Say Anything Blog

...the NEA, whose actual power over the public classroom is grossly exaggerated.

It’s the teacher and his attitude. Most of them assuage their union attitudes with the BS they get from the NEA. This union attitude affects everything, right on down to the classroom.

It’s the snake wrapped around the American school system. The snake is inextricably attached to whole of the school experience.

Good post, pparets.

One more thing, “By Their Fruits You Shall Know Them: The Private School Myth”:

Private schools consistently outscore and outproduce government schools.

Government school test scores have dropped like a stone in the past few decades.

By their fruits you shall know them, indeed.

No myth.

Likwidshoe:  This post is about the false notion that private schools produce conservatives and public schools produce liberals.

Perhaps we can save the test-score issue for another time, since public school test scores - except in the inner city - have steadily risen over the last ten years.

"Here lies, in honored glory, an American soldier, known but to God.”

The stakes are high. Whether the issue is the economy, or energy, or the federal courts or national security, the right answers are coming not from the Democrats, but from the Republicans. The surge of operations that began a year ago is succeeding. The only way to lose this fight is to quit. Richard M. Cheney, Vice President, 30 May, 2008

Do you really think it’s fair to compare what happened in Ronald Reagan’s public school and what’s happening today.

He should have graduated in 1929 or so.

What’s going to happen to US industry when the global warming extremists like John McCain double the price of electricity?  I would think all these factories will close and set up in countries where they aren’t scared of technology.

Whistler:  Then should we look at FDR’s education at Croton-On-Hudson?

Reagan frequently praised his pubic high school edcuation.

Or did you just want to quibble?

"Here lies, in honored glory, an American soldier, known but to God.”

The stakes are high. Whether the issue is the economy, or energy, or the federal courts or national security, the right answers are coming not from the Democrats, but from the Republicans. The surge of operations that began a year ago is succeeding. The only way to lose this fight is to quit. Richard M. Cheney, Vice President, 30 May, 2008

pparets - Likwidshoe:  This post is about the false notion that private schools produce conservatives and public schools produce liberals.

I’ve never heard that.

I wouldn’t doubt if it is generally true, though. Private schools produce pupils who are smarter.

likwidshoe: 

I’ve never heard that.

Not surprising.  You seem ill-informed on so many issues.

"Here lies, in honored glory, an American soldier, known but to God.”

The stakes are high. Whether the issue is the economy, or energy, or the federal courts or national security, the right answers are coming not from the Democrats, but from the Republicans. The surge of operations that began a year ago is succeeding. The only way to lose this fight is to quit. Richard M. Cheney, Vice President, 30 May, 2008

Do you really think it’s fair to compare what happened in Ronald Reagan’s public school and what’s happening today.

I agree. Sometimes it’s difficult to discuss the problems of public schooling with older Americans, because they relate back to their own experience, which wasn’t nearly as bad as what transpires today.

A troll is someone who only wants to stir up trouble, not have an honest debate.  Some signs that a poster is a troll:
* Dodges questions from other posters * Refuses to give sources
* When one of its arguments is shown to be false, either ignores the proof or moves the goalposts.  Heh. (From the LGF faq)

Thanks for that pparets.

You’re always a class act.

A fanatic is someone who doesn’t know who his friends are. Keep that in mind as you rail against those who have less than savory things to say about McCain at a time when he’s our best option. Just as they don’t recognize there, you don’t recognize here.

Good day, sir.

One more thing - when you first got here pparets, you labeled me a liberal. It’s not as if you were labeling me a classic liberal. You had meant a leftist liberal.

I’ve taken your criticisms with a grain of sand ever since.

Proof:  Couldn’t agree with you more. However, the experiences of our seasoned citizens simply do not relate to what is transpiring today in virtually every facet of our culture: Schools, television, movies, music, politics, race, patriotism, youth, divorce, predators, the environment, foreign affairs, sex, drugs and so much more.

The Greatest Generation has literally seen the world they built turned upside down.  Who can blame them? 

