An open letter to Kitty Boitnott & the VEA
Dear Ms. Boitnott,
We recently came across your blog entry, in which you wrote:
There are those who would misrepresent or mis-characterize or take our comments out of context for their own political aims, however. And while they think they are clever in their derision, they just strike me as unable to debate the merits of the issue every time they feel the need to criticize me personally or the VEA in general.
You went on to add:
What I find unfortunate is that the folks who disagree with us on these and similar issues can’t seem to separate the issues from personalities. Please, let us debate the merits and demerits of the issue of charter schools, pay for performance, vouchers and tax credits. But can’t we do it without the negative tone of implied derision and open disrespect that comes with name calling and the deliberate mis-characterization and misinterpretation of positions?
Whatever happened to the process of civil public discourse?
I think we as adults set a terrible example for our children when we engage in disrespectful public debate. We know better. We should do better.
As you reference the August 21st article from the Richmond Times Dispatch editorial pages, we are led to believe you are referring, at least in part, to the article written by Mr. Barton Hinkle, that examines the efforts by Delegate Chris Saxman and the organization he founded, School Choice Virginia, to give parents greater access to educational choices in the Commonwealth.
What shocks us in your blog entry is that you yourself make the call for civil public discourse. We could not agree with you more in that regard, which is why we wonder why you yourself made the accusation in an article for The New Dominion Magazine that school choice efforts were based in bigotry. (Your quote: “All of this stuff about, We need vouchers so we can send our kids other places, we need to provide choices, we need charter schools, all of it is simply an attempt to get away from the responsibility of providing a public education, which is what this country has been founded on. This really frustrates me, and I really believe there is an underlying bigotry at the bottom of it all that nobody wants to address.”)
That to us seems to be shirking from a debate about the issues in a civil and respectable fashion. Rather than debate on the issues, it is you yourself who stoops to open disrespect by implying that those of us fighting to give children a chance and parents a choice are no more than bigots wanting to pick who our children play with on the playground.
We have consistently provided evidence for how educational choice improves education- for all students- including those in public schools. We have shown the positive results for choice programs in other states. We have also shown how school choice will effectively save the Commonwealth money- money that could be re-invested in public schools- if you are able to make your case for that.
We welcome you to the discussion about truly reforming education in our Commonwealth, and we would welcome some civil public discourse on the topic without the negative tones. Unfortunately your words on your blog ring hollow when compared to your other public statements on the issue.
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