The False Dichotomy Embedded in NC Education Discourse
The fallacy of false dichotomy is committed when the arguer claims that her/his conclusion is one of only two options, when in fact there are other possibilities. The arguer then goes on to show that the only other option is clearly outrageous, and so her/his preferred conclusion must be embraced.
How this works in practice:
EX 1) Either you let your child attend a private charter school, or they will be forced to attend the failing public schools. I know you don’t want your child to attend a failing public school, so you should use the voucher program and let them attend a charter school.
Or…
EX 2) Either you want your child to be successful at a private charter school, or you want them to fail in the current public school system. You don’t want your child to fail in life, so you better send them to a private charter school.
We do have another option don’t we?
The educational choice NC has is not limited to only charter schools or failing public education institutions. The reality is that as more money is removed from public education via the charter school voucher program, NC public education will decline further. This decline will further the failed school talking point. Keeping public tax dollars funding public school is essential to dismantling the logical fallacy being perpetrated on NC’s parents.
If provided the chance, how would you reinvigorate public schools in NC?
This post was inspired by the following info graphic.
Slightly Shumay 