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Considering Education Bills Crafted By Corporate Front Group
School privatization laws crafted by corporate interests have been introduced in nearly every state in the first half of 2013, according to the Center for Media and Democracy. 43 states and the District of Columbia are considering school legislation developed by the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC), the umbrella organization that pushes state laws catered to business interests on a myriad of topics.
CMD’s report, “Cashing In On Kids,” details 139 separate ALEC-designed bills promoting for-profit education in the states and D.C. this year alone. Three states have considered school voucher programs, and 10 have taken up another ALEC measure that funnels public dollars to private schools via tax credits. Three states have considered the “Virtual Schools Act,” which spends taxpayer money on an online education model “few educators think is appropriate for young children.” So-called “Parent Trigger” laws designed by ALEC and the conservative Heartland Institute have come up in 12 states.
School vouchers do not generally raise student achievement, according to a Center on Education Policy review of years of research. CEP noted that even though most of that research has been funded by the for-profit education industry, it fails to make a convincing case for the superiority of privatized education. If kids are not benefiting, who is?
“Cashing In On Kids” notes that Wisconsin taxpayers have sent nearly two billion dollars to for-profit, religious, and online schools since Milwaukee became the nation’s first school vouchers city in 1990. School voucher programs in Florida, Georgia, and Oklahoma have sent taxpayer money to schools that teach creationism. In Louisiana, almost none of the private schools receiving voucher funds have maintained the separate accounts for public dollars which the law requires, making it impossible to audit their use of the funds. Just two schools have been properly audited, and one of them relies on uncertified teachers and “plopping students in front of televisions to watch lessons on DVDs.”
For-profit school companies exercise substantial political influence, not only at the state level through ALEC but via federal campaign contributions. The Center for Responsive Politics reported on Monday that the Chairman of the House Education and Workforce Committee, Rep. John Kline (R-MN), got $116,000 from the for-profit education industry in the second quarter of 2013 alone. CRP data show the industry spent over $1.7 million in the 2012 elections, and over $7 million since 1989, on direct campaign contributions in congressional races. The industry spent more than $40 million lobbying Congress since the early 2000s. Restore Our Future, the super PAC dedicated to electing Mitt Romney during last year’s presidential election, collected hundreds of thousands of dollars from for-profit higher education companies.
http://thinkprogress.org/education/2013/07/17/2316921/education-laws-written-by-for-profit-schools-considered-in-43-states/
CMD’s report, “Cashing In On Kids,” details 139 separate ALEC-designed bills promoting for-profit education in the states and D.C. this year alone. Three states have considered school voucher programs, and 10 have taken up another ALEC measure that funnels public dollars to private schools via tax credits. Three states have considered the “Virtual Schools Act,” which spends taxpayer money on an online education model “few educators think is appropriate for young children.” So-called “Parent Trigger” laws designed by ALEC and the conservative Heartland Institute have come up in 12 states.
School vouchers do not generally raise student achievement, according to a Center on Education Policy review of years of research. CEP noted that even though most of that research has been funded by the for-profit education industry, it fails to make a convincing case for the superiority of privatized education. If kids are not benefiting, who is?
“Cashing In On Kids” notes that Wisconsin taxpayers have sent nearly two billion dollars to for-profit, religious, and online schools since Milwaukee became the nation’s first school vouchers city in 1990. School voucher programs in Florida, Georgia, and Oklahoma have sent taxpayer money to schools that teach creationism. In Louisiana, almost none of the private schools receiving voucher funds have maintained the separate accounts for public dollars which the law requires, making it impossible to audit their use of the funds. Just two schools have been properly audited, and one of them relies on uncertified teachers and “plopping students in front of televisions to watch lessons on DVDs.”
For-profit school companies exercise substantial political influence, not only at the state level through ALEC but via federal campaign contributions. The Center for Responsive Politics reported on Monday that the Chairman of the House Education and Workforce Committee, Rep. John Kline (R-MN), got $116,000 from the for-profit education industry in the second quarter of 2013 alone. CRP data show the industry spent over $1.7 million in the 2012 elections, and over $7 million since 1989, on direct campaign contributions in congressional races. The industry spent more than $40 million lobbying Congress since the early 2000s. Restore Our Future, the super PAC dedicated to electing Mitt Romney during last year’s presidential election, collected hundreds of thousands of dollars from for-profit higher education companies.
http://thinkprogress.org/education/2013/07/17/2316921/education-laws-written-by-for-profit-schools-considered-in-43-states/
PS: one other area that this matters is the area of getting college tuition scholarships for these kids. A 4.0 from a school that has a high rating is looked at over and above a school in a low rated school's 4.0. If you get a high GPA at one of our area elite private schools, you will certainly get a good chunk of your college paid for via scholarship.