BTW:  The NEA celebrated it’s 100th Birthday in 1957!

"Here lies, in honored glory, an American soldier, known but to God.”

The stakes are high. Whether the issue is the economy, or energy, or the federal courts or national security, the right answers are coming not from the Democrats, but from the Republicans. The surge of operations that began a year ago is succeeding. The only way to lose this fight is to quit. Richard M. Cheney, Vice President, 30 May, 2008

Likwidshoe:  This post is about the false notion that private schools produce conservatives and public schools produce liberals.

I know of no such “notion”, so I think you have a straw man here, pp.  The reality is that the inferior education in the govt schools provides a fertile environment for becoming a leftie, due to ignorance of basic stuff, like economics and American History and American Govt.  Ignorant and poorly-educated people are much easier to manipulate with propaganda, and the govt school graduate is much more vulnerable to the crap that issues from the MSM than is someone who can make intelligent choices based on facts and logic.
It’s also true that govt schools are much more likely to teach PC than private schools, along with radical environmentalism, which now includes the so-called “global warming” mythology.
The conservative graduates of govt schools you list graduated decades ago, when the leftie influence in govt schools was less than today.
Case not made, IMO.

If you don’t know by now, don’t mess with it.

Likwidshoe: If I have offended you, I apologize. When I referred to you as a liberal, I meant that in the classic sense, not as a leftist, and I find many of your comments challenging and informative, in spite of my cheap-shot above.

As I said to you earlier, my post is about the myth that private schools produce conservatives. You chose to move the discussion to other unrelated issues. 

“Railing” against anyone for any reason isn’t my style. I do respond when I think that comments about McCain [and he does have his faults] are over the top.

"Here lies, in honored glory, an American soldier, known but to God.”

The stakes are high. Whether the issue is the economy, or energy, or the federal courts or national security, the right answers are coming not from the Democrats, but from the Republicans. The surge of operations that began a year ago is succeeding. The only way to lose this fight is to quit. Richard M. Cheney, Vice President, 30 May, 2008

robert108:  Like I said, “You can draw your own conclusion”.  But, the facts are the facts.

"Here lies, in honored glory, an American soldier, known but to God.”

The stakes are high. Whether the issue is the economy, or energy, or the federal courts or national security, the right answers are coming not from the Democrats, but from the Republicans. The surge of operations that began a year ago is succeeding. The only way to lose this fight is to quit. Richard M. Cheney, Vice President, 30 May, 2008

I’m not really sure what this proves.  I think most conservatives don’t so much harbor an antipathy toward public schools in and of themselves but rather toward public schools as an educational monopoly.

What we need is not for all schools to be privatized, but rather for citizens to be empowered to have a choice in where they wend their children regardless of their personal income.

If we had school choice I would probably send my daughters to the exact same public schools I went to (pending review of current teachers/administration) because I hold those schools in high regard.

I could probably come up with a list of conservatives who went to private school, and liberals who went to public school, just as long as yours pparets.  But really, public vs. private (or even public and private vs. home schooling) isn’t what this debate is about.

It’s about every parent making that decision for themselves.

When the people fear their government, there is tyranny; when the government fears the people, there is liberty.

-- Thomas Jefferson

Rob’s recently listened-to songs:

But, the facts are the facts.

Two things: You have presented only the facts that agree with your premise; and you claim a cause and effect relationship without demonstrating one.
If you want to prove a case by inductive reasoning, which you are attempting to do here, you need to present all the evidence, then posit a cause and effect relationship based on weight of evidence.  To do that, you would have to present a much larger number of graduates than you have, and the sample would have to be randomly drawn, which is something you obviously haven’t done here.
How many private school graduates are now conservative?  You didn’t present that information.  How many govt school graduates are now lefties?  You don’t present that information, either.  Percentages might be informative, rather than cherry-picking individuals.

If you don’t know by now, don’t mess with it.

