Just look to Ohio where the Electronic Classroom of Tomorrow (ECOT) has bought the governor, Kasich, and the legislature. ECOT owes the state of Ohio over 60 million dollars but won't pay because there is no accountability. Charter schools and vouchers are a scam.
128
Vouchers will kill kids. Sound alarmist? No, it is not. Just ask the Pediatric Department of a large teaching hospital. Just ask Social Workers, School Nurses. Just ask our blessed, saintly Teachers. Vouchers will cement economic segregation, we all know where that leads.....worse poverty, anger and takin' it to the street. Ain't nothing like seeing your hungry child wronged and humiliated to bring out the paternal tiger.
80
These people live the high life at country clubs and five star hotels and don't give a rat's you know about public school kids' education. In keeping with the alt-right, nationalist movement, their view is to let these kids fail, go hungry and fail some more. Hell, kick 'em off the boat. I'd like to send Ms.DeVos to an intercity school and see how she fares. I bet my bottom dollar she's never spent time in the nitty gritty of a public school.
235
You are right. She's never been in the classroom ad a professional.
61
The crux of the public schools' problem...we don't pay teachers wages comparable to other respected professions. How many of our top college students want a career that has little financial incentive or reward?
152
"despite strong evidence that the state’s well-supervised charters produce superior results for low-income and minority schoolchildren."
Could you please provide evidence backing up your assertion? Because the evidence I have seen contradicts this. When charters do better, it is generally because they cherry-pick students; and that could be the case even for low-income etc. students. If I have to choose between your bald statements without support, or Diane Ravitch's analysis and writings, I'll stick with the latter.
And apparently so will Massachusetts.
Could you please provide evidence backing up your assertion? Because the evidence I have seen contradicts this. When charters do better, it is generally because they cherry-pick students; and that could be the case even for low-income etc. students. If I have to choose between your bald statements without support, or Diane Ravitch's analysis and writings, I'll stick with the latter.
And apparently so will Massachusetts.
161
Ms Devos was apparently chosen because of large donations to the Republican party. There's a timely article in the 8 December issue of the New York Review of Books, "When Public Goes Private, as Trump Wants: What Happens?" by Diane Ravitch. Her selection undoubtedly stokes her ego, but her "choices" will very likely reduce the education level of the populace. What's the opposite of "excelsior"?
89
'… a market-based, privatized vision of public education. If she pursues that agenda in her new role, she is quite likely to face disappointment and frustration."
WRONG. Academic achievement be dumbed, doomed, dammed. There's money to be made here, a small portion of which will be re-invested to insure the election of more officials from school board to POTUS who favor school vouchers at all levels and forever. Privatize everything! Hey, you, I own that air you're so profligately breathing! There is no end or upside to this bankrupting of the commonwealth.
WRONG. Academic achievement be dumbed, doomed, dammed. There's money to be made here, a small portion of which will be re-invested to insure the election of more officials from school board to POTUS who favor school vouchers at all levels and forever. Privatize everything! Hey, you, I own that air you're so profligately breathing! There is no end or upside to this bankrupting of the commonwealth.
128
It sounds more like he is creating a Russian type oligarchy, where money overrides democratic ideas.
137
Sounds like Trump University on steroids.
137
Haha! Try seeing what happens going against teachers unions; the staunchest proponents of job protectionism there is.
23
Right wing pick. Unforgivably bad person.
When will we see inclusive, when will we see dedicated love? When will we see kindness in the picks?
When will we see inclusive, when will we see dedicated love? When will we see kindness in the picks?
76
Any encroachment on funding public schools, be it by vouchers or any other method favoring the more affluent, while leaving the majority going to public schools wanting, must be opposed; 'equal but separate' is not a an option anymore.
99
A great pick from the person who "loves the poorly educated", completely consistent with that mind set.
"Sad".
"Sad".
90
Another piece on what impact she could have on university Department of Education priorities, beyond the revitalization of for-profit colleges, would be appreciated.
16
People like DeVos and the Kochs won't be happy until they have destroyed and raided everything.
Deplorable.
Choice is a euphemism for rent seeking.
Deplorable.
Choice is a euphemism for rent seeking.
143
I live in Michigan and Mrs. De Vos is one of the true villains is public education. She is detested in the state and will certainly NOT make American education great. Be very worried.
255
The system is apparently stronger than any one individual who might lead it. That is both good and bad.
What is clear though is that it will take anybody a very long time to learn and understand the system.
What is clear though is that it will take anybody a very long time to learn and understand the system.