So, in fairness to give all kids the best shot---- if they don't have the income to pay for a private education and live in an area in which the public system is rated low---- they deserve help to go to a private school. My opinion anyway.
So, in fairness to give all kids the best shot---- if they don't have the income to pay for a private education and live in an area in which the public system is rated low---- they deserve help to go to a private school. My opinion anyway.
I guess I just disagree. Our city school system stinks. No way around it and trust me, the 20 years I've lived in this city, they've tried many things. they also get additional funding due to it being a low income area. The residential taxes are one thing but school systems like our cities get much federal money pumped in to try to right the ship.
I lived in the city school district. My husband and I could afford to send our kids to private school if we wanted. However, there were impoverished areas that there was no chance these kids could go to a better school if there were not vouchers. THOSE kids need the voucher program. Not kids like mine.
I have absolutely no problem with tying an income via tax returns to giving vouchers to families. If a family is below a certain income level, I think they need the voucher program to even the playing field for all families to have choices in their children's education.
Me? I just moved out to the suburbs to an "Excellent with Distinction" school district. But again, many families do not have that option.
So, I think it is fair to all to have vouchers in place. Not for everyone but lower income families so that they can decide what would be the best education for their kids. Because the truth is----- no matter what they do, some school districts will remain awful. Not just because of the school but even by the families that go there. Not being rude but some public schools have kids who they and their family couldn't care less about school. If you have a child who really wants to learn, another environment may give them the encouragement, tools, etc. that they need. And just because you are poor and can't afford the tuition, I don't think you should be limited.
I lived in the city school district. My husband and I could afford to send our kids to private school if we wanted. However, there were impoverished areas that there was no chance these kids could go to a better school if there were not vouchers. THOSE kids need the voucher program. Not kids like mine.
I have absolutely no problem with tying an income via tax returns to giving vouchers to families. If a family is below a certain income level, I think they need the voucher program to even the playing field for all families to have choices in their children's education.
Me? I just moved out to the suburbs to an "Excellent with Distinction" school district. But again, many families do not have that option.
So, I think it is fair to all to have vouchers in place. Not for everyone but lower income families so that they can decide what would be the best education for their kids. Because the truth is----- no matter what they do, some school districts will remain awful. Not just because of the school but even by the families that go there. Not being rude but some public schools have kids who they and their family couldn't care less about school. If you have a child who really wants to learn, another environment may give them the encouragement, tools, etc. that they need. And just because you are poor and can't afford the tuition, I don't think you should be limited.
Private schools, are just that - private and most are "for profit". They shouldn't be allowed to get taxpayer funding, which should be going to public schools.
You're always going to have poor administrators, bad teachers, etc, but if public schools were getting the necessary funding, maybe we wouldn't have to worry about sending our kids to private schools to get a better education.
In Florida, they are supposed to use Lottery money to help fund the schools. We see all these big billboards about $XXX billion to education.... If they really are doing that, I'd sure like to see where it's going, because we weren't getting much in the district I worked for, which has had to lay off teachers, etc just since I retired.
You're always going to have poor administrators, bad teachers, etc, but if public schools were getting the necessary funding, maybe we wouldn't have to worry about sending our kids to private schools to get a better education.
In Florida, they are supposed to use Lottery money to help fund the schools. We see all these big billboards about $XXX billion to education.... If they really are doing that, I'd sure like to see where it's going, because we weren't getting much in the district I worked for, which has had to lay off teachers, etc just since I retired.
There are big issues with some school districts. We lived in a neighborhood that was not a good district. We moved out of it to a better school district. Our other option was to stay there and to send our kids to private school. We could possibly afford to send our kids to private school, but that neighborhood was very mixed income wise. Several families would not have had that option.
I think it hurts students and families to take away their option to go to a private school due to lack of vouchers.
Some school systems just aren't good. No matter what the govt. thinks they can do about it (all the stupid standardized testing they do and no child left behind, etc. )--- it is what it is. And when it comes to a child's education, parents should have options in my opinion.