Rob:  Much of what you say is true.  However, frequently used terms like ‘government schools’ and ‘public school monopoly’ blur the fact that public school districts enjoy limited soveignty and are governed by locally elected school boards, regulated by State Departments of Education and funded by local taxes and the state.

In spite of his intentions when he established the Department of Education as a sop to the NEA, Jimmy Carter was unable [thanks to the constitution] to estabish federal control of our public schools. Federal education grants with strings attached are available, but states can choose to take or not take them.  Sadly, most do.

School Choice is an excellent tool for parents and students.  No Child Left behind is not.

"Here lies, in honored glory, an American soldier, known but to God.”

The stakes are high. Whether the issue is the economy, or energy, or the federal courts or national security, the right answers are coming not from the Democrats, but from the Republicans. The surge of operations that began a year ago is succeeding. The only way to lose this fight is to quit. Richard M. Cheney, Vice President, 30 May, 2008

As I said to you earlier, my post is about the myth that private schools produce conservatives.

Once again, I’m unfamiliar with any such “myth”; but even more relevant, conservatism would have any school produce well-educated students.  The concept of using schools as indoctrination centers to produce students of any particular political persuasion is inimical to conservative principles.  We leave that to the lefties.  Conservatives believe we have the facts on our side, and an open mind that has the ability to think clearly will naturally choose conservative principles, since they are consonant with the higher principles of human endeavor.  Lefties use propaganda and censorship; we use a broad spectrum education.  Big difference.

If you don’t know by now, don’t mess with it.

robert108:  In the interest of time [mine] I simply listed a number of liberals and conservatives whose names would be well known to the majority of bloggers at SAB.

My effort here was to respond to a blogger on another thread who opined that liberals come from public schools and conservatives come from private schools. Obviously, my list challenges that notion.

My post was never intended as a commentary on the quality of public or private schools.

"Here lies, in honored glory, an American soldier, known but to God.”

The stakes are high. Whether the issue is the economy, or energy, or the federal courts or national security, the right answers are coming not from the Democrats, but from the Republicans. The surge of operations that began a year ago is succeeding. The only way to lose this fight is to quit. Richard M. Cheney, Vice President, 30 May, 2008

However, frequently used terms like ‘government schools’ and ‘public school monopoly’ blur the fact that public school districts enjoy limited soveignty and are governed by locally elected school boards, regulated by State Departments of Education and
funded by local taxes and the state.

The govt schools suck up all the money through confiscation(taxation), thus limiting the ability of many parents to pay for a private school for their children.  Yes, it’s not a legal monopoly, but it’s close to a virtual one.

My effort here was to respond to a blogger on another thread who opined that liberals come from public schools and conservatives come from private schools.

That guy was obviously wrong.

If you don’t know by now, don’t mess with it.

robert108:

That guy was obviously wrong.

Let me also point out that, with few exceptions, public schools are the only governmental units in which the taxpayer can vote on whether to fund or increase funds through referendums or millages.  Thus, public schools can only tax the public to the extent that the public approves the taxation.

"Here lies, in honored glory, an American soldier, known but to God.”

The stakes are high. Whether the issue is the economy, or energy, or the federal courts or national security, the right answers are coming not from the Democrats, but from the Republicans. The surge of operations that began a year ago is succeeding. The only way to lose this fight is to quit. Richard M. Cheney, Vice President, 30 May, 2008

Thus, public schools can only tax the public to the extent that the public approves the taxation.

That’s the theory, but in practice, the individual citizen has little say on the amount of taxation levied.  The faction that controls the public dialogue about school spending has the real power.

If you don’t know by now, don’t mess with it.

pparets - ...move the discussion to other unrelated issues.

As someone who believes that the NEA has a big influence in the classroom, I was adding to this:

...the NEA, whose actual power over the public classroom is grossly exaggerated.

“Grossly exaggerated” is undefined, so there was no issue with that. It very well may be on certain aspects. For instance, exaggerations to the contrary, they don’t set the agenda as much as they influence.

I was speaking as someone who was last in an NEA classroom ten years ago this June and as someone who was politically aware twelve years ago.

