Posted on 04/17/2017 8:13:01 AM PDT by Academiadotorg
A recent Gallup poll found bipartisan support for federal funding of school choice programs.
"The other two Trump proposals that generate more agreement than disagreement from Americans are cutting taxes for the middle class and providing federal funding for school-choice programs that allow students to attend any private or public school," Gallup reported. "Republicans strongly support both of these proposals, and Democrats are more likely to agree than disagree with them, although by slim margins."
In its "National School Choice Poll" the American Federation for Children (AFC) found that 68% of likely voters support school choice, and 72% supported the creation of a federal tax credit program.
The AFC's chief operating officer, John Schilling, said it was confirmation that American parents and school choice advocates "want more educational options and support for more educational options" and this stretches across party lines. Schilling pointed out that the best solution "is a federal education tax credit," where corporations and individuals donate charitable contributions to state non-profit organizations, which then use these contributions as scholarships to go to a school of their choice.
Schilling added, "Every child in America should have the opportunity to be in the educational environment that best meets his or her needs." He concluded, "Empowering parents with educational choice will give more children access to a quality education and improve educational outcomes across the board."
Incidentally, one of the founders of AFC was the current U. S. Secretary of Education, Betsy DeVos.
I don’t want the fedgov involved in schools. It’s not its mission. It’s not why it exists.
“How about no federal funding at all for State schools?”
How about that! And collateral with the cessation in “Federal Aid To Education,” will come the complete shuttering of the Department of Education and making the NEA teachers union an illegal entity.
NJ needs that solution (getting away from property taxes to fund public schools); it is a huge disincentive for childless people to buy homes when our property taxes are highest in the country (again), and while tenants do pay a portion of their rents towards property taxes this does nothing when rent control comes into play. Sales tax would be better; everyone would pay. Right now, we are moving towards a scenario where the older Americans who own homes are increasingly distinct and separate from the (often foreign) population using public schools.
The best plan would be for all states to be required to put up a non-property tax related education funding mechanism and leave property taxes to fund those things that are actually directly property related like water, sewer. street maintenance, cops, fire protection, etc. This change alone would obviate initiatives like California's Proposition 13 to allow retired people to continue to live in their homes. Take a look at your property tax bill, and you will find that schools are the largest portion of it.
Only the ignorant, liberals and Democrats would oppose that.
How about dismantling the DoE and leaving it to the states....you know, like the founders intended.
they didn’t ask me
I don’t know about your last statement. At least Constitutionally, don’t local jurisdictions and started states keep the option of deciding how to raise necessary revenue?
Texas House does not want funding for school choice in our state, although the Senate does.
Have been blasting my state rep about this issue. His wife is a former teacher and draws a hefty retirement check from them so he won’t even consider it. Strauss, the House leader, is not in favor of school choice - wants to keep pumping more money into a failing public school. Suspect, particularly in the primary grades, that there are more ESL classes than not and Houston’s public district has at least one Arab Immersion school. Dreamers and illegals can attend state colleges at in-state tuition courtesy of former Governor Rick Perry who is now part of Trump’s cabinet.
They never ask me either. Funny that.
If you own property, especially your primary home, you should not be obligated to effectively rent it from the government.
I have less of a concern with property taxes on commercial property, and have no problem with corporate income tax (IIRC against which very few Constitutional arguments have been made) nor tariffs nor reasonable excise taxes.
Do we have personal property taxes at the time of the Founders? I do not know
Privatize education. Let sales taxes and commercial property taxes fund fire, police, sewer, trash, county hospitals etc. Achieve a level of public education coverage via charity, private enterprise, churches et al. Socialism and other social pathologies would largely end within a generation.
There you go. This is ALWAYS the plan with federal money. They will get control over ALL private schools. We need government OUT of schools and only local control for the homeless/poorl. Not even State level “control”. We need parents in control of ALL education of their OWN children.
We need to get our property taxes cut by OVER half-—and then we could afford any private school or to even homeschool (the best option/w/tutors).
TAXES need to be eliminated completely for “schools” and the indoctrination of our children. Do you realize how much of OUR money goes to INDOCTRINATE and DESTROY VIRTUE in our OWN children???????????? TRILLIONS-—and it is destroying our children’s minds.
This is HOW the government is destroying our Republic-—they got total control over the minds of ALL the children from “preschool” to adulthood by the 1930s so they could embed their evil, vile worldview (Marxist/socialist) in our children with LITTEL INTERFERENCE to their lies and disinformation (1984 skools).
Ridiculous ! Why expect federal funding for school choice programs ? Vouchers for school choice would actually SAVE MONEY for local governments compared to public schools. Private K-12 schools spend barely half a much per student as public K-12.
This is a red herring for people to claim they are “supportive” of school choice but are waiting for federal funding — the only reason for federal funding would be to further pad the public school systems and bribe them into releasing students from their evil clutches.
you know, I’m reminded of a question we asked each other in college: “The answer is more beer. What is the question?” Substitute “no federal funding” for “more beer” and you might have a pretty good road map...
good point: education & health care do share a root problem—third-party payment.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.