5
OMG what sanctimonious knee-jerkers we liberals can be! Did we really expect him to appoint Diane Ravitch? Get real. folks. At least this woman has paid attention to education issues for some time.
18
Will these vouchers also pay for Muslim based religious schools?
I wonder what Trump supporters think about that.
HA !
I wonder what Trump supporters think about that.
HA !
104
Charter schools have failed by almost every known measure. That's why their backers have fought off any attempts at accountability.
86
The New York Times has a superficial and excruciatingly narrow view of "diversification" if it thinks Trump's appointment satisfies that criteria.
Also although your opinion does comment on the mixed success of charters and vouchers it fails to note there is little data to demonstrate that Charters would are more effective without cherry picking higher performing students through selective enrollment policies.
Also although your opinion does comment on the mixed success of charters and vouchers it fails to note there is little data to demonstrate that Charters would are more effective without cherry picking higher performing students through selective enrollment policies.
45
It's not about "academic achievement" - duh - it's about privatization and crony capitalism.
110
Sounds like an advocate for the end of "government schools" as public schools are now called by the Koch Brothers and their dark money compatriots like the DeVos.
80
Cheerleaders for voucher programs are trying to teach kids a lesson alright: get used to the rich and powerful taking what little you have to defend yourself against "business interests". Sheesh.
60
Can't wait to see results of the inner city Trump head start, Trump elementary, Trump middle, and Trump high school evangelical original-sin, creationism, and science-denier voucher programs!
60
I'm delighted she will face obstacles. I hope every day she's in office is frustrating for her.
62
She is a ideologue.
She is also a failure in Detroit.
She is also a failure in Detroit.
72
Until we get our K-12 system moving in the right direct we need to keep trying new approaches. It would be great if the unions could lead such an effort, rather than trying to protect their self serving agenda over doing what is right for our kids.
11
If you run a charter school where you pick your students, you will have a higher success rate than public schools where all students must be admitted. So the whole idea of vouchers, charters, etc needs to be critically evaluated with this in mind.
56
In DeVos, Trump has chosen a plutocratic scion, from a family that dedicates its fortune to social engineering projects. The Amway heirs are fundamentalists in both their religion and their belief in unregulated free markets.
Vouchers are a thinly disguised way to funnel taxpayer money toward sectarian and church schools. However, since this nation was founded, one of its principles has been that the state cannot tax citizens to fund religious instruction. The founders believed that church members should fund their own religious education, not demand involuntary contributions from non-members.
Vouchers not only siphon resources away from public schools, but compel taxpayers to support religious beliefs contrary to their own. I think that is a violation of conscience.
Time to send in my monthly donation to Americans United [for Separation of Church and State] so they can continue the legal fight against theocratic schemes like this one. The DeVos family is not really about fixing education. They are about using their money and power to remake us all in their image.
Vouchers are a thinly disguised way to funnel taxpayer money toward sectarian and church schools. However, since this nation was founded, one of its principles has been that the state cannot tax citizens to fund religious instruction. The founders believed that church members should fund their own religious education, not demand involuntary contributions from non-members.
Vouchers not only siphon resources away from public schools, but compel taxpayers to support religious beliefs contrary to their own. I think that is a violation of conscience.
Time to send in my monthly donation to Americans United [for Separation of Church and State] so they can continue the legal fight against theocratic schemes like this one. The DeVos family is not really about fixing education. They are about using their money and power to remake us all in their image.
165
Kevin: What you and so many other commentators are missing is that Trump is appointing people who know how to get things done, not cronies, not people who have no clue about implementation, not incompetents. So far, every one but maybe one has demonstrated accomplishments and abilities to achieve results. I didn't vote for Trump (chose Evan McMullen) but I am encouraged by his appointments. They are all doers with vision, not ivory tower folks.
I thought his appointment of Ms. Haley to the UN was just brilliant in the face of how she spoke about him. I'll really be cheering if he choses Romney for Secretary of State. He is a super-competent leader. We don't need more of the bumblers of the past 24 years, steeped in government bureaucracy and ineffectiveness.
Plato spoke to this long ago. "Those who are competent and refuse to govern are condemned to be governed by their inferiors." That has been our lot for far too long. Machiavelli also spoke to the difficulties of introducing something new into the societal system in "The Prince" in 1513.
"There is nothing more difficult to plan, more doubtful of success nor more dangerous to manage that the creation of a new system. For the initiator has the enmity of all who would profit by the preservation of the old institutions.....so that the innovator and party are alike vulnerable."
I really hope Ms. DeVos can introduce REAL change to our broken public education system. It is a disaster, as all the tests show.
