Private Schools Respond to Public Money

church and stateThis 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.

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Ethics in Education Conference: Miami

ethicsI am looking forward to attending this conference on May 1-2, not just because I am a panelist.  The conference is sponsored by the Miami-Dade Commission on Ethics and Public Trust.  Co-sponsors are the University of Miami and Miami-Dade Public Schools.  My panel is:

School Choice And Public Resources: What Are The Limits For Charter Schools And Private School Subsidies?

The other panels are very interesting as well.  They cover everything from teaching to the test,  social issues e.g. immigration, bullying, policing as well as oversight and accountability.

Details on the program and location follow.  If possible, join us.

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New York Impasse Ends Cuomo’s Tax Credit Scholarship Support

horse trading

horse trading

In a political move to pass immigration reform in New York, the Governor linked private school tax credit scholarships to Dream Act bills.  The trade off would make undocumented students eligible for college scholarships in exchange for tax credit scholarships for poor and wealthy families.

A bipartisan coalition failed, and the Governor announced this week he would withdraw budget funding for both programs.  Reading the article in Capital magazine is like reading a political case study.

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LWV Press Release: Florida’s Tax Credit Vouchers in Court February 9th

justiceThe Florida League issued a press release today in advance of the scheduled court hearing on Monday, February 9th of McCall et al vs. Scott et al.  The League is a plaintiff in this case against the Florida Tax Credit Scholarships to private, mostly religious schools.

A previous lawsuit against the expansion of the FTC scholarships  was dismissed by Judge Francis.  That suit, Faase vs. Scott, claimed that the procedures used to pass the bill on the  last day of the  session were illegal.  The judge ruled that no significant harm was done by the political maneuvers.  We hope the outcome will be different.

READ ON TO SEE THE PRESS RELEASE.

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Florida Tax Credit Scholarships Need The Light of Day

business-257880_1280We will do a series of posts on educational issues likely to come up in the Florida legislative session.  We would like to hear from other states as well.  Let’s begin with the accountability of the Florida Tax Credit (FTC) scholarship program.

What are the children learning; where is the money going, and how is it spent?

Keeping track of the $86 million for 67, 142 students in over 1400 schools is no easy task.  Transparency issues in reporting have arisen in charter schools.   Senator Legg, Chair of the Education Committee indicated that remedies would be made.  How can he improve transparency in the private school sector for tax credit vouchers?

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Beware of Lies, Damn Lies, and Statistics

graph-41423_1280I liked this book when I read it years ago.  Still do. I really look at numbers and think about what they do and do not tell us.  When I learned that the Florida Legislature had changed the evaluator for the Florida Tax Credit scholarship (FTC) program, I wondered why.

Before we judge, let’s look at the data from the April 2014 FTC scholarship program for private schools.  These are the scholarships funded by tax rebates to corporations.

How are tax credit voucher programs evaluated in other states?  Let us know.  Here is what was reported in Florida.

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Confused about Voucher Lawsuits?

frog-48234_1280Florida has had three recent voucher lawsuits:  Fasse et al vs. Scott et al, McCall et al vs. Scott et al, and Citizens for Strong Schools vs. Department of Education.  They all oppose Florida Tax Credit Scholarships (FTC)  to private schools. 

The money is significant; it now amounts to over $900 million in FTC scholarships.  Which companies provide the money? Want to know more?

 

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One of Two Florida Voucher Lawsuits Thrown Out

One of the two Florida voucher lawsuits was thrown out today by Judge Charles Francis.  Faase et al vs. Scott et al was dismissed once before and then refiled.  The new version was deemed to be legally insufficient to sustain a finding of ‘special injury’.  This complaint was based on SB850 which was alleged to have been passed by the legislature using ‘log rolling’ strategies to combine bills to expand the tax credit scholarships and create new accounts for students with disabilities.  Click the LAWSUITS banner on the Home Page of this blog for more information.