PM

If you stop shopping at Walmart for not supporting public education, then you would probably need to stop buying a lot of things. I, for one, refuse to shop at Walmart for many other reasons. This fact would not be added to my list as a reason not to shop there. Many people chose not to utilize public schools - in many areas public schools are failing. Let someone provide money to those who need it and don't want to utilize the public schools. We all have a choice about which school to send (or not send) our students too. So do places who donate have a choice to who they donate too. Why not be grateful they are supporting education in general, even though it's not the public schools, instead of not supporting education in any form at all?

mommytotwo (526) 05 Sep 2006 06:36 AM

That is a good point Brandie! However, those of us who are public school teachers and who will educate our children at public schools probably see things a lot differently than you do. I am all for supporting education, but public education is free to everyone. If more money were given to public schools, then perhaps even those in the greatest need wouldn't feel they need to take their kids elsewhere and scrape up the money somehow to send their kids somewhere other than a public school. More money means better facilities and better pay for teachers, which may entice teachers to stay teaching and entice more teachers into the field.

Brandie (1720) 06 Sep 2006 02:22 PM

Well, schools get more money per child now than at any other time in history. And you know what, US test scores keep dropping. I don't think money is the answer. I think many believe if we just keep giving money and money things will get better, but it won't happen. Some of the most successfull schools (especially in inner cities) do not have that much money. I think money is not the asnwer to helping our schools. It is a much more complicated solution than that. I'm sorry, but on a whole, I do believe in general the current educational system is failing our kids. And it's now starting to be talked about more and more, and which I hope will bring about some changes!

Valorie Delp (49340) 07 Sep 2006 04:36 PM

If monopoly is bad for business--why exactly is it good for education? I agree with Brandi. It's not about the money. Money will not entice new teachers to endure what you have to endure to teach here.