[SecAmndmt]

I didn’t miss the point, but I think you did. Nothing I do can change government schools into institutions which provide a Christian education.

Regardless of what the Founders believed about public schooling, they clearly didn’t envision the federal government being involved.

My understanding is that the early promoters of publicly funded and controlled education wanted to re-engineer society away from Christianity and family, to a society in which citizens gave their allegiance to the State. That has been going on for close to 200 years and it has been very successful.

[GeronL]

Well, they had public funds (such as it was) spent on schools way back in the 1660’s colonies, albeit irregularly (here and there, for a year here and sometimes not after) and not in any coordinated manner. No, they weren’t anything like they are now and the government did not try to dictate all kinds of insane schemes.

[verga]

My understanding is that the early promoters of publicly funded and controlled education wanted to re-engineer society away from Christianity and family, to a society in which citizens gave their allegiance to the State. That has been going on for close to 200 years and it has been very successful.

Google "founding fathers public education"