Displaced students need aid, not phony excuses

The Houston Chronicle ^ | Sept. 23, 2005 | Dan Lips

[ReleaseTheHounds]

WITH billions of dollars pouring into the Gulf Coast, you might expect that the $488 million in federal money designed to help displaced families pay for private-school tuition would elicit no more than a perfunctory nod. If so, you haven't been following the contentious world of education policy, where any proposal to help children that doesn't involve pumping more money into the public-school system is viewed as heresy by teachers' unions and others with a vested interest in the status quo.

The trouble started when the Bush administration unveiled a $2 billion emergency education package for K-12 public and private schools that have welcomed displaced students. The National Education Association wasted no time assailing the measure. "We should be focusing our efforts on meeting the needs of these students, not opening up a debate on vouchers," complained NEA president Reg Weaver. "Vouchers do nothing to solve the problems created by Hurricane Katrina. Vouchers are a flawed and divisive approach that undermines public education."

Sen. Edward Kennedy, D-Mass., echoed those sentiments. "This is not the time for a partisan political debate on vouchers," he said. Displaced families "need real relief, not ideological battles."

He's right. Now isn't the time for ideological battles. Now is the time for Sen. Kennedy and other members of Congress to support the administration's proposal to provide direct emergency education aid to families, regardless of whether their children have found temporary refuge in public, private or charter schools. As these desperate parents scramble to find good spots in good schools for their kids, it's unconscionable not to give parents options beyond public schools.

Opponents should realize that not only is the administration's proposal not an effort to "undermine public education," it's not even an education policy proposal. It's a disaster relief package. It's part of the larger effort to help hurricane victims make their broken lives whole again.

If we want to help these families rebuild a normal life, we must see that none of the estimated 372,000 displaced students loses ground in school as a result of this disaster. A chance to attend a private school is a chance to take a big step-up in the quality of education for many of those in New Orleans' public schools. (On the American Legislative Exchange Council's latest report on academic achievement, Louisiana ranks 48th out of all 50 states and the District of Columbia.) For the third of New Orleans students who already attended private schools, it's a chance to keep even.

Some mechanism for allowing parents to opt out of public schools may become a practical necessity in some areas, where school systems are being asked to absorb hundreds of students from the stricken area.

For these and other reasons, Sen. Kennedy and the NEA can rest assured that this emergency relief package will not "undermine public education." First, it's funded entirely with new federal money, meaning that public schools won't lose a dollar in current funding. Second, the program would be a one-time deal for affected students for the 2005-06 school year. The public education bureaucracy's monopolistic grip on taxpayer funding for education almost certainly will be restored by next fall.

Children displaced by Hurricane Katrina must overcome many challenges in the years ahead. In many cases, everything they have known has been swept away.

Helping these children get back to school in top-notch classrooms is an important step toward recovery. Delaying this process out of loyalty to ideology and special-interest groups is simply indefensible.

Lips is an education policy analyst at The Heritage Foundation, a Washington-based public policy research institute.

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HoustonChronicle.com -- http://www.HoustonChronicle.com | Section: Viewpoints, Outlook

[ReleaseTheHounds]

Great time to showcase vouchers -- but watch the Dems howl and wail.

[w1andsodidwe]

Oh, just give them mo money, mo money. Turn your whole pay check over to them. Still won't be enough.

[ncountylee]

NEA president Reg Weaver. "Vouchers do nothing to solve the problems created by Hurricane Katrina. Vouchers are a flawed and divisive approach that undermines public education."

Even in time of emergency the NEA is so terrified of vouchers that they prefer children not be in school.

[WOSG]

NEA and kennedy are putting partisanship above the best interests of the children, plain and simple.

[ncountylee]

How many Kennedys went to public schools?

[ClaireSolt]

Dems decry ideology ideologically.

[WriterInTX]

Let me be clear:

I support vouchers.

I went to private school.

I fully support private school and homeschooling as preferable alternatives to poorly performing public schools.

But to pay for private school tuition with public funds that are should be used for things like clothing, furniture, basic necessities, is something I will not support. Going to public school for the next year will not kill these kids. They can always return to private school as soon as their PARENTS are settled and can pay the bill.

[OldFriend]

Sorry, but if the children were attending private schools before the storm hit, they are better off if they continue attending private school.

Why should those parents, mostly parochial school families, be punished because the left is howling.

[rdb3]

Oh, just give them mo money, mo money. Turn your whole pay check over to them. Still won't be enough.

When you say "them", to whom do you refer?

If you want a Google GMail account, FReepmail me.
They're going fast!

[w1andsodidwe]

Them = educators.

[rdb3]

I support vouchers.

After reading the rest of your post, I have to conclude that you don't support vouchers.

If you want a Google GMail account, FReepmail me.
They're going fast!

[WriterInTX]

If the state is going to honor the public school cost per student towards off-setting private tuition, fine. But I don't think it's the taxpayers' responsibility to pay for private school tuition, whether the children were going to private school or not. Pool your resources, borrow from family, get the local parish involved, if you must. In the end, though, federal assistance is supposed to be for basic necessities, not to subsidize their previous standard of living. That is the PARENTS' responsibility.

[OldFriend]

You are more than a little disingenuous. Who do you think would be paying for vouchers in a normal situation?

[WriterInTX]

On the contrary, I DO support vouchers. Having been through both public and private education, my experience is that private school is vastly superior to public school; however, if they state doesn't already have a system in place for it (if they do, then those funds SHOULD be used to offset private school tuition) then it falls to the parents to find a way to cover the cost of schooling (just as it does for many parents now).

My only concern is that emergency funds will be used for things other than basic necessities and genuine emergencies. We've already heard of idiots using their debit cards to buy $700 Louis Vitton bags and other nonsense. This money didn't grow on a tree; it came out of my pocket, your pocket, other folks' pockets. I had my little ones pulling at me while I was trying to read it, but my initial scan appeared to indicate that folks wanted the funds to help put their kids back in private schools. That shouldn't be a priority right now; getting a roof over your head and rebuilding the basics of your life should be a priority. A few months in public school will not kill these kids; hopefully, it will teach them the value of what they DID have, when they had it, and save the sanity of a few good hearted nuns.

[AMERIKA]

"For the third of New Orleans students who already attended private schools, it's a chance to keep even."

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"For the third of New Orleans students who already attended private school.."

[MNJohnnie]

Great time to showcase vouchers -- but watch the Dems howl and wail.

We have the votes. Last time the Dems were running the Senate. Lets all write our Congress critters and ask they do this.

[WasDougsLamb]

Agree 100%. It is ridiculous to expect donated funds to pay for a luxury like private school. My kid goes to public school and their kids are NO better than mine.

[slowhandluke]

On the contrary, I DO support vouchers.

Then, on the face of new evidence, http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1490713/posts, I would expect you to change your view about forcing the evacuee students into public schools. Since the Feds are supplying Houston public schools with money for the 4700 new students, you should support the idea of this money coming as vouchers to be used for whatever school the parents choose.

[WriterInTX]

It is my understanding that vouchers are supposed to represent the portion of local and STATE property taxes that residents pay towards the school district. The money folks paid have already gone to their home state, not the federal government.

If there State wants to pick up the tab, fine.

[WriterInTX]

Please see post 18.