I thought his appointment of Ms. Haley to the UN was just brilliant in the face of how she spoke about him. I'll really be cheering if he choses Romney for Secretary of State. He is a super-competent leader. We don't need more of the bumblers of the past 24 years, steeped in government bureaucracy and ineffectiveness.
Plato spoke to this long ago. "Those who are competent and refuse to govern are condemned to be governed by their inferiors." That has been our lot for far too long. Machiavelli also spoke to the difficulties of introducing something new into the societal system in "The Prince" in 1513.
"There is nothing more difficult to plan, more doubtful of success nor more dangerous to manage that the creation of a new system. For the initiator has the enmity of all who would profit by the preservation of the old institutions.....so that the innovator and party are alike vulnerable."
I really hope Ms. DeVos can introduce REAL change to our broken public education system. It is a disaster, as all the tests show.
15
Guess you didn't read the article. Her use of vouchers in Michigan has been less than a resounding success. Your claim that Trump is appointing competand people is ridiculous. He has appointed two people who are racists and he just appointed Ben Carson, a bumbling fool, to his cabinet. You Trump supporters really need to educate yourselves.
80
Paul - you may want to do a little research before you rant. You are correct that DeVos has gotten things done in MI education, but the policies she supported have generated worse student outcomes, not better ones. Is this the change you seek?
72
"Know how to get things done?" In what kind of alternative universe? To a person, the biggest qualification in these appointments is a lack of specific experience outside of longstanding animus toward the field they will oversee.
An arsonist "gets things done."
Would you advocate for one being your town's fire chief?
Or for the fiery destruction of your home?
An arsonist "gets things done."
Would you advocate for one being your town's fire chief?
Or for the fiery destruction of your home?
75
Right Wingers have no interest or incentive to maintain or build a well-funded and effective public education that is available to all. After all, research confirms that that more education a person has, the more likely that they will have a generally Liberal worldview. Why would the Republicans put money into something that would clearly decrease their voter base?
109
For many states the money is not the issue; it's their constitutions. They have tightly written "Blaine Amendments" that were usually inserted as an anti-Catholic push in the early 20th century.
These Blaine Amendments prohibit public funds from going, directly or indirectly, as dollars or as in-kind, to any non-public school, regardless of being secular or sectarian. As far as federal funds go, Title I money was distributed through the state to all schools, public and private. I don't know if that has changed, but it was upheld by the Supreme Court.
School choice advocates have tried for decades to get the amendments removed without much success. To change the current landscape would require millions of dollars for campaigns that won't elect a single candidate. That's not attractive to a lot of contributors because they get nothing tangible in return. Sure, the kids may benefit, but donors want a lawmaker who will pick up the phone when they call.
These Blaine Amendments prohibit public funds from going, directly or indirectly, as dollars or as in-kind, to any non-public school, regardless of being secular or sectarian. As far as federal funds go, Title I money was distributed through the state to all schools, public and private. I don't know if that has changed, but it was upheld by the Supreme Court.
School choice advocates have tried for decades to get the amendments removed without much success. To change the current landscape would require millions of dollars for campaigns that won't elect a single candidate. That's not attractive to a lot of contributors because they get nothing tangible in return. Sure, the kids may benefit, but donors want a lawmaker who will pick up the phone when they call.
17
Public schools and colleges were the backbone of this country. They gave poor and middle classes education and a step up to an educated population. Defunding them for charters or vouchers are another scheme for taking public money for private enrichment. I, frankly, am tired of these Republican shenanigans. Over the last 40 years between for profit charters and for profit colleges (via federal loans to students) we have managed to only enrich the operators.
139
Marlene---Your first two sentences are right on. After that, not so much. The FACTS are that our public school system is broken in too many ways. It is deeply bogged down in thick layers of bureaucracy that resist, quite successfully, any significant change. Abetted by the NEA and its subs in every state. The abysmal test scores of every type show a continuing failure to teach all students to read and do math, the two most essential parts of any education. Between 30 and 40% of students entering school either don't graduate or if they 'graduate', cannot read or do math at the required levels of our technological society.
Did you know that 70% of felons in prison cannot read at all or read at a functional level (8th grade). I maintain they are in prison partly because the school system failed them. THEY were not the problem, the school system IS. Don't blame the student.
Charters don't siphon money from the public schools. They only get the same money per student that the public schools get. And it is used far more effectively for many reasons, lack of bureaucracy is the major one. What the public schools cry about is the fact that they are not able to adjust their heavy costs for Principals, Vice-Principles, Truant Officers, Assistants-to, etc. It's called cost reduction to meet income and they won't do it. Well, that's tough, their monopoly needs serious re-structuring. I hope Ms. DeVos will do it.
