LWVeducation
Tax credit vouchers are supposed to give poor children an option out of a failing school. Gary Chartrand, former Chair, Florida State Board of Education, tells it like it really is.
Chartrand makes a case that getting children from poor families out of public schools saves the rest of us money. There may be another not so hidden agenda that Chartrand forgets to mention.
When something is wrong, do you ignore it or fix it? The Florida Education Association, the PTA and the Florida League of Women Voters said vouchers by any name are wrong and filed suit. A Leon County circuit judge disallowed the suit for lack of standing. Basically, this means that the attorneys did not convince the judge that tax credit scholarships harmed public schools. Is this a no harm, no foul issue? The FEA attorneys say ‘NO’.
The judge did not rule on the merits of the case. Floridians have already voted overwhelmingly to disallow funding for private schools. Vouchers are not roses, and the smell of tax credit scholarships is not sweet. The FEA has appealed the case. What are the merits?
This Orlando Sentinel article turns data into description. How Florida’s tax credit scholarships and McKay vouchers for students with disabilities impacts private schools is the topic.
Some private schools operate solely on public money. Others combine public scholarships and tuition. Some do not take public money.
The rules for private schools are different. Public accountability is limited. Teachers do not need certification. Academic achievement is mixed. The Sentinel story has been excerpted below. It is a side of the story worth telling. What we do not know is if it is money well spent.