- Joined
- Jun 18, 2018
- Messages
- 79,283
- Reaction score
- 83,760
- Gender
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- Political Leaning
- Progressive
"Last week, Pasco County Schools in suburban Tampa held a public reconsideration hearing on its use of right-wing, evangelical personal finance pundit Dave Ramsey’s religiously inspired and sometimes factually challenged textbook in the school’s financial literacy classes. Florida high school students are required to take such a course before graduating. The district moved to use the book earlier this year, after Florida’s Board of Education put it on its list of approved materials.
...he tells teenagers they “don’t need a credit score” because “debt-free people don’t need a credit score!” (Good luck getting your own lease on an apartment without one.) He advises against student loans, telling teens and their parents to save up money and apply for scholarships. (Reality check: More than half of 2023 college graduates took out a student loan.) Car leases and loans are a no-no for Ramsey, too — which sounds good till you remember how poor public transit is in much of the United States, and that in many places people can’t work if they don’t own a car. ...Then there is the religious angle. Ramsey’s budgeting advice begins with telling students “giving is your first priority in your budget” and instructing them to give away 10 percent of their income — which sounds suspiciously like tithing. Proverbs from the Bible are sprinkled throughout the text.
Ramsey has no education credentials and no significant professional financial training. He is simply someone who merged evangelical teachings with his own personal finance and political beliefs and became a star."
A parent opposed to this book being used in their child's class should simply complain that it makes their child feel ashamed based on their race (white kids have a terrific advantage over blacks when it comes to financial security.)
Beyond that, students don't need financial literacy classes. They just need more money. Studies show they don't remember much of what is taught in these classes, and when families have more money, they save more money.
...he tells teenagers they “don’t need a credit score” because “debt-free people don’t need a credit score!” (Good luck getting your own lease on an apartment without one.) He advises against student loans, telling teens and their parents to save up money and apply for scholarships. (Reality check: More than half of 2023 college graduates took out a student loan.) Car leases and loans are a no-no for Ramsey, too — which sounds good till you remember how poor public transit is in much of the United States, and that in many places people can’t work if they don’t own a car. ...Then there is the religious angle. Ramsey’s budgeting advice begins with telling students “giving is your first priority in your budget” and instructing them to give away 10 percent of their income — which sounds suspiciously like tithing. Proverbs from the Bible are sprinkled throughout the text.
Ramsey has no education credentials and no significant professional financial training. He is simply someone who merged evangelical teachings with his own personal finance and political beliefs and became a star."
A parent opposed to this book being used in their child's class should simply complain that it makes their child feel ashamed based on their race (white kids have a terrific advantage over blacks when it comes to financial security.)
Beyond that, students don't need financial literacy classes. They just need more money. Studies show they don't remember much of what is taught in these classes, and when families have more money, they save more money.