Did you know that 70% of felons in prison cannot read at all or read at a functional level (8th grade). I maintain they are in prison partly because the school system failed them. THEY were not the problem, the school system IS. Don't blame the student.
Charters don't siphon money from the public schools. They only get the same money per student that the public schools get. And it is used far more effectively for many reasons, lack of bureaucracy is the major one. What the public schools cry about is the fact that they are not able to adjust their heavy costs for Principals, Vice-Principles, Truant Officers, Assistants-to, etc. It's called cost reduction to meet income and they won't do it. Well, that's tough, their monopoly needs serious re-structuring. I hope Ms. DeVos will do it.
9
Paul, you point to charter schools as a panacea they decidedly are not. Did you read the article about the situation in Michigan? It's terrible. In general, charters vary greatly in quality and in many jurisdictions are allowed to cherry pick students (thus artificially and unfairly making it look like they're better than regular schools). Having taxpayer money subsidize parochial schools is an even worse idea; some are first rate, but many, especially those sponsored by religious fundamentalists, are absolute disasters in terms of the quality, breadth, and depth of the education they offer--not to forget issues of the separation of church and state. Also, teachers' unions are not an unalloyed evil, and neither are bureaucracies. Some are awful, sure, but others stand as effective bulwarks against the priorities and machinations of incompetent local boards. The issues involved in education are enormously complex and are not amenable to the sorts of simplistic solutions that conservatives tend to push. Again, look at Ms. DeVos's home turf of Michigan.
81
Thank you, Michael. You have many good points. I fully agree on maintaining the separation of church and state. That road usually leads to bad outcomes. Not always, however, I know of some Catholic schools in the Seattle area that achieve sterling results. But, i don't want tax money going there.
From the reading I have done, the Charter's in New York city, for example, headed by Ms. Moskowitz ? take all races of mostly poor families. However, the children have to work, and work hard, and be disciplined. Some leave because they don't want to do that or are unable to do so. But, the waiting lists are long, indeed. A pointed indictment of the public system.
And, indeed, competence is at a premium everywhere. When the bulk of our teaching staff comes from the lower third of the SAT scores that tells you how our society values teaching as a profession. We are getting what we are asking for. Finland isn't. Nor Japan, where teachers are highly honored. We need to seriously upgrade our teaching staffs and pay them commensurately, both in monetary terms and in societal respect. The old canard "Those who can, do; those who can't, teach" sums up the current bad attitudes.
Blessings on your Thanksgiving celebration, whatever it may be.
From the reading I have done, the Charter's in New York city, for example, headed by Ms. Moskowitz ? take all races of mostly poor families. However, the children have to work, and work hard, and be disciplined. Some leave because they don't want to do that or are unable to do so. But, the waiting lists are long, indeed. A pointed indictment of the public system.
And, indeed, competence is at a premium everywhere. When the bulk of our teaching staff comes from the lower third of the SAT scores that tells you how our society values teaching as a profession. We are getting what we are asking for. Finland isn't. Nor Japan, where teachers are highly honored. We need to seriously upgrade our teaching staffs and pay them commensurately, both in monetary terms and in societal respect. The old canard "Those who can, do; those who can't, teach" sums up the current bad attitudes.
Blessings on your Thanksgiving celebration, whatever it may be.
13
Ms. Devos has clearly been hand picked by Mr. Trump and is well positioned to build on the successes of Trump University and can be expected to bring those same successes to much of the nation.
85
This is a travesty of justice
17
The DeVos Family is the worst choice for Education and concern for all of our citizens. The problems with public schools aren't due to unions. Public Education, which took the place of the earlier schools of this country which were largely private and religiously based, are supposed to educate all citizens for participation in our democracy. Charter schools are supposed to be experimental and used for innovating public education, not taking its place. In addition to her ideology, Mrs. DeVos is also utra-conservative on rights for all people, including LGBT. So far, Mr. Trump's choices for his administration have been frightening, and need to be challenged.
99
I would like to know if government payments to charter schools and voucher amounts are based on average per-student public school costs. If so, the rub is that payments to charter schools and voucher amounts would thereby include the elevated costs of educating special ed students whom charter and private schools do not take (upon the grounds of being ill-equipped to to do so). The result is cherrypicking compounded by padded draws from the public treasury, with public schools left holding the bag on both counts.