I remember my Spanish teacher’s comments.
I remember my algebra and calculus teachers’ views.
I remember my drafting teacher who often reeked of weed.
I remember my art teacher who was openly disgusted at the decay, but was powerless to stop it. He retired after a long career that year.
I remember my that the computer and various “social studies” teachers did not care.

I remember that all of the dumb classes usually had the hack teachers. Read: general classes.

Not that ours were much better.

I remember respecting my english teacher.
I recently found out that she joined up with the teachers who now regularly imbibe.

They are all union leftists in a heavily Democrat area. Their system, at a supposedly “good” public school with a nice class curriculum and an above average graduation rate; taking all of the “smart” classes with a four year full schedule, quite frankly - sucked ass.

The American public school education system was a joke.

There were good teachers in the mix whom I will remember and respect for the rest of my life. But they were in the far minority.

Everyone else was a union hack who enthusiastically supported the NEA union mentality. All of the associated union disorders were predominately in the picture.

It happens to all government programs. Disorder is the natural order of the day.

robert108: 

...has the real power…

Not sure exactly what you are referring to here, but when the voters are in the booth, informed or uninformed, looking at YES or NO, they have the power.

"Here lies, in honored glory, an American soldier, known but to God.”

The stakes are high. Whether the issue is the economy, or energy, or the federal courts or national security, the right answers are coming not from the Democrats, but from the Republicans. The surge of operations that began a year ago is succeeding. The only way to lose this fight is to quit. Richard M. Cheney, Vice President, 30 May, 2008

Whistler....

Reagan frequently praised his pubic high school edcuation.

Or did you just want to quibble?

Pointing out that a public school education in 1929 is different from today, 80 years later is quibbling?

You can’t be serious. 

Do you not realize that three generation of change has happened and not for the better?

What’s going to happen to US industry when the global warming extremists like John McCain double the price of electricity?  I would think all these factories will close and set up in countries where they aren’t scared of technology.

Whistler:  Then should we look at FDR’s education at Croton-On-Hudson?

Roosevelt would have graduated about 110 years ago.

Furthermore it’s just plain faulty thinking to categorize private schools from any era.  You’re always going to have different schools with different philosophies.

The problem with public schools is that they are by and large ruled with one monolithic ideology.

Pretty much faulty thinking all around on this one PP.

What’s going to happen to US industry when the global warming extremists like John McCain double the price of electricity?  I would think all these factories will close and set up in countries where they aren’t scared of technology.

Not sure exactly what you are referring to here, but when the voters are in the booth, informed or uninformed, looking at YES or NO, they have the
power.

Since you didn’t get it the first time, I’ll simplify it for you: Those who control the public dialogue on school spending call the tune.  It is true that in recent years, their message of unrestrained school spending is becoming more difficult to sell, but they keep trying.

If you don’t know by now, don’t mess with it.

Whistler:  The NEA celebrated it’s 100th Anniversary in 1957.  And you and I both know [not by being there, of course] that liberalism began it’s slow but steady spread in this country right after WW I.

I simply responded to an earlier blogger who claimed that public school produce liberals by putting together a list of recognizable liberals and conservatives and the schools which they attended.

I’m not sure what the disagreement is here?

"Here lies, in honored glory, an American soldier, known but to God.”

The stakes are high. Whether the issue is the economy, or energy, or the federal courts or national security, the right answers are coming not from the Democrats, but from the Republicans. The surge of operations that began a year ago is succeeding. The only way to lose this fight is to quit. Richard M. Cheney, Vice President, 30 May, 2008

I also disagree with the basic premise of this thread that an obviously wrong statement by some bloggers constitutes a “myth”.

If you don’t know by now, don’t mess with it.

The NEA is, IMO, the defacto head of the Federal Department of Education, every state department of education and they are able to dictate much about the curriculum of every public school in this nation.

