AP: Republicans unveil school voucher plan

[Eugene]

Posted on Tue, Jul. 18, 2006

Republicans unveil school voucher plan

BEN FELLER
Associated Press

WASHINGTON - Congressional Republicans on Tuesday proposed a $100 million plan
to let poor children leave struggling schools and attend private schools at
public expense.

The voucher idea is one in a series of social conservative issues meant to energize
the Republican base as midterm elections approach. In announcing their bills, House
and Senate sponsors acknowledged that Congress likely won't even vote on the
legislation this year.

Still, the move signals a significant education fight to come. GOP lawmakers plan
to try to work their voucher plan into the No Child Left Behind law when it is
updated in 2007.

<snip>

The Bush administration requested the school-choice plan, but Tuesday's media event
caused some awkwardness for the Education Department. The agency just released
a study that raises questions about whether private schools offer any advantage
over public ones.

<snip>

Full article: http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/news/politics/15066856.htm

[C_U_L8R]

1. Will Republicans stop wasting time and money

on these bullshit bills and get back to work !!

I so can't wait for election day to FIRE these assholes

[bluestateguy]

2. I consider myself a supporter of private school education

And if parents want to send their children to private schools, I say great. I encourage them to find a way to pay for it on their own, without taxpayer support.

[InternalDialogue]

7. I'm with you.

Why do Republicans scream "Bootstraps! Bootstraps!" when someone needs public aid just to feed their kids, but when it comes to private education, they're more than willing to go on the public dole?

Vouchers: not enough money for truly poor kids to go to private school, but rebate coupons for rich kids already there. It's just another transfer of public money into private hands.

[RummyTheDummy]

18. Because public schools don't jam religion down their throats

Many private schools do. What better way to create future evangelical loons (repug voters) than to get a hold of them early in their formative years.

[Threedifferentones]

23. Unfortunately this tiny little fact never seems to get mentioned

in the discussions I see on TV about vouchers. I'll bet most people think "great, I'll be able to send my kids to private school." Then the law passes and they still can't afford to send their kids to private schools.

[Dora]

3. The War on Public Education Continues.

The madness must end.

[Judi Lynn]

4. Republican claims of wanting to help poor people fly in the face

of the record of all their legislation. Republicans loathe poor people, and have absolutely no interest in alleviating their suffering.

If they really want to help poor people, they would pursue universal health care, and they'd surely stop destroying what still remains of social programs.

[seafan]

5. Jeb Bush is pushing this behind the scenes, you can bet.

We just went through this in Florida, and Jeb's legislature revolted against him. Jeb's pet legislation to experiment with our kids' education went down to a flaming defeat. And he is punishing those of his party who *betrayed his legacy.*

Just ask Florida Senator Alex Villalobos, (R) of Miami.

[denverbill]

6. No private school should be eligible to receive this money, unless..

they are also subjected to the provision of NCLB. Unless there is objective proof that a private school performs better than a public school, no way should it get tax dollars.

[Ilsa]

25. And IDEA.

If they are going to destroy public education, they need to make provisions for children with disabilities.

[LiberalVoice]

8. So instead of fixing our public schools...

...we'll PAY YOU to go to a private Christian school. :puke:

[sinkingfeeling]

9. Guess that's when I stop paying taxes and leave the USA. I will

not pay for others' children to attend private schools.

[UrbScotty]

10. Remember: Michigan and California said NO to vouchers in 2000 (nt)

[UCLA Dem]

11. Yes! Lets send kids to schools with no oversight with public money!!

[LastLiberal in PalmSprings]

15. And teachers with no certification

and in many cases no requirement that they even have a college degree.

[underpants]

12. "... likely won't even vote on the legislation this year"

:rofl: :spray: :o

[donco6]

13. Talk about shi**y timing.

Besides the fact that WWIII is crashing in on us, that last section talks about the study that was just released that shows very little difference - measure for measure - in public school perf. v. private school perf. THIS is going to rally their base? Good luck with that.

[toopers]

14. Does anyone here think that parents should have the option . . .

to send their children to better schools?

[wickerwoman]

19. Absolutely.

That's why we should lavish money on the public education system. No parent should have to send their kid to a bad school.

And if those massively funded public schools still aren't good enough for some parents, they have the option, as they have now, of finding the money to send their kid to private school.

[bluestateguy]

22. Of course

I myself attended another public school outside of my neighborhood zone because it was the better school. I think public school choice should be allowed, and of course if parents want to send their kids to a private school, great! Go ahead and send them. I won't stop them. Just don't demand that my taxes pay for it.

[Dkoi]

16. I like the thought process behind it, but...

I don't think it would work well once put into motion. Similar to Communism, it's great on paper, but in practice, it blows.

[truthisfreedom]

17. and of course, this will completely invigorate their base.

not.

[tanyev]

20. Again? I thought this idea had finally ,quietly died.

[stepnw1f]

21. Force People to Pay for Education

but keep taxing them the same amount, if not more so they pay double what they used to. That's all this is.

[HockeyMom]

24. Will only pay for PAROCHIAL SCHOOLS,

Elementary Schools that is. "Christian" HS where I live is around $6,000 a year per kid. Private schools? Joking right? Girl across the street from us went to a private non sectarian school 5 years ago. The maximum was 15 students per class. It was $27,000 a year.

Who are these people kidding?