53
Yes, Julian. You have nailed on the head why public school teachers, who should welcome charters as alternative learning settings and pedagogical laboratories, have come to despise them.
13
Again we see the hypocrisy of the Right. Tax dollars promoting the general welfare is bad, but tax dollars subsidizing private enterprise is good. Are there any examples of charter schools or private academies raising student performance state-wide? I didn't think so. You can't select three private academies which cherry-pick their students and claim they prove the rule.
111
I marvel at "free market" boosters like DeVos who pretend not to understand that giving every student a voucher for free money will simply drive up the cost of tuition at established private schools, thereby making it impossible for the low income children they claim to be helping to afford them.
Meanwhile "concerned educators" fire up charter schools, appoint their friends as board members, and go shopping for a BMW to go with their newfound status of "guardian of improved educational standards". Charter schools are notorious for top heavy administrative costs - and yet somehow, rich voucher patrons can't wrap their brain around how this might impact the the quality of charter instruction.
Charter schools and voucher programs are a thinly-veiled attack on urban poor, disguised as a helping hand. The helping part is the helping of themselves to the public taxpayer's hard earned dollars.
Meanwhile "concerned educators" fire up charter schools, appoint their friends as board members, and go shopping for a BMW to go with their newfound status of "guardian of improved educational standards". Charter schools are notorious for top heavy administrative costs - and yet somehow, rich voucher patrons can't wrap their brain around how this might impact the the quality of charter instruction.
Charter schools and voucher programs are a thinly-veiled attack on urban poor, disguised as a helping hand. The helping part is the helping of themselves to the public taxpayer's hard earned dollars.
116
Again amazing the reaction of the media.
Oh my God, Trump picked 2 women, now all you suckers must be happy and all women must be really happy. And the media immediately responded positively like little puppies.
Of course Trump knew that he must pick some women to please all his adversaries, no matter that neither one is even closely suited for the job, one has zero experience apart from a dinner with some Indian business men, the other one Betsy Vos a super wealthy donor to the Republican Party who was waiting in the wings for a while to get her gift. Her favorite plan charter schools has been not only criticized by the teacher union, but has been proven to be less successful than any public school system and much more of expensive. In addition it is a favorite play toy of the very wealthy like Eli Broad who believe they have a resolution for everything
So again the media is being suckered by Trump.
How incredibly depressing.
Oh my God, Trump picked 2 women, now all you suckers must be happy and all women must be really happy. And the media immediately responded positively like little puppies.
Of course Trump knew that he must pick some women to please all his adversaries, no matter that neither one is even closely suited for the job, one has zero experience apart from a dinner with some Indian business men, the other one Betsy Vos a super wealthy donor to the Republican Party who was waiting in the wings for a while to get her gift. Her favorite plan charter schools has been not only criticized by the teacher union, but has been proven to be less successful than any public school system and much more of expensive. In addition it is a favorite play toy of the very wealthy like Eli Broad who believe they have a resolution for everything
So again the media is being suckered by Trump.
How incredibly depressing.
125
@Johann
This woman is not happy with either of his two women choices (though not happy with his male choices either). I would bet I'm not the only woman dissenter. Please don't categorize us that way.
This woman is not happy with either of his two women choices (though not happy with his male choices either). I would bet I'm not the only woman dissenter. Please don't categorize us that way.
33
Charter schools may or may not work as entities in themselves. But that's not the point. They are parasites that siphon public funding from regular public schools while not having to account for how that money is spent. This is far from Albert Shanker's original vision of charter schools a centers for developing best practices.
Please, no public money for private schools!
Please, no public money for private schools!
206
If taxpayer money is going to pay for religious education, religions should start paying taxes. The wall of separation has two sides. Maybe Mr. Trump should work on improving the wall between church and state.
198
Take it down. We could all use the tax money.
6
As a school psychologist who often communicates with charter schools' staffs, I'm frequently astonished at the poor morale and inexperience among the otherwise earnest people working there. Even more striking is the level of attrition. Enormous percentages of charter school employees depart annually, if not sooner. As a result, there's little-to-no institutional knowledge or familiarity with the larger community. Why? Because there are few incentives to stay.
K-12 educators are still seen by people like Betsy DeVos as having occupational prestige somewhat greater than a fast food prep worker and somewhat less than a customer service rep at a major retailer. What these free-market ideologues must begin to realize is that we get what we pay for. Professionals don't apply for jobs paying chump change and offering few benefits. If it's the cream of the crop that we seek to staff our schools, then give them a reason to work there.
