Helen Thomas: "Bush Uses Hurricane To Sneak In School Program"

[sabra]

http://www.channelcincinnati.com/helenthomas/5012957/detail.html

Bush Uses Hurricane To Sneak In School Program
Ideology Trumps Needs In Devastated Areas

Helen Thomas, Hearst White House columnist

The Bush administration -- a strong promoter of private and religious schools -- wants to make it easier for school children displaced by Hurricane Katrina to attend private schools by pushing its pet voucher program.

The White House is proposing $1.9 billion in federal aid for students from kindergarten through the 12th grade whose schools were devastated by Katrina.

Under the proposal -- which would have to be approved by Congress­ -- the government would provide $7,500 to any displaced family that would prefer to send a child to a private school rather than a public school, even if the student attended a public school before the storm.

The administration has used the hurricane as a golden opportunity to push its ideology and antipathy to government, as symbolized by public schools.

[hiley]

1. Helen Thomas

rocks always

[etherealtruth]

20. Touche`

[ernstbass]

2. This infuriates me!!

[Darth Lib]

5. I have to ask...

And I will probably get flamed for it but here goes:


Why? I like vouchers. The public schools have failed terribly and keep getting worse every year.

Why should people be limited to zero choice when it comes to the most important thing in there lives ( Their kids education ) ?

[Dora]

6. Public schools have not failed, we have failed our schools.

Welcome to DU!!!

If you want schools to improve, then get involved. Run for school board, question administrative decisions, get to know teachers. Lobby for smaller class sizes. Insist schools start teaching instead of non-stop testing. Demand that teachers be paid the wages they deserve. Expect teachers to teach, not babysit.

Vouchers won't do anything to improve public schools. They will only siphon public funds into private pockets - the sole aim of the GOP.

You don't have zero choice. You have the same choices that anybody else has. If you want your child to attend a private school, then you can pay for it with private dollars. If you don't want your child to attend any school at all, then you have the choice to school your child at home.

[SoCalDem]

13. So private schools like Exeter & Andover will accept a $3K voucher

for full payment..to educate junior?? Wow I hadn't heard that:)


maybe not..

but then the store-front Jesus Loves You Academy of Biblical Learning might accept those vouchers:)

[Zenlitened]

18. Bing! That is exactly right.

:thumbsup:

[Dora]

22. I doubt that they'll accept it as "full payment"

But it's a great start on learning how to accrue educational debt!

[VolcanoJen]

14. Incredibly clear, concise post, Dora.

Thank you for that... it makes for a nice talking points memo!

I get so angry every time someone tries to take yet another dollar away from public schools.

[Dora]

24. Thanks.

I'm the progeny of politically awake teachers, and worked in a left-wing educator-support non-profit for several years.

I hate the voucher debate. I hate standardized testing. I hate textbook publishers and nutjobs on school boards.

I guess I should run one of these days.

[stepnw1f]

7. Why is it We Must Keep Abandoning Public Schools?

Sounds like you are part of the problem. And your so called solution is the motive behind it.

[AllegroRondo]

8. If public schools are failing, we need to FIX THEM

rather than give the money to for-profit charter schools or religious institutions.

[sweetladybug]

9. Private Schools can and will discriminate against children READ THIS!

School Expels Girl for Having Gay Parents
http://www.breitbart.com/news/2005/09/23/D8CPU38G8.html

More money should go to public education NOT taken away from public education

[oneighty]

10. Our school has not failed

And it is supported mainly by local property taxes and state funds. Last I heard fed money was the least of it.

OTOH A public school in South Carolina my children went to was almost totally black children BECAUSE the whites formed their very own lilly white school and now they want the government to support their private school with VOUCHERS.

I say bullshit.

180

[GreenPartyVoter]

11. So shore up the public education system. Fund it adequately, for

a start. There is no need to bail on public education. In fact, all education should be publicly funded from cradle to grave (as should health care.)

[karlrschneider]

16. "there lives"?

Hmm.

[jpak]

17. JEB's voucher schools in Pensacola were fantastic

They were firetraps

No buses

No computers

No calculators

No paper or pens or pencils or chalk

No certified teachers

The textbooks were scavenged discards from the local public schools

The food was date-expired canned goods scavenged from local food banks

There was NO fiscal accountability

and there were NO requirements for student testing or scholastic achievement goals

But if you want your kids to grow up with rudimentary math, writing and reading skills - and whole lot of Bible Larnin' - support fucking voucher schools.

What....a....fucking....joke......

[nvliberal]

25. You have the choice to put kids in those joke private schools.

Just don't expect the taxpayers to foot the bill.

The reason the right hates public education so much is because it is one of two ways (the other being unions) people from middle-class or poor backgrounds can attain upward mobility. This undercuts the economic elites' exclusivity.

[melissinha]

3. yup

Progressives see through it...I will NOT CONDONE a policy that diverts funds from public schools to private schools.

[Whoa_Nelly]

4. Yes, Virginia, there is a Sociopath...

Bush & Co.'s utter lack of compassion for the people of our nation shows the intent of sociopathic hatred toward all of us. To abuse those displaced citizens by trying to push through this proposal that has only the most shallow and insincere hallmarks of compassion is a slap in the face to all Americans.

I :mad: Bush!

[mom cat]

12. He is using this tragedy to advance right wing goals-just like he did

after 9-11.

[Zenlitened]

19. Hey, you librulls. Stop politicizing this tragedy!

:sarcasm:

[rodeodance]

15. and my bet is that congress will approve this recklessness!

[rodeodance]

21. why is not congress OUTRAGED about this move! -because many are

just smiling!!--mikey likes it!



....Before Katrina struck, the law was being challenged in court by Texas, Massachusetts and Vermont, which claim that they are not getting enough federal funds to pay for the required testing.

Meantime, we are left with the sad reality that the White House is using the worst storm in U.S. history as an opportunity to push its conservative agenda.(Helen Thomas can be reached at the e-mail address [e-mail]).

[Ladyhawk]

23. If kids attend "Christian" schools, they will be brainwashed

and we'll have even more fundies to fight against years down the line. This is bad, bad, bad. :( :( :( :( :( :(