Reading politico.com’s daily education brief today is like being trapped in a nightmare and wishing you could wake up. In this case, it is not a bad dream, it is an ugly reality with familiar faces intent on giving public dollars to private and for-profit schools. Add to that the reports of students fearful for their future, and the outlines of an frightening new world emerge.
Politico reports that Indiana’s approach to school reform–based on privatization–will guide the Trump education reformers. The key to Trump reform is diverting public dollars to charters–including for-profit charters and virtual charters–and vouchers for religious schools.
HOOSIER POLICIES HEAD TO WASHINGTON: The same players who sparked intense education battles in Indiana – and transformed schools in the Hoosier State – are poised to enact those policies on a national stage. Just as George W. Bush brought Texas-style accountability to the Education Department and President Barack Obama tapped Chicago basketball buddy Arne Duncan, Donald Trump’s education policies are expected to reflect the Indiana imprint of Vice President-elect Mike Pence. Already, three Hoosiers key in shaping Indiana’s school choice landscape are considered contenders to serve as Trump’s education secretary: Former Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels, president of Purdue University; former Indiana Superintendent Tony Bennett; and Rep. Luke Messer, a former state representative who served as executive director for School Choice Indiana when the state’s 2011 school choice law was passed under Daniels’ watch. Indiana ties also played a role in Trump’s selection of the campaign staffer who helped him craft his $20 billion school choice plan that encourages vouchers and charter schools: Robert Goad, an aide on loan from Messer.
– Pence used his platform as Indiana governor to aggressively expand a voucher program that allows taxpayer money to flow to religious private schools. Pence also pushed for more charter schools, and choice has now become a defining element of Trump’s vision for education. Indiana’s voucher program allows nearly 33,000 students to go to private school on the public’s dime – making it the single largest voucher program of any state in the country. John Jacobson, dean of Teachers College at Ball State University, said the state’s voucher program hasn’t been around long enough to fully understand the long-term impact. Because of that, Jacobson said, “I would hope they are cautious at the national level.” Has Indiana’s voucher program been a positive change for families? “If you were to ask a parent who received a voucher to a school of their choice, they would say yes,”Jacobson said. “For the general public, I think it’s been difficult for the public to accept, taking public dollars and allocating that to private entities.”
Bennett, you may recall, was at the center off a grade-fixing scandal. The grades of a charter school founded by a major campaign contributor were mysteriously increased by adjusting the formula for calculating grades. Bennett was defeated in his bid for re-election as state chief in Indiana, but quickly hired by Florida as chief (he is a protege of Jeb Bush). He resigned as chief in Florida after the grade-fixing scandal broke.
Yep. I call Indiana the pilot program for a Trump/Pence administration. http://www.psconnectnow.org/blog/2016/11/14/its-over
GOP Reform Acronyms For Today (GRAFT) —
DOPE • Destruction Of Public Education
DOPEDIPH • Diversion Of Public Education Dollars Into Private Hands
So the major issue is federal funding for public schools, right? They have no interest in public schools other than as a funding stream that can be diverted to charter and private schools.
It helps to narrow it a bit, I think. What we will lack is federal funding. None of these “reforms” will be directed to public schools at all, so other than funding ed reform becomes all but irrelevant to public schools?
Is that about the size of it?
Trump’s original comment about education was to turn it over to the states. Any lines they cross should be challenged by constitutional and civil rights lawyers.
What ever happened to the plan to scrap or severely cut back on Dept of Ed– quick, do it now!
Seriously… doesn’t ESSA provide some protection to states from more hare-brained fed-ed schemes?
Yes, states do not have to use federal money for privatization. They can allocate it to public schools, if they choose
This is a case where ESSA is a shield against an obtrusive federal government
In the “old” or the sane days, the common funds used to be used for schools that served the common good, and it was good value for the money spent. The funds were used to provide direct service to students of poverty. Strange as it was, we once believed in trying to help those in need.
Federal funding and the systemic effects ON public schools from ed reform promoting charters and vouchers OVER public schools.
That will matter too.
So two areas where public schools will be harmed- one at the federal level and one at the state and local level.
If federal funding goes exclusively to vouchers and charters can we tell public school parents that’s happening? That might be a way to shift public opinion once they get serious about eradicating our schools.
I’m not a political professional but I do live in an area of the country where Trump supposedly ran and won on “populism” and we really don’t hate our public schools.
This anti-public school position in DC is just not reflective of reality.
People pretty much support public schools- liberal, conservative, rich, poor.
He may want to talk to someone other than Moskowitz or Rhee.
As a native Hoosier and former Indiana public school teacher, I am embarrassed by what political hacks like Pence and Daniels and the rest of the GOP gang have done to public education and while doing it they gleefully thumbed their noses at Article I, Sections 4 and 6 of the state constitution. — Edd Doerr (arlinc.org)
God help us!!!!
Ivanka Trump shocked school staffers on a visit to Success Academy Harlem 1 in Upper Manhattan Friday morning.
Ivanka’s father, President-elect Donald Trump, has been courting Success Academy founder Eva Moskowitz for the post of U.S. Education Secretary.
School staffers, who learned of Trump’s visit last night, said security was at the building Friday morning preparing for her arrival.
“Ivanka’s in the building,” said Mindy Rosier, a teacher at a district-run school that shares the building with Success Academy. “Everyone knows it. They were preparing all morning.”
nydailynews.com
Did she carefully avoid any contact with the icky public school that shares the building?
Is there an actual BAR to ed reformers entering an actual public school? They’re kicked off the team if they set foot in one?
I’m somewhat more hopeful in Ohio. Charter-mania seems to have died down. We have state employees entering public schools and everything! We haven’t seen that in a decade.
I don’t know what happened. There was a change at the top and the ed reform echo chamber was somehow breached.
They even surveyed parents. It’s like a miracle 🙂
I believe the successful argument is this: Would you give your tax dollars to a corporation that has no accountability to the taxpayers?
Trumps will pay $25 million for his edu fraud policies, if settlement is approved.
https://www.google.com/amp/mobile.nytimes.com/2016/11/19/us/politics/trump-university.amp.html?client=safari
Trump