There is more than one way to harm public education. Several states have passed legislation to allow tax credits for scholarships to private and religious schools. This reduces the money available to support public schools.
But it gets better! In South Carolina, smart investors can actually make a profit by making gifts to the tax credit (aka voucher) fund.
David Slade writes in the S.C. “Post and Courier” that “S.C. Tax Rule Creates a Way to Profit by Funding Private School Scholarships.”
He says that taxpayers can save up to $1.42 for every dollar they give to the tax credit program.
He writes that high-wealth donors benefit the most. One single donor in the last fiscal year gave $1.52 million and gained a profit between $100,000 and $638,000.
Privatization produces no academic gains for students but it is a really swell gain for canny investors.
This deserves an “A” for creativity. In fact, the deformers in general deserve high marks for creative financing. I think part of the reason the general public has a hard time grasping what is going on is that while Americans love talking about conspiracy theories, they don’t really believe them. Yet how do you connect all of the dots in the reform movement without coming to the conclusion that there is a plan to destroy public schools and teachers unions? But this sounds crazy to most people.
People shouldn’t have to support anything they don’t want to support and they shouldn’t have to pay for it, either.
That’s what “public” means, right? 🙂
I can’t wait until this ed reform “choice!” ethos spreads to every other public entity and service.
Actually people do have to pay for things that they don’t support. The tax collecting agencies expect compliance even if you are against certain programs.
Video of Duncan promoting Gulen charters in Cleveland. He quotes the bogus “100%!” stat they all use.
Duncan is promoting an organization under investigation by the FBI? He should do his homework. Has he taken his requisite trip to Turkey?
It was before the FBI investigation.
They all adore the Turkish charters. There are reams of politician endorsements/sales pitches out there – photos and all.
These schools are either HUGELY politically connected or The Best Schools In America. I have never seen anything like it.
I have the same visceral response to watching/listening to Arne talk as I used to have to GW Bush. I can’t hit the stop/off button fast enough. Ugh.
And when were tax credits for vouchers ever supposed to help public education. They’re just another way to shift money upward.