I think it hurts students and families to take away their option to go to a private school due to lack of vouchers.
Some school systems just aren't good. No matter what the govt. thinks they can do about it (all the stupid standardized testing they do and no child left behind, etc. )--- it is what it is. And when it comes to a child's education, parents should have options in my opinion.
The Center for Media and Democracy (CMD) is an independent investigative reporting group that publishes PRWatch.org, SourceWatch.org, ALECexposed.org, BanksterUSA.org, and FoodRightsNetwork.org.
We accept no funding from for-profit corporations and no grants from government agencies because we uncloak corporate spin, debunk government propaganda, and uncover the manipulative PR tactics of "special" interests.
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Your donation is tax-deductible.
We accept no funding from for-profit corporations and no grants from government agencies because we uncloak corporate spin, debunk government propaganda, and uncover the manipulative PR tactics of "special" interests.
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Through ALEC, corporations,
ideologues, and their politician allies
voted to spend public tax dollars to
subsidize private K-12 education and
attack professional teachers and
teachers' unions by:
Promoting voucher programs that drain public schools of
resources by using taxpayer dollars to subsidize private
school profits, and specifying that those schools must remain unregulated. Voucher
programs have been pushed in the following ways:
Offering private school vouchers with "universal eligibility" (using taxpayer dollars
to subsidize private schools for the rich and others); "means-tested
eligibility," (using poverty as the first domino in an effort to privatize public
schools); and "universal eligibility with means-tested scholarship." (Here,
"scholarship" means using taxpayer dollars to pay private school tuition and/or
profits.)
Giving tax credits to parents who send their kids to private schools, (see this
bill, this bill, and this bill) and to corporations that donate to scholarships for
private schools.
Creating a scheme to deem public schools "educationally bankrupt" to rationalize
giving taxpayer dollars to almost completely unregulated private schools, rather
than addressing any problems.
Back-dooring privatization by creating voucher programs to subsidize
unregulated, for-profit schools or religious schools for specific subsets of
students, such asfoster children, or children of military families.
Evading requirements under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA)
by preying on parents of children with special needs through subsidies for unproven
and profit-driven private schools, which are not covered by the IDEA. (See this
bill, this bill, and this bill.) Nearly identical bills have been introduced in Wisconsin
and other states.
Segregating students with disabilities from non-disabled students by incentivizing
the creation of largely unregulated private schools for students with disabilities, and
then allowing private schools to refuse children's admission such that the private
testing/evaluation scores can be higher than for public schools that must take all
students.
Setting up low-income students for failure in college by incentivizing early graduation for the students in need of a complete high school education.
Taking charter school authorization away from local school boards in favor of a
statewide advisory committee, that a governor can pack with pro-voucher people.
Promoting climate change denial in education (see also this bill)
Certifying individuals with no education background as teachers, a move that would
weaken the quality of education, that fails to recognize there is more to teaching
than knowledge of a subject, and that would undermine the role and
competitiveness of professional teachers (see also this bill).
Eliminating tenure for teachers in favor of "performance," allowing districts to fire
older teachers in favor of lower-cost young teachers.
Undermining teacher's unions indirectly through the above bills, and directly through
bills like this one, this one, and this one. See also the anti-union bills on theWorker
Rights page.
To see a full list of these bills, click here.
ALEC bills and resolutions also attempt to change co
http://alecexposed.org/w/images/7/7b/ALEC_on_Education_2.pdf
http://www.alecexposed.org/wiki/What_is_ALEC%3F
Im assuming no one knows what ALEC is or what it does and doesn't do? If interested, follow the links.
ideologues, and their politician allies
voted to spend public tax dollars to
subsidize private K-12 education and
attack professional teachers and
teachers' unions by:
Promoting voucher programs that drain public schools of
resources by using taxpayer dollars to subsidize private
school profits, and specifying that those schools must remain unregulated. Voucher
programs have been pushed in the following ways:
Offering private school vouchers with "universal eligibility" (using taxpayer dollars
to subsidize private schools for the rich and others); "means-tested
eligibility," (using poverty as the first domino in an effort to privatize public
schools); and "universal eligibility with means-tested scholarship." (Here,
"scholarship" means using taxpayer dollars to pay private school tuition and/or
profits.)