That means, by the power of the numbers of their members, their ability to sway members and other liberals to embrace their liberal agenda, to get them to vote for selfish reasons for liberal legislators and NEA minded demand liberal jurists, that organization has virtual dictatorial power over the hearts and minds of our children; that is, except those wise parents that sacrifice to homeschool or send their children to private schools.

We the people are forced to pay to give more and more power to the NEA and to get less and less educational value for the huge amounts of money the schools waste of liberal social programs.

No matter the age or state of health, for a military man it is always glorious to tilt at windmills, rescue a fair Dulcinea and be a gallant knight in armor in a glorious cause.

robert108:

Since you didn’t get it the first time

There you go again with your ego-driven retorts.  Definitely not your most endearing quality.
Can’t you just leave that kind of crap out of your posts?

Why do you think I said

voters are in the booth, informed or uninformed

"Here lies, in honored glory, an American soldier, known but to God.”

The stakes are high. Whether the issue is the economy, or energy, or the federal courts or national security, the right answers are coming not from the Democrats, but from the Republicans. The surge of operations that began a year ago is succeeding. The only way to lose this fight is to quit. Richard M. Cheney, Vice President, 30 May, 2008

Can’t you just leave that kind of crap out of your posts?

I stated a simple fact: You didn’t get it the first time, even though I explained it clearly.  That’s not my fault, and your “shoot the messenger” response shows your weakness.

If you don’t know by now, don’t mess with it.

I’m not sure what the disagreement is here?

1.  A stupid statement by a few blogger isn’t a “myth”, which you earlier claimed was your reason for the post.

2. You minimized both the influence of the NEA and the leftie need for ever increasing expenditures on their programs.

3. Your list of facts was insufficient to prove your original point.

If you don’t know by now, don’t mess with it.

I’m not sure why everyone here has come to challenge so staunchly a different suggestion of our normal ‘perception’ of public/private schools here at

SAY ANYTHING

Obviously, it’s a two-way street.  Public schools produce both left and right, Private schools produce both left and right.

But I think Pparet’s point was that there is a trend in private schools that produce elitist liberals and public schools that produce more practical men.

It is of my opinion that public schools have a more traditional philosophy, a more republican attitude even.  The necessity of the Hobbe’s social contract is obviously apparent in High Schools.  The need to fight for yourself, to gain grounds on your own personal merit, that everyone is equal, and that what you possess may mean everything in one group of people, but nothing in another.

Sure R108, public schools are privy to ill-informed people who become liberals by default.

But in private schools, for instance, there is no necessity to have ‘locks’ on your lockers.  Everyone can afford what you already have; a sort of environment that produces frivolous, green, socialist minds among people who are ranked with money--and being plugged in.

It is too small, and has no resemblance to the real world--does anyone see the correlation here between Obama and a private school?

Private school kids are sheltered, and when questioned on the poor, look to their rich moralities and society, and see no reason for the social contract of laws.  Why? because in their world everything is fine.  That paves the road to a supercillious elitism.

This post is about the false notion that private schools produce conservatives and public schools produce liberals.

pp, what is missing in your post is where the people picked up their ideology.  I think it is very simplistic to say that they got all of it from their respective schools.  I think that most people start their lives with liberal ideologies.  Those that turn to conservativism are those that recognize that liberal utopias are empty promises.  Those that remain liberals are either in denial or unable to comprehend.

The Supreme Court is a bunch of black robed tyrants

dirl: You apparently think all private schools are wealthy, live-in institutions for wealthy, privileged kids; nothing could be farther from the truth.  Most private schools are in neighborhoods, and were founded to give average kids access to a better education than is provided by the “free” govt schools.
I also got a good laugh out of your claim that wealth leads to liberalism:

Everyone can afford what you already have; a sort of environment that produces frivolous, green, socialist minds among people who are ranked with money--and being plugged in.

Most lefties claim exactly the opposite.

If you don’t know by now, don’t mess with it.

You mean to say that most lefties claim the opposite: that because they’re rich they want to help the poor?  Precisely my point--they want via socialism and socialist ideology.

And socialism is frivolous.

