Maintaining Blaine in Dougco schools

When Article IX, Section 7 of the Colorado Constitution — the so-called Blaine Amendment — was enacted in 1876, no one would have thought it would help protect today’s minorities and immigrants. In 2017, Colorado is more diverse than ever: racially, culturally, economically and religiously. Understanding our history as a state and nation is essential to securing the brightest possible future for our children, communities and economic vitality.

History and context matter today. According to the framers of the Colorado and United States constitutions, the concept of free nonsectarian public schools was and is indispensable for the stability of our democracy and was created out of respect for religious diversity of the citizenry. In 1875 under Republican President Ulysses Grant, Congressman James Blaine sponsored an amendment that would require free public schools for all children and barred the use of “any school funds or school taxes for the benefit or aid to any religious sect or denomination.” The amendment passed the House but failed in the Senate. Many who supported the Blaine Amendment believed it would diffuse the conflict between Protestants and Catholics. Others argued that the amendment arose out of the controversy over the government’s role in public education.

Shortly before the 1876 adoption of Article IX Section 7 in Colorado, President Grant advocated for the “security of free thought, free speech, a free press, pure morals, unfettered religious sentiment, and equal rights and privileges to all men irrespective of nationality, color or religion.” He went on to encourage “free schools” and resolved that “neither State nor Nation, nor both combined shall support institutions of learning other than those sufficient to afford to every child growing up in the land the opportunity of a good common school education, unmixed with sectarian, pagan, or atheistical dogmas.”

Of the 37 states that contain an establishment clause in their constitution similar to Colorado’s, 17 were created before the socalled Blaine Amendment existed. It is very likely that Section 7 in the Colorado Constitution was modeled after these 17. Article IX, Section 7 protects the free exercise of religion. It protects the fundamental belief as a nation that state and religion should co-exist, but do so along very different paths. And it protects more than 55 major religions so that we may co-exist in freedom, without government interference, regulation, taxation and control. No aid and establishment clauses like Article IX, Section 7 leave the matter of religion to families, houses of worship, and private schools to be supported by private contributions, keeping church and state separate.

Now is absolutely the time to shine a spotlight on symbols and policies that restrict options for all Colorado students to grow and thrive and to fortify those that expand opportunity. There is no evidence that achievement is higher or gaps reduced when public funds pay for private or religious education services. Not only can private schools and private educational providers choose which students to educate and erect barriers to entry, vouchers, education savings accounts, and so-called Opportunity Scholarship programs in Arizona and Florida that use public dollars to fund religious and private education options are rife with fraud and misuse.

Evidence abounds that all students achieve better in well-funded, integrated public schools. To secure the brightest possible future for all Coloradans we must heed the advice of Thomas Jefferson that our natural rights to the free exercise of religion not conflict with our social duty to educate our children.

The central question of voucher programs like the one in Douglas County is about whether we actively require taxpayer money to fund other people’s religion. Every time this question has been put to voters, it has been soundly defeated. Even surveys within Douglas County show that local citizens do not support vouchers. The only candidates who openly admit they will not support taxpayer dollars going to private schools are Anthony Graziano, Krista Holtzmann, Kevin Leung and Chris Schor. Douglas County residents deserve a school board that reflects local values and priorities.

Ilana Spiegel is education policy director for Taxpayers for Public Education, a Colorado-based non-profit organization.