Diego Rivera: TUSD botches, nixes worthy economics class

The class — titled Philosophy 101: Ethics, Economy and Entrepreneurship — was designed in conjunction with the University of Arizona’s Center for the Philosophy of Freedom, also known as the Freedom Center. It was formulated to educate students on a myriad of economic concepts, such as micro- and macro-economic theory, business ethics, finance and innovation. Students who completed the course, which is presumed to cover the same material with the same rigor as the college version, were given the opportunity to earn three college credits for Philosophy 101 at a discounted price.

On Dec. 12, TUSD’s Governing Board nixed the class.

So what exactly happened that produced such profound and overemotional controversy? The answer is three-fold. One, the class was never approved to be taught in the district. Two, the course textbook is believed to be unbalanced. And three, the Freedom Center — which, again, helped compose the course — receives funding from Charles Koch, the billionaire libertarian who donates to a number of Republican candidates.

The crucial fact that needs to be established here is that this course was never funded by Koch, but instead through a $2.9 million grant from the John Templeton Foundation. Koch merely donates to the Freedom Center as he does to other academic organizations that help promote classical principles.

The first two topics are the only issues that TUSD should concern itself with. If it wishes to abandon the course because of a botched rollout, then that is a reasonable conviction. The Amphitheater, Sahuarita and Vail school districts, however, along with some private and charter schools, already offer the exact same course with the exact same textbook to their students, and have seen neither problems nor controversies.

If this is the case, then TUSD should have no problem formally approving the course in order to offer its high school students a collegiate-level experience. Unless, of course, the class is merely being renounced by the district because of the Freedom Center’s unreasonably hyperbolized connection to Koch.

Among the critics’ chief objections to the class is that students are being exposed to right-wing, free-market propaganda, sponsored by a billionaire who wishes to indoctrinate children and produce a new generation of free-market ideologues who will loosen regulations and lower taxes.

To which I respond: When did the principle of free markets and low taxes become something to vilify? Since when did the notion that people should be allowed to buy and sell whatever they please without government intervention become a detriment? And when did the idea that people ought to keep more of their money become something to impugn? All in all, what exactly is the great sin here?

The only wrongdoing being committed here is depriving TUSD students of a class that will unequivocally provide them with an immense amount of utility for both their academic and personal futures.

What ought to be analyzed here are the outputs being yielded by the course, not Koch’s connection to the Freedom Center, because as it turns out, there are many philanthropical political figures who donate millions of dollars to academic institutions. Among them are people like George Soros, the Democratic billionaire who funds left-wing politicians and organizations.

The point is this: TUSD has the full capacity to now vet this course and endow its students with a noteworthy and comprehensively rigorous program . The other Tucson school districts have already recognized this fact, and now it is time for TUSD to do the same.