Bush Proposes Vouchers for All Displaced Students

[Rose Siding]

Under President Bush's plan to cover most of the cost of educating students displaced by Hurricane Katrina, parents could enroll their children in a private or religious school this year at federal expense, even if they had gone to public schools back home, administration officials said yesterday.

In proposing $1.9 billion in aid for kindergartners through 12th-graders whose schools were ruined by the storm, Education Secretary Margaret Spellings originally said the administration was setting aside $488 million for private-school tuition and other help, to re-create as normal an environment as possible for the uncommonly large segment of children from New Orleans who had attended Catholic schools.

Yesterday, however, as new fine print of the proposal emerged, White House and Education Department spokesmen confirmed that the government payment -- as much as $7,500 per child -- would be given for a year to any displaced family that now prefers an alternative to public schools. "Parents may choose to send children to private schools. They may not. But this is their choice," said Susan Aspey, the Education Department's spokeswoman.
.....
"It makes it even worse," Paul Houston, executive director of the American Association of School Administrators, said of the idea that all displaced families could obtain money for private schools. "It is really a tone-deaf response to the crisis. It is a real grab to get an ideological position across that they haven't been able to achieve under normal circumstances."

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/09/19/AR2005091901428.html

[flamingyouth]

1. "A tone-deaf response to the crisis."

Really, did we expect any more from this administration? :grr:

[Kool Kitty]

2. I agree with Mr. Houston.

They are gonna get those voucher programs through, come hell or high water. (Which is exactly what happened in New Orleans.)

[rodeodance]

3. this is so so blantanly WRONG. How will it be stopped?

[bluestateguy]

4. Shouldn't state government's do voucher programs?

I'm mostly opposed to private school vouchers--unless they come with a shitload of government regulations and rules--but seeing as how 93% of public school funding comes from state and local governments, shouldn't that be where vouchers come from?

[moobu2]

5. It’s backdoor payola for Christian institutions.

[saigon68]

6. Various collared clerics to take youths under their wing

Can't wait to see the fundy's line up WITH DRIPPING SNOUTS to receive their govt funding at the PUBLIC TROUGH

[Bridget Burke]

7. Some religious schools in Houston already have Louisiana students.

Mostly Catholic, from parochial schools to the prestigious Strake Jesuit. And they're hiring evacuee teachers, too. They don't need no stinking vouchers.

A Jewish school in the city has done the same.

But most of the kids are in public schools.

[Catfight]

8. They just keep recycling the same dumb ideas that don't work. nt

[rocktivity]

9. Why stop with SCHOOL vouchers?

Give parents retail vouchers so they can "send their kids" to Bloomingdale's instead Wal-Mart. Give them restaurant vouchers so they can eat at the 21 Club instead of McDonald's. Give them housing vouchers so they can live in condos and gated communities instead of slums and trailer parks!

Our public school system is not without problems. But draining money out of it isn't the solution.


rocknation

[LizMoonstar]

10. damn, and i was all excited when I saw the headline -

I thought he was helping colleges take in displaced college students. (I'm really proud of my school - they're taking some students from the area on for free. we're a small private liberal arts school, so i'm glad someone put up the money.)

[melissinha]

11. Mr Houston said it right

"It is a real grab to get an ideological position across that they haven't been able to achieve under normal circumstances."

Same tactic whether its school vouchers, reconstruction efforts.... capitalizing on catastrophes to do something they wanted to do all along.....

If I understand it correctly.. this is pre-katrina.... you can see the government allocating a certain amount of funds per student per year... say $1000. I read this in the paper some 3 years ago. As far as I understand that amount is already allocated to public schools for each student, but the government says it will provide a voucher for that amount as if it were free on behalf of the student to a private school. Never mind that the public school loses that badly needed allocation for the students that take on the voucher system. As usual its about taking away public programs (schools can be included) and apply it to private organizations... like private schools..... sound familiar.... they want to privatize EVERYTHING!

he's a real giver all right, just diverting $$$ that would go to New Orleans schools to the scattered schools taking them in.... its all just all accounting.

[San Cocho]

12. I really don't have a problem with this

no doubt some kids were already attending private schools along the Gulf Coast anyway.

also, they are giving out housing vouchers aren't they??

[melissinha]

13. the way we see it is

There's a voucher for housing.... separate thing.

But this is a back door way to issue in the previous voucher scam.

I don't see a need for a "voucher" when it comes to publicly funded services. What the government needs to do is account for the additional students in the new districts and provide assistance based on the increased numbers. Sure theres a lot of red tape, but no sense doling out vouchers for this too

[goclark]

14. Goodbye public schools! Bush has worked

to destroy public education.

What a mess he weaves on behalf of the "Lord."