Giving tax credits to parents who send their kids to private schools, (see this
bill, this bill, and this bill) and to corporations that donate to scholarships for
private schools.
Creating a scheme to deem public schools "educationally bankrupt" to rationalize
giving taxpayer dollars to almost completely unregulated private schools, rather
than addressing any problems.
Back-dooring privatization by creating voucher programs to subsidize
unregulated, for-profit schools or religious schools for specific subsets of
students, such asfoster children, or children of military families.
Evading requirements under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA)
by preying on parents of children with special needs through subsidies for unproven
and profit-driven private schools, which are not covered by the IDEA. (See this
bill, this bill, and this bill.) Nearly identical bills have been introduced in Wisconsin
and other states.
Segregating students with disabilities from non-disabled students by incentivizing
the creation of largely unregulated private schools for students with disabilities, and
then allowing private schools to refuse children's admission such that the private
testing/evaluation scores can be higher than for public schools that must take all
students.
Setting up low-income students for failure in college by incentivizing early graduation for the students in need of a complete high school education.
Taking charter school authorization away from local school boards in favor of a
statewide advisory committee, that a governor can pack with pro-voucher people.
Promoting climate change denial in education (see also this bill)
Certifying individuals with no education background as teachers, a move that would
weaken the quality of education, that fails to recognize there is more to teaching
than knowledge of a subject, and that would undermine the role and
competitiveness of professional teachers (see also this bill).
Eliminating tenure for teachers in favor of "performance," allowing districts to fire
older teachers in favor of lower-cost young teachers.
Undermining teacher's unions indirectly through the above bills, and directly through
bills like this one, this one, and this one. See also the anti-union bills on theWorker
Rights page.
To see a full list of these bills, click here.
ALEC bills and resolutions also attempt to change co
http://alecexposed.org/w/images/7/7b/ALEC_on_Education_2.pdf
http://www.alecexposed.org/wiki/What_is_ALEC%3F
Im assuming no one knows what ALEC is or what it does and doesn't do? If interested, follow the links.
thinkprogress will craft anything they want to make it look bad if they are against it. And anything done by the right they are against.
But with that said, if you can find a solution to school I say do it by any means necessary.
But with that said, if you can find a solution to school I say do it by any means necessary.
Well, when you live in an area in which the public school system clearly is lagging, I blame no parent for seeking an alternative. The schools that have issues are often given great resources publically to improve and for whatever reason can't. I think in fairness of education, offering voucher programs gives families that are unhappy in the school they are required by where they live to send their child to options.
I'm not sure about this business of uncertified teachers and plopping kids in front of a tv. Most that take the time to find an alternative school than what the system they are in offers are usually motivated for 'better' education. TV does happen in schools. My kids have had programming in the classroom. This isn't like spongebob but rather things like Bill Nye the Science guy or Magic Schoolbus. They occasionally get rewards of a movie a couple of times a year. I did as well when I was growing up.
But just having kids sit and watch tv all day is hard to imagine. Can't imagine that any private school does this.
Is part of this for profit school thing the Catholic schools? Yep, the Catholic church and parishes that have schools sure do participate in campaigns but more for the social issues than anything else. It helps make their programs accessible for lower income kids who wouldn't be able to afford to go otherwise. I personally think that is a good thing. ??
anyway, I tend to think this article slants 'for profit' schools as something they aren't really. They are private schools that give kids in their vicinity that don't have great public options more opportunity in their education.
I'm not sure about this business of uncertified teachers and plopping kids in front of a tv. Most that take the time to find an alternative school than what the system they are in offers are usually motivated for 'better' education. TV does happen in schools. My kids have had programming in the classroom. This isn't like spongebob but rather things like Bill Nye the Science guy or Magic Schoolbus. They occasionally get rewards of a movie a couple of times a year. I did as well when I was growing up.
But just having kids sit and watch tv all day is hard to imagine. Can't imagine that any private school does this.
Is part of this for profit school thing the Catholic schools? Yep, the Catholic church and parishes that have schools sure do participate in campaigns but more for the social issues than anything else. It helps make their programs accessible for lower income kids who wouldn't be able to afford to go otherwise. I personally think that is a good thing. ??
anyway, I tend to think this article slants 'for profit' schools as something they aren't really. They are private schools that give kids in their vicinity that don't have great public options more opportunity in their education.
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