Public schools would suffer from false promise of vouchers

[proud2BlibKansan]

Public schools would suffer from false promise of vouchers

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Taking another angle at this issue, one may ask, what's the problem with vouchers? Voucher schools don't have to let anyone in their doors. The CEO and staff can pick and choose whomever they want to attend. Voucher schools don't have to show the public how well their students are performing. And I can assure you, when the potion of NCLB does what it's designed to do, private schools funded by tax dollars will not have to abide by the same unattainable regulations as the public schools are required to play by.

They don't and won't have to give standardized tests, like the ones Congress and the president just required for every child, grades three through eight, in every public school. And don't forget that by 2014 our federal law requires that ALL public school children must be reading, writing and doing math at or above the "proficient" level (which in some states like Missouri equates to "above grade level") regardless of what language they speak or what disability they have.

And you'll seldom see a voucher school's board meeting on the local cable channel, because voucher schools don't have to abide by the open meetings law. All their decisions can be kept secret. I know, I used to work for private schools in the past. I didn't believe in vouchers then, nor do I now, mostly because I love this country of ours and because vouchers are bad for America!

"Momentum is on our side," said Rep. Howard McKeon, R-California, the chairman of the House Education Committee that is pushing for the implementation of vouchers. Let us in Missouri be among those Americans who take an active approach to reversing any momentum behind the ongoing attempt to privatize American's public schools.

Don't believe all you hear about how terrible public schools are. And beware of those who would seek to dismantle public schools and turn over your tax dollars to people who want that money, even if they don't want every child.


Stephen Kleinsmith is the superintendent of schools for the Nixa R-II School District.

http://www.news-leader.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060730/OPINIONS/607300387/1006

[Dinger]

1. Exactly How I Feel On The Issue K & R

Thank you so much for posting. I'm sure there are excellent private schools out there, but for me to ever accept a comparison to public schools, they have to meet the same standards, period. I teach in a public school, but I'll be goddamned if I'll ever send a child of mine to a school that cannot prove results. Thank you so muc for posting proud2Blib! :hug:

P.S. Thanks again. It's nice to see a post that doesn't bash public schools for a change.

[proud2BlibKansan]

5. You are welcome

I also teach in a public school. And I attended 12+ years of private school. My father spent 40 years teaching in private schools. So I have truly seen both sides of this coin.

I don't want to argue public vs private because I feel both serve a need. I also feel that both have strengths and weaknesses.

What I find interesting is that the private school teachers and administrators I know have never supported vouchers. They also support public schools and most are in favor of their tax dollars supporting public schools. But most do not want any tax dollars supporting their private schools, in spite of the benefits. They see govt intrusion in the long run and many teachers in private schools left public school positions to escape the lack of personal control over their teaching.

The pro voucher crowd is made up of greedy parents who want a tax break. They are shamefully claiming that low income kids will benefit from vouchers when this is blatantly false. We absolutely MUST speak out against vouchers, as they definitely will destroy public education. And a vibrant public school system is vital to a vibrant healthy community.

[Nickster]

2. I hope people catch on to this scam. Vouchers are terrible and it's

yet another way to divert tax dollars to private companies. It allows the private schools to hire non-union teachers, so there goes yet another union. It mandates that students get stuck with private tutoring at companies that are not held accountable for teaching standards and can charge whatever they like for their services. Ultimately, this all leads to a very poor public school system with kids getting worse education and being trained to be worker bees, while tax dollars get siphoned off to subsidize the private education of the wealthy kids who will go on to be the next corporate leaders. Ain't the culture war grand?

[FUGW]

3. I heard a sick SOB say he thinks universal pre-school is a plot

by the left to get small children away from their parents so they can be turned into liberals. These stinking authoritarians must be stopped before they turn this country into Saudi Arabia.

[proud2BlibKansan]

6. Some of their kids do need to be unindoctrinated

Teaching a young child to hate is far worse than turning him into a liberal, IMO.

