Fighting for the Future of Public Education
After 32 years in public education, I've seen the best of what our schools can offer—and I've watched as powerful interests work to dismantle them from the outside in.
I write to sound the alarm. To help bus drivers, custodians, cafeteria workers, teachers, and administrators understand that when "the money follows the child," it doesn't just disappear—it leaves behind real people and real consequences.
My mission is simple: Increase advocacy for public education by telling the truth about what vouchers, privatization, and "school choice" really mean for our communities. Because if we don't protect the fixed costs of our schools, there won't be a public school left to run.
Exposing how "school choice" drains resources from public schools while leaving the most vulnerable students behind.
Fighting for the bus drivers, custodians, and cafeteria workers who make schools run—and who are first on the chopping block.
Empowering educators and community members to speak up, show up, and protect public education.
They tell us the money "follows the child." It sounds fair, right? If a student leaves for a private microschool or uses a voucher for home study, the money just moves with them. No harm, no foul.
But that's a lie. And it's a lie that every bus driver, custodian, cafeteria worker, and principal sees through every single day.
Here's the reality: You can't drive 90% of a bus. If five students on your morning route take a voucher and leave the district, that bus still has to run. It still needs a driver. It still needs insurance, maintenance, and a tank full of diesel. The cost to run that route didn't drop by a penny, but the district just lost thousands of dollars that used to pay for it.
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Email: sallierburch@gmail.com
Substack: sallieburch.substack.com
Every email matters. Every voice counts. Let's protect public education together.