Well-funded public schools are blessed with exceptional talent and innovation in response to essentially all challenges relating to modern K-12 education. Chances are you've experienced one. Schools attempting to make a go on the cheap, as DeVos seeks, or deprived of equitable funding, are doomed to underachievement.
K-12 educators are still seen by people like Betsy DeVos as having occupational prestige somewhat greater than a fast food prep worker and somewhat less than a customer service rep at a major retailer. What these free-market ideologues must begin to realize is that we get what we pay for. Professionals don't apply for jobs paying chump change and offering few benefits. If it's the cream of the crop that we seek to staff our schools, then give them a reason to work there.
Well-funded public schools are blessed with exceptional talent and innovation in response to essentially all challenges relating to modern K-12 education. Chances are you've experienced one. Schools attempting to make a go on the cheap, as DeVos seeks, or deprived of equitable funding, are doomed to underachievement.
267
School choice is a noble concept, but it has been driven by people with a profit motive. As mentioned in the article, how is a parent without a car supposed to transport their student to a better school that could be located dozens of miles away? Local property taxes are the main method of financing public schools, and as such there is little to no chance of choice ever being enacted by state or federal government. This is another example of the hypocrisy of critics of big government as they attempt to reduce local control of schools. The vast majority of American public schools are successful in preparing students for a life beyond their classrooms. Unfortunately the main motivation of school choice advocates such as our future Secretary of Education seems to be the opportunity to make a buck. I only hope that the American guarantee of an opportunity for a good education doesn't turn into a pyramid scheme like the one that enriched her father-in-law!
124
Ms. DeVos and her husband profited from that near-con job, not-quite fraud or pyramid scheme, Amway. I know a few mods brought it protection, but it still works only if you dig up new salespeople, who dig up... a perfect pyramid until everyone's an Amway seller?
Charter schools keep kids under the fist of parents who just might inculcate religious, political, and social doctrine and oppose strict widespread standards, academic strenuousness, and uniform state, local, and national scoring systems and methods.
Vouchers abdicate public control of standards and the efficiencies of large numbers, and they may even cost more than decent public education.
Thus her selection panders to Trumpians who oppose systematic and objective science educations, and those who think "our" kids are better than "theirs". Systems that work perfectly all over the world are hated by Trumpians as socialist plots, and uniform educations offer less than mildly educated moms and dads. Sure. Where's the beef?
As for vouchers, they are an unregulated food stamps program for "alternatives" to public schools, eating away at materials and programs that might help many in favor of helping only each home's few.
Could be a dumber way to advance math and science, psychological and social cohesiveness. I just can't think of one.
Charter schools keep kids under the fist of parents who just might inculcate religious, political, and social doctrine and oppose strict widespread standards, academic strenuousness, and uniform state, local, and national scoring systems and methods.
Vouchers abdicate public control of standards and the efficiencies of large numbers, and they may even cost more than decent public education.
Thus her selection panders to Trumpians who oppose systematic and objective science educations, and those who think "our" kids are better than "theirs". Systems that work perfectly all over the world are hated by Trumpians as socialist plots, and uniform educations offer less than mildly educated moms and dads. Sure. Where's the beef?
As for vouchers, they are an unregulated food stamps program for "alternatives" to public schools, eating away at materials and programs that might help many in favor of helping only each home's few.
Could be a dumber way to advance math and science, psychological and social cohesiveness. I just can't think of one.
118
Allowing vouchers will lead to segregation. Not race segregation necessarily, but rather segregation in students who want to be where they are versus students who are stuck where they are by virtue of address. I'd rather my kid go to a school where others are motivated, rather than mandated. I don't think the status quo is working.
12
The point that has been missing in most of these discussions about charter schools and vouchers is this: there are not many charter schools in low-income neighborhoods and vouchers will only reduce the money available to those schools to improve. There can be no improvement unless local public officials have money. Move enough children to "good" schools through vouchers and build more charter schools in already "good" school districts and there will be a return to the days of old.
Ms. DeVos and her Amway husband's money live in Western Michigan. They know very little about the deep poverty in, say, Flint, and its effect on the citizens who live there. She is not the least bit interested in improving education in our state, only getting government out of education.
Ms. DeVos and her Amway husband's money live in Western Michigan. They know very little about the deep poverty in, say, Flint, and its effect on the citizens who live there. She is not the least bit interested in improving education in our state, only getting government out of education.
214
Charter schools are definitely in lower-income and mixed-use neighborhoods in Washington, DC. The highest-income neighborhoods here have never had any charter schools.
8
I am sick and tired of donating my tax money to churches and for-profit schools, while the government then defunds public schools.
