The story of Britney Spears’ conservatorship has gotten a lot of attention. But, sadly, there are many more stories of conservatorship/guardianship that have gone wrong. As several investigations have pointed out, these legal and binding relationships are too often abusive. Today we’ll share a little background on conservatorship and then dive into how this power dynamic relates to school systems.
First, conservatorship or guardianship means that the legal system has determined an adult is so ill (mentally or physically) that someone else must be put in place to manage their affairs. Most people are more familiar with this concept at the end of life. But for many Americans in this situation, they are very much alive and are likely to become healthy again.
As described by a BuzzFeed investigation, “[Those under guardianship] can lose their rights to vote, marry, start a family, decide where they live, consent to medical treatment, spend their money, seek employment, or own property.” And while some circumstances could merit this, for others, there is a dangerous power imbalance. A person whom a court decides requires a guardian, but who can’t hire representation to argue for the guardian’s removal, leaves room for significant power abuse.
What’s even more concerning is the prevalence of this system. The same investigation notes that, “Thousands of professional guardians, lawyers, and corporations are in control of assets totaling tens of billions of dollars, and these professional guardians often have hundreds of people under their ‘protection.’”
There is another system that controls $734.2 billion dollars at the federal level and more at the state level, the American education system. That amounts to $14,848 per pupil, but this money is, of course, controlled by education bureaucrats who are also paid out of the sum. Are you already seeing the similar power dynamics yet? Although public school systems are supposed to manage the system for the benefit of students, many students in public schools face the same conflict-of-interest that pervades the guardianship industry.
Enrollment, grants, budgets, salaries - these financial pieces of education can be determined by enrollment in an assigned school system. Bureaucrats reap financial rewards from a system that too-often holds families hostage. Families who can’t afford to move or pay for a private school have no choice but to attend the school they are assigned. They must attend even when the school assignment benefits the system more than the child, and even if the child’s welfare is not considered at all. Take these stories (here and here), for example, where the school systems keep moving failing students through the system but they seem completely unconcerned that students aren’t actually learning.
With the futures of children at stake, the money used to educate a student should not be held in guardianship by government bureaucrats. It should be controlled by the student and the student’s family. A system built on government guardianships is always going to be full of abusive relationships. Allow families to opt out of their assigned school. #FreeAllTheBritneys.