Wealthy republicans are more often made wealthy on their own accord, and understand the value of competition.

In a public school, you have a football team of people of different types, different thoughts and opinions, who are most likely to disagree with each other.
In a private school, with good coaches, and a team who is not different and not brought up in a different, even poor, environment will not disagree as much.

I think the value of competiton is moulding a team of unity out of people with differences, than a team who are of the same mind.

The former is the ideology of the framers.

They want to help via socialism...*

ou mean to say that most lefties claim the opposite: that because they’re rich they want to help the poor?

No, I don’t mean to say anything of the kind.  Most lefties put out the propaganda that a life of wealth and privilege is destructive, and that the only use of rich people is to pay for their useless social programs.  They blame “the rich” for everything, so your assertion that rich, elitist private schools are breeding grounds for socialism is just too funny.

If you don’t know by now, don’t mess with it.

I think the value of competiton is moulding a team of unity out of people with differences, than a team who are of the same mind.

I can tell you have never been on a winning football team, if you have ever even played football.  The essence of a good football team is that disparate individuals come together to accomplish a common goal: victory in the game.  They compete against other teams, not against each other.

That was not only the ideal of the Framers, but it also describes the way the United States was formed.
Despite their disparate backgrounds and values, they all valued individual independence as a principle, and worked together as a team to accomplish that.

If you don’t know by now, don’t mess with it.

The essence of a good football team is that disparate individuals come together to accomplish a common goal: victory in the game.

That was my point.  You missed it.

You missed a lot more than that too.  See if you can find it.  You have never changed your mind or your steadfast egotism once on SAB, don’t know why you would now.

Sorry, but I’m done.

The essence of a good football team is that disparate individuals come together to accomplish a common goal: victory in the game.

That was my point.  You missed it.

You missed a lot more than that too.  See if you can find it.  You have never changed your mind or your steadfast egotism once on SAB, don’t know why you would now.

Sorry, but I’m done.

Sorry, but I’m done.

Snipe and run; very good.  /sarcasm

Seriously, if you have anything substantive about what you think I missed, please explain.  Just making a weak personal attack and running isn’t very impressive.

If you don’t know by now, don’t mess with it.

I built my bridge, you have to do your part.

Search for what you missed on your own.  I’ve tried.  And from your record, trying much more is a waste of time.

That’s all I have to say.  Therefore, I’m done.

My point being, you have to build your bridge to meet mine. It’s out there waiting for you.

I built my bridge, you have to do your part.

You think your personal attacks on this thread, as well as the other one, is “bridge building”?

You claimed I missed something; the burden of proof is on the accuser.  I think you are avoiding explaining yourself because you popped off emotionally, and now realize you have nothing with which to back it up.

I’m listening, but I’m not hearing anything but hostile bullshit.

If you don’t know by now, don’t mess with it.

My point being, you have to build your bridge to meet mine. It’s out there waiting for you.

dirl: I have obviously wounded your ego by disagreeing with you logically and factually.  You, on the other hand, have made an unproven accusation against me(several, in fact).  I’m just asking you to furnish some facts/logic to back up your accusations.
If you are unable to do that, I understand.

If you don’t know by now, don’t mess with it.

robert108:  Like I said, “You can draw your own conclusion”.  But, the facts are the facts.

You posted a rather small list of liberals and the secondary schools they went to, and called CASE CLOSED.

No school bias has been proved, and indeed, no evidence has even been presented. Just a loose correlation.

Why are Pelosi and Co liberals? Is it a result of their secondary schooling? Doubtful. It’s more likely that such bias came from either family life, college, or a desire for power.

This was a rather lackluster post PP.

It is of my opinion that public schools have a more traditional philosophy, a more republican attitude even.  The necessity of the Hobbe’s social contract is obviously apparent in High Schools.  The need to fight for yourself, to gain grounds on your own personal merit, that everyone is equal, and that what you possess may mean everything in one group of people, but nothing in another.