[pinto]

4. kick

[proud2BlibKansan]

7. Thanks pinto!

[MichiganVote]

8. Vouchers do not only hurt public schools. Allow me to explain...

Unknown to most Americans, public school systems are required by law to provide special education evaluation services to private schools. Since the Federal government does not fully fund special education services in the public school system, what do you suppose the result will be on private schools that rely on what scant services will be left in public school systems? That's right, about nil. Children with suspected special needs who attend private schools on a voucher basis may get plenty of religion but its doubtful they'll read the Bible any better in a private institution than they do in a public one. If they are accepted in a private institution that is.

Also unknown to many Americans is the fact that Federal and State governments allow school systems to essentially "make up" for these government fund shortfalls by permitting the public school systems to apply for payment from Medicaid for professional evaluation services.(Psychologist, Social Work, Speech Therapists, Special Ed. Teachers, etc) This means that the private schools benefit from (a. public funds for education (b. public funds for education evaluation
(c. public funds for professional services billed to Medicaid. (d. public funds for specialized services and (e. public funds for any form of special education teaching, Resource Rooms etc.

If you as a parent want to recieve vouchers for your child's private education, you are essentially the beneficiary of whatever the going state allotment is per student. That means that citizens who are permitted this option potentially can receive up to as much as $10,000. per year, per child.
If you don't have children, are single or are a senior citizen, you are denied a similar compensatory amount. 4 children= as high as $40K a year. Like that math? Well consider this, the chances of private schools raising their tuition if vouchers are passed is a guarantee.

Vouchers do not enhance schools, Vouchers do not enhance education. Vouchers DO give to private school parents a substantial advantage over public school parents.....at our expense and without accountablity standards.

[proud2BlibKansan]

10. They are doing away with that medicaid funding

The repukelicans figured that one out a few years ago and are abolishing that source of funds. Damn bastards.

[MichiganVote]

14. No word of that in my area

[proud2BlibKansan]

18. It is probably just in MO

The pukes in MO don't believe in taking care of poor people.

[MichiganVote]

20. If DeVos wins in Nov. its all going to be downhill for Ed. and Medicaid

[Davis_X_Machina]

9. Any voucher plan...

...that doesn't provide transportation is a scam.

Look around at all those buses in the morning -- hopefully you're not passing them, right?

How many of them are provided by private schools?

If you can't get to a school, it might as well not exist.

The advocates of vouchers conjure up this image of hungry minority kids storming the gates of Choate-Rosemary Hall, or New Trier H.S., shouting 'teach me!'.

It isn't even the local Catholic school they're trying to subsidize -- many of them have closed.

The non-Christian private schools here would need between one and four additional vouchers in the amounts usually thrown around in order to be feasible financially for a lower-middle class family.

In all but the largest metropolitan areas, the 'competition' is the local Christian academy -- in many Southern states, one founded in order to maintain segregation after Brown
Out in the suburbs, where most of us live, this is simply a plan to subsidize the local XYZGate Christian Academy,

[proud2BlibKansan]

11. Low income parents can't afford the extras that vouchers don't cover

Book fees, activity fees, lunch fees, clothing to keep up with the other kids. There are so many hidden expenses to private schools that they never tell us about. Yes, transportation would be another unaffordable expense. If a private school has a bus, the parents have to pay for their kids to ride it.

[kiteinthewind]

12. Great post, Proud! Recommended!

:hi:

[proud2BlibKansan]

13. Thank you!!

Found it on the Fired Up website. Tried to post it on our website but it refused the content? LOL We need another website training meeting.

[w4rma]

15. LIEberman supports vouchers. (nt)

[Reckon]

16. Nice post

I totally agree.

K&R

[lostinacause]

17. Does anyone know of anywhere else where vouchers have been

implemented? If so what has been the effect. Regardless vouchers will not address the educational inequality that is present in America.

[proud2BlibKansan]

19. Milwaukee?

And I think Wash DC too?

[ulysses]

21. K&R

of course. :D

[proud2BlibKansan]

22. Meant to PM you

Glad you found this. :hi: