Seriously, this verbiage has lost any impact it ever had. Now there’s a “war on education.” Apparently, it consists of politicians and members of the public who want kids to actually receive an education.

Columnist Tara Trower Doolittle warns about this latest war in the Austin American-Statesman. She claims “public education in general is under siege on a number of fronts.”

But it’s Austin ISD trustee Robert Schneider who makes the stronger claim.

“A war exists today on public education in Texas and across much of the nation,” he writes in that newspaper. “State legislators, and even some recent federal lawmakers, tout reform education agendas such as vouchers, opportunity school districts and parent triggers as solutions to perceived problems of ‘failing schools’ and low student achievement. It is not uncommon to hear questions related to students who are supposedly ‘trapped’ in ‘failing schools’ without any definition of a ‘failing school’ or the existing mechanisms on how students may leave a school that meets either the state or federal definition of a failing school.”

Now, the odd quotation marks around the words “failing schools” and even the word “trapped” are called “scare quotes.” They’re often used to set apart a word or phrase to bring its legitimacy into question, without going to the bother of actually questioning anything.

Are there “failing schools”? Are some children “trapped” in them? Ask the parents who have testified during this legislation Session, begging for relief.

The real point here is that questions about a system that is obviously and provably failing many of our students isn’t a “war on education.” That kind of verbiage merely distracts from real discussion.

What we should be discussing is how to provide the best education to all of our children. As this newspaper has said repeatedly, a quality education is a civil right.

Does that mean school vouchers? It may.

Economist Arthur Laffer studied one of the voucher proposals in the Legislature. Sen. Donna Campbell’s Taxpayer Savings Grants could have a significant impact on both education and the economy.

Her bill would establish Taxpayer Savings Grants that parents could use to send their children to the school of their choice. Under the bill, a portion of what the public school district would have spent educating a child would instead follow that child to the school the parent chooses including private and parochial schools. That portion would be 60 percent of the district s maintenance and operations budget for that child. The remaining 40 percent would go back to the state.

“All of the other funds would stay with the school,” Sen. Campbell said.

Laffer’s study says that the Taxpayer Savings Grant program could cut dropout rates in half.

“We have a moral obligation to ensure every child has access to educational opportunities,” Sen. Campbell said.

But even if the Legislature passes on school choice this session, the point remains — seeking the best education possible for Texas children isn’t a “war on education.”

We all have the same goal here — a brighter future for our kids.