The public schools are based on Socialism. If the students fail, the standards are lowered...no effort is made to raise the students. The original puspose of the schools (as stated by Dewey) was to brainwash the students.

Private schools are usually religious in nature, and feel the need to teach morals as well as knowledge. Parents are more involved. And an emphasis is put on student achievement, not attendance. If there is failure, the teachers can face reprimands...parents certainly aren’t expected to shovel MORE money in.

Or in other words, the private schools look nothing like you claim.

Kenny:  Good that you drew your own conclusion.

However, we now know that that not all conservatives come from private schools, nor do all liberals come from public ones.

Nothing more than that. Nothing complicated.

"Here lies, in honored glory, an American soldier, known but to God.”

The stakes are high. Whether the issue is the economy, or energy, or the federal courts or national security, the right answers are coming not from the Democrats, but from the Republicans. The surge of operations that began a year ago is succeeding. The only way to lose this fight is to quit. Richard M. Cheney, Vice President, 30 May, 2008

However, we now know that that not all conservatives come from private schools, nor do all liberals come from public ones.
Nothing more than that. Nothing complicated.

No one ever thought otherwize.

You however have claimed that this proves that private high schools are more liberally biased than public ones. And it doesn’t.

The old saying “correlation does not equal causation” holds ESPECIALLY true here.

However, we now know that that not all conservatives come from private schools, nor do all liberals come from public ones.

Revelation of the day!

What’s going to happen to US industry when the global warming extremists like John McCain double the price of electricity?  I would think all these factories will close and set up in countries where they aren’t scared of technology.

Moreover PP,

I didn’t just say I disagreed (though thanks for teh condescending remarks), I listed serious problems with your thesis:

1. You yourself admit you’re too lazy to check and see which private schools have liberal bias. So you point out that these schools have produced liberals. If I go back and find two prominent conservatives who went to these schools, does it by proxy become conservative because 2>1? Of course not. It matters what’s taught, not what the students eventually become.

(BTW, Reagan was a one time liberal Democrat. Since his conversion to conservatism came later...wouldn’t his schooling reflect the liberalism more?)

2. Private schools are overwhelmingly religious. And your list seems to be near exclusively Catholic. Are we to believe that these Catholic schools are teaching these kids that God is evil, homosexuality is to be celebrated, marriage to be done away with, abortion to be state funded, laws to be flaunted, murderers to be worshiped, etc, etc, etc? That’s a stretch.

3. Why high schools? Grade schools and preschools deal with children in their most formative years. Colleges deal with those who are looking for what they believe in. What makes high school more important than either of those?

4. How do we know it wasn’t family life or post school life that shaped their worldview?

5. Many liberals have adopted their positions out of political expediancy. Every prominent liberal today (minus Obama) was arguing we needed to invade Iraq before Bush ever took office. Once he did, they turned on him. Clinton, Pelosi, Gore, Jackson, etc were pro-life before running for Democratic office. Needing the pro-abortion vote, they turned 180.

6. John Dewey, founder of the public schools wanted the schools to brainwash kids into socialism. This influence is still felt today.

7. The NEA is highly influencial in schools. It is impossible to get a teacher fired (even for a crime) without having to fight the NEA every step of the way.

These are all major problems with your theory (number 7 especially as you said teh NEA was minimal). But instead of address them you shrug and say “others disagree”. How about you actually address some of those and we can have a more honest debate about this eh?

Couple of quick thoughts:

1.  You can get a list correlating 10 people of any political persuasion to anything if you cherry-pick the results.  A good study would be to take the educational careers of all of Congress and compare Democrats vs. Republicans--and even do a regression with the ratings of certain liberal/conservative groups.

2.  Part of what pparets is noting is the tendency of Catholics to associate with the Democratic party, and Catholic schools are historically a huge part of private education--as Protestant religious education was featured in public schools until about WWII in most areas.

Some conservatives from private high schools: Hugh Hewitt, Michelle Malkin, Rick Santorum, George H.W. Bush, Clarence Thomas.  Again, you can cherry pick just about anything.