Texas: The Consequences of Funding Two Separate School Systems

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1. retired teacher says:

   February 18, 2021 at 12:54 pm

   “The fiscal consequences to school districts from the rapid expansion of Charters is reducing the educational resources to each of the 1,041,346 students at these 15 school districts by an average of $242per year.The average economically disadvantaged student population at these school districts is 82%.”

   Beto O’Rourke recently called Texas a “failed state.” While this may or may not be true, its leadership is failing Texas residents. The people of Texas should stop voting for Republicans that open the flood gates to corporate vandals. The failed power grid is one major problem. Privatization of public education is a second example of how the people of the state losing a key public asset in their public schools. Private charter schools have not improved education in the state. The politicians have enabled the looting of public schools. Charters spend more money for fewer services for students. They raid the coffers of public schools, especially the poorest schools with the fewest resources. Charters are highly inefficient. They use public funds to pay for bloated administrative salaries. Charters are unaccountable to the public that is forced to pay for them. Charter expansion is always achieved in the state by top down imposition and no public vote. Privatization of public education is anti-democratic policy.

   I am a non-resident property owner in Houston. In a recent Kiplinger’s magazine Texas was named a high tax state even though Texas has no state tax. The reason Texas made the list was due it its very high property taxes. In fact, residents in the cities are tired of shouldering the high taxes while corporations are taxed at a lower rate. I do not mind paying taxes for real public schools, but I resent paying high taxes for charter school scammers that are fleecing tax payers without any public input.

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   • retired teacher says:

     February 18, 2021 at 1:01 pm

     cx:..how people of the state are losing a key public asset in their public schools.

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   • retired teacher says:

     February 18, 2021 at 1:10 pm

     BTW, Robert Reich posted this today. Texas Senator Ted Cruz was very critical of “blue state” California when it was facing wildfires last year.

     “Texas Senator Ted Cruz flew to Cancun, Mexico last night for a family vacation as millions of his constituents remained without power and heat. Yes, that’s right: in the middle of an unprecedented humanitarian crisis plaguing his home state, Cruz decided the time was right to skip town and relax on a beach.”

     When the going gets tough, we can count on conservatives to bail on their constituents.

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     • ciedie aech says:

       February 18, 2021 at 2:24 pm

       Cruz’s choice to head out to Cancun is illustrative of those who push endless crony capitalism as Texas’s only political choice: if you are rich enough, you will deserve to escape climate disasters

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     • dianeravitch says:

       February 18, 2021 at 3:27 pm

       I remember when Ann Richards was Governor. She didn’t play the crony game. Great woman.

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     • retired teacher says:

       February 18, 2021 at 3:56 pm

       I can remember seeing Richards at Democratic National Convention in the eighties. I remember she was a very effective, charismatic speaker with her “big hair” and big personality. I think Richards was the last great Texas liberal. Sadly, the conservative scourge took over the state.

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2. thomasgoff says:

   February 18, 2021 at 7:43 pm

   Remarkable. How did any of us, excluding the DeVosians, ever fall for the charter-school boondoggle?

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   • Linda says:

     February 19, 2021 at 8:41 am

     The billionaire-funded Center for American Progress plays a substantial role in making people “fall for charters”. Biden has given CAP’s leader a role in his administration over the objections of progressives.
     btw- In 2016, Randy Weingarten was the foot soldier of neoliberal CAP in its promotion of Hillary instead of Bernie.

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3. thomasgoff says:

   February 19, 2021 at 2:54 pm

   Yeah, misguided people on both sides of the aisle have gotten us here…

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