The Alliance for the Separation of School and State, previously called the "Separation of School and State Alliance" is an American organization that argues that parents are responsible for educating their children, and that education is not a legitimate function of government. One of its early supporters was John Taylor Gatto. It was founded by the late Marshall Fritz, who drew a distinction between "public" and "government-run, tax-funded" schools, giving the example that just as a restaurant is a public place, owned and operated by private individuals, so too could a school be operated by private individuals and available to the public. It has about 26,000 members. The group has a declaration stating "I proclaim publicly that I favor ending government involvement in education." intended