How dare this rich woman, Betsy DeVos throw her money around, lobbying, and campaigning so my grandkids and all those who attend public schools are watching the demise.
In order to make up the defunding, local governments are using referendum attempts to assist funding. But now our dear state (and probably others) have put legislation restrictions on referendum policy, too.
At the same time churches are reaping in taxpayer money and expanding their church schools with voucher money. And parents, whose income qualifies for vouchers, do not have their income rechecked - ever - once they are accepted into the voucher system!
What a rip off! For shame. The new leader of education? For who? It is proven these schools have not risen any testing data. In fact, voucher schools do not even have to publicly present testing data - and that is per law.
Just keep dumbing down our public school kids because of people like Betsy DeVos and Donald Trump who could build their own darn schools instead of defunding and putting public schools at risk.
How dare this rich woman, Betsy DeVos throw her money around, lobbying, and campaigning so my grandkids and all those who attend public schools are watching the demise.
In order to make up the defunding, local governments are using referendum attempts to assist funding. But now our dear state (and probably others) have put legislation restrictions on referendum policy, too.
At the same time churches are reaping in taxpayer money and expanding their church schools with voucher money. And parents, whose income qualifies for vouchers, do not have their income rechecked - ever - once they are accepted into the voucher system!
What a rip off! For shame. The new leader of education? For who? It is proven these schools have not risen any testing data. In fact, voucher schools do not even have to publicly present testing data - and that is per law.
Just keep dumbing down our public school kids because of people like Betsy DeVos and Donald Trump who could build their own darn schools instead of defunding and putting public schools at risk.
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You have said it perfectly. Not a dollar of taxpayer money should go to religious instruction. Let the religions start paying taxes....finally.
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Seems like it's going to be an uphill climb for Ms.DeVos and I welcome that. As an educator, the for-profit schemes are appalling. And the one's that suffer the most when the for-project "schools" go under are the kids. Especially the ones that are from low-income families.
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Liberals advocate for a woman's right to chose but only if a fetus is involved. Once the fetus becomes a child requiring education, they prefer that parents have no choice in the type of school they want their children to attend. I prefer that a woman have a right to chose whether or not to have a baby and that parents have a right to chose the right schools for their parents. Everyone deserves the right to chose what is best of themselves and their families.
13
Followed to the logical conclusion, the "school choice" that they're opting for ultimately becomes "student body choice." They're self-segregating. We already have this to a large degree, thanks largely to the way schools are funded through property taxes. I don't think we should be spending federal funds to further segregation.
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A woman's right to choose regarding abortion involves only her and her fetus. It doesn't affect any other woman or fetus. The sapping of federal money from public schools to charter or voucher programs diminishes the quality of education for many other children, and therefore affects society at large.
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Well let's start with the issue. Public education stinks. With the exception of specific school districts, most public education is severely lacking.
The reason is that public education is run as a state-sponsored monopoly. Throw on top powerful teachers' unions, more interested in protecting their members' jobs than providing a quality education to our children, and you get the dismal results we've seen from students in the US.
Anything that will start to break than monopoly is a move in the right direction. When the main function of a union is to protect an unskilled worker, then that union serves no public good.
While I don't know the solution, anything we can do to make education more competitive is again a move in the right direction. Our children deserve more, and the advantages to them and to society are significant.
The reason is that public education is run as a state-sponsored monopoly. Throw on top powerful teachers' unions, more interested in protecting their members' jobs than providing a quality education to our children, and you get the dismal results we've seen from students in the US.
Anything that will start to break than monopoly is a move in the right direction. When the main function of a union is to protect an unskilled worker, then that union serves no public good.
While I don't know the solution, anything we can do to make education more competitive is again a move in the right direction. Our children deserve more, and the advantages to them and to society are significant.
8
Yours is the common view of public education, and that is part of the problem. The reality of public education is that it works for many children in districts with sufficient resources to support quality education. Students from middle class families in these districts are served well by public education. Students from poor families who attend under-resourced schools are often not well served. That is the issue that must be addressed, and “choice” in the form of charter schools or vouchers is not the answer. There is no easy answer, but I would suggest that better support for families of young children and quality early childhood programs are certainly a big part of the solution.
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Joe, you started out with a claim. As a lousy, unskilled member of the dismal public education monopoly, I never let my students make a claim without evidence, so I'll ask the same of you. Please provide evidence that "most public education is severely lacking". If you can't do it, I'll have to assume that you should be rated "beginning understanding" and sent back to do more homework.
