Posted on 10/09/2007 8:33:14 AM PDT by vadum
No one says, “As goes Utah, so goes the nation,” but what happens over the next month in the Beehive State may well affect the prospects for education reform nationwide. Last February, Utah’s Republican Gov. John Huntsman signed into law an education voucher bill that promised to help the parents of Utah’s 512,000 public school students send their children to the school of their choice—public or private. The Parent Choice in Education Act was subsequently challenged and a referendum has put the issue before the state’s voters on November 6. A majority vote is needed to uphold school choice.
It’s estimated that the average voucher ($500 to $3,000 per child, depending on family income) will be less than one third of Utah’s per pupil expenditure in the public schools ($7,100). But when Utah parents use a voucher for private schooling, the state’s public school systems will still get to keep, for another five years, most of the state money that would otherwise go for the child’s public school education. Talk about having your cake and eating it, too. Still, as more Utah children are educated for less than one third the cost of public education, it could save state taxpayers more than $1 billion over 13 years.
Naturally, the teacher unions and other liberal interest groups are out in full force to repeal the measure by defeating the referendum. The NEA has funneled $1.5 million to Utah...and state and local NEA unions from Colorado and Wyoming to Ohio and Maine have contributed thousands more. A consortium called Utahans for Public Schools has added the political muscle of the Utah PTA, the ACLU and the local NAACP chapter to attack school choice. Radio and TV ads have been airing across the state for months......
(also referenced at http://www.capitalresearch.org/news/news.html?id=532)
(Excerpt) Read more at humanevents.com ...
Damn Right! Let’s hope the voters of Utah recognize this for what it can be - the wakeup call for America. I would love nothing better than to start scaring the heck out of liberal, do-nothing, know-nothing educational bureaucrats.
Is there a chance the voucher can be used for homeschooling expenses? Probably not, but it would sure be nice for Utah homeschoolers.
Private schools deliver a superior education for 1/3 of the cost of public schools.
That’s easy math: just outsource all education to private schools.
The kids get better educations and school taxes can be reduced by 2/3.
The NAACP??? Now that's rich. Blacks nationwide suffer in subpar schools as a result of union corruption. There are Catholic schools in Harlem wherein black students graduate at an 88% rate, when public schools down the street graduate only 44% of their black students. Yet the NAACP is happy with this?
“The NAACP??? Now that’s rich. Blacks nationwide suffer in subpar schools as a result of union corruption.”
Seems like the NAACP hates black children. Or maybe they just love power more than their own children.
The NAACP is actively flushing the future of it’s children down the toilet for a small amount of power today.
I’m a former public school teacher, and I love this; it’s long overdue. A little competition forces quality of the product.
Most of the teachers whom I know are excellent, but the imcompetents make us all look bad. I have always been a proponent of policing our own.
Those who oppose tenure by saying that bad teachers can’t be fired are wrong. The fault lies with lazy, cowardly administrators who will not document the incompetence that allows firing poor teachers.
I pray the bill passes. As for me, I’ll never have any children of mine taught by someone possessing only an “education” degree. A more worthless piece of paper does not exist...oops....except for a journalism degree. (My apologies to those in both professions who are bright and well worth hiring. We know you all are there...but we don’t hear enough from you.)
That's typical of all government-run programs. Once the unions take control (AFSCME, NEA, AFT,etc.) of the employees, their contributions to the Liberal/Democrat/Socialist politicians creates a viscious cycle of funneling tax-dollars to incompetent/unproductive Union members. The quality is secondary to the political power bought with TAXPAYER money.
The indoctrination of the young minds into the socialist propoganda is furtherance of the Socialists' agenda, too, and to allow choice is to admit the "government knows best" for families.
As in all of this, when people begin to apply rational thought and common sense (when not prevented by the school systems), they realize that independence from Government infterference is the American way; and the socialist elitists need bobble-head dummies to continue without opposition.
Because the Utah cattle, have been loaded with so much gobblety gook, they have no clue whether they are coming or going. For years, prior to Huntsman asceding the throne, here in Utah, the Lt. Governor was a major advocate to the public schools, and a member to the NEA.
So, do not try and out figure the union fascists on this one. The republicans have been undermining their own camp for years - just go ask Hatch and Bennett. All of them are losers in my book, and I know Bennett personally.
S_S
“an “education” degree. A more worthless piece of paper does not exist...oops”
Amen to that. All those education courses that I had to take to teach were less than worthless. My masters was in my field. That was invaluable in the classroom, but “Philosopy of Education” (ad nauseum) was a monumental waste of time and money.
Don't know, but you've got to understand this:
Government money never comes without government strings.
If you accept the cash, you can be SURE that someone in the halls of the Legislature is walking around thinking up hoops you'll need to jump through to keep getting it.
Maybe they'll say that you can't teach the Bible in your homeschool because you're accepting government money. Maybe they'll say you have to use the same textbooks as the public schools. Perhaps they'll insist that you allow a social worker into your home to inspect your facilities. You name it; if you're on the take from the government, soon or late they'll come knocking, asking for the payback, and that may cost you more than the money is worth.
This union guy is all for school choice. For once, it really is about the children.
"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." - Manuel II Palelologus
I'm thinking most HS'ers would be suspect of vouchers....Because of the "strings attached" possibilities.
“that teachers unions play a biggest role”
Very true, but I paid my yearly dues in order to have a lawyer on retainer in this litigious society. However, usually their primary motivation was power building rather than supporting those pesky teachers. TEA and NEA never spoke for me, and I had to pay dues to them, too, in order to join the local union. I protested, but to no avail. More liberal organizations are hard to find.
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