Asa Hutchinson, backed by Wal Mart, has pretty much decimated local control in Little Rock. Rumblings of taxation without representation are still low key, but it's another case of giving control to corporations at the expense of the taxpayer.
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Mr. Carey, I believe you are well aware that most homeschooled kids aren't being taught primarily "by a computer". On the contrary, most of the kids and families who choose self-directed learning are out and about in the community, taking part in a far wider range of activities, with a far more diverse group of people, than students stuck in a building all day with age peers. While self-directed learners may also feast from the ever-growing buffet of online educational options--many of them excellent and free, such as those offered by EdX and Coursera--they use online resources as but a single piece in the overall mosaics of their educational experience. There may be some students who are doing "school at home" via their local public school's distance-ed programs, and thus tethered to their desks and computers many hours a day, but that hardly characterizes homeschoolers as a group.
6
A Reader. There are a few home schoolers who do education right, but your characterization of most homeschooled kids being out in the community taking part in a broad range of activities, etc. does not fit the majority of homeschool families I have encountered, both as a homeschool parent and as a public school teacher. In my experience, kids tethered to a computer doing monotonous rote lessons is very much the norm in the homeschool community.
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Scrapiron, I'm also a long-time (25+ years) homeschool parent and active part of the self-directed learning community, and where I live, as well as in the many places I've traveled and met other homeschool families, the norm is the diametric opposite of what you describe. I'm sorry to hear about kids tethered to computers, doing rote lessons there--that sounds like they (or their parents?) may be attempting to duplicate a typical public-school curriculum approach at home, which is the antithesis of what every homeschool family I've met has done with the ever-expanding world of options available to them, even those with limited financial resources.
1
Very nice for the children of motivated, highly educated stay-at-home parents. What about the rest?
16
Ms. DeVos wants to take Trump University to our school-age children. Charter schools hire less experienced teachers, pay them less, give them less autonomy in the classroom, and have higher turnover rates than public schools. Their "successes" come largely from denying services that public schools must provide by law, and kicking out students that require more resources in general in the way of time and money. We need models of education that allow teachers to be creative and innovative, and to acquire experience doing so, but keep the profit motive out.
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This is not true across the board. I'm a charter school teacher. I work more hours, but I get paid more. And I get bonuses based on a complex system that measures student performance as well as mine (eg: my ability to get 100% attendance at parent conferences). Our students achieve at levels higher than traditional public schools in the area, and we take the exact per-pupil funding from the state as our local traditional public school students. Extra money comes from fundraising that I don't have to do. I love my school. And so do my students. Don't lump us in the same basket as mediocre charters just because we share the same category name. Not all cuts of beef are the same just because they come from the same animal.
15
Charter schools have a clear and demonstrated record of out-performing their public peers even after "correcting" for all of the make-believe advantages they enjoy.
5
"Bonuses based on whether there is 100% participation in parent/teacher conferences"?
Beyond enticing parents by sharing that bonus, pray tell how do you get 100% of a group of people to do anything?
Beyond enticing parents by sharing that bonus, pray tell how do you get 100% of a group of people to do anything?
21
I suggest you check out the education problems in Wisconsin. I'm quite sure you can trace funding of the voucher schools to Mrs. DeVos. We are in terrible shape here, with increasing funding for public schools going to the private sector. However, they don't have to follow the rules. No special ed students need apply. If they do and the voucher school finds they "can't service them adequately", the funding stays with that private school, even though the student returns to the public school.
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retired
Yes, Wisconsin. My state, too. First Walker decimates the unions, then installs the voucher legislation. In seven years there will be no cap on vouchers and then imagine where our much of our taxpayer money will go. Right into the hands at the pulpits. We sent our own kids to parochial grade school and paid for every penny of it ourselves. I would have been mortified to think our community's public school kids would be losing out as our church (ultimately) raked in taxpayer money. And yes, they can throw out those voucher kids, take the year's total voucher money and/or deprive them of special ed! Horrendous. Adults toying with kids' lives and their futures.
Awful, horrible, deplorable.
Yes, Wisconsin. My state, too. First Walker decimates the unions, then installs the voucher legislation. In seven years there will be no cap on vouchers and then imagine where our much of our taxpayer money will go. Right into the hands at the pulpits. We sent our own kids to parochial grade school and paid for every penny of it ourselves. I would have been mortified to think our community's public school kids would be losing out as our church (ultimately) raked in taxpayer money. And yes, they can throw out those voucher kids, take the year's total voucher money and/or deprive them of special ed! Horrendous. Adults toying with kids' lives and their futures.
Awful, horrible, deplorable.
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