Duke University reports on North Carolina’s voucher program after three years.
The report adds to the growing evidence that “escaping” a public school to a religious or other private school does not “save” children.
Findings.
Vouchers may be as much as $4,200, far below the tuition of elite private schools ( which don’t have empty seats and are unlikely to accept students with low test scores anyway).
” The number of children receiving vouchers has increased from approximately 1,200 in the first year to 5,500 in 2016-17. The General Assembly has authorized an additional 2,000 vouchers for each year over the next decade, bringing the total to 25,000 by 2027.”
The current annual expenditure is $60 million. By 2027, the program will have cost $900 million.
Based on limited and early data, more than half the students using vouchers are performing below average on nationally-standardized reading, language, and math tests. In contrast, similar public school students in NC are scoring above the national average.”
93% of the vouchers are used at religious schools.
There is virtually no accountability for voucher schools. “Accountability measures for North Carolina private schools receiving vouchers are among the weakest in the country. The schools need not be accredited, adhere to state curricular or graduation standards, employ licensed teachers, or administer state End-of-Grade tests.”
Vouchers are evidence-free. Rifhtwing ideologues believe that choice is the goal of choice. They promise dramatic gains that never materialize. One can only conclude that they they don’t care about the children because choice is an end in itself.
Diane Ravitch's blog 
Seems like right-wingers and Trumpsters everywhere are now living by this formula: freedom=evidence-free.
“Accountability measures for North Carolina private schools receiving vouchers are among the weakest in the country. The schools need not be accredited, adhere to state curricular or graduation standards, employ licensed teachers, or administer state End-of-Grade tests.”
Of course this is exactly the way things are supposed to be according to ALEC. See the model legislation here.
https://www.alec.org/model-policy/amendments-and-addendum-the-next-generation-charter-schools-act/
Off topic, but hearings on education with testimony by the Inspector General is on live now at
Someone is also asking about having an Inspector General for the Wihitehouse.
“Based on limited and early data, more than half the students using vouchers are performing below average on nationally-STANDARDIZED reading, language, and math TESTS. In contrast, similar public school students in NC are scoring above the national average.”
What part of Noel Wilson’s “Educational Standards and the Problem of Error”
is false?
NoBrick:
I would prefer that children and schools NOT be measured or compared by standardized tests. I agree with Duane and Wilson. These tests are remarkably accurate at measuring family income and education.
However, the “reformers” slam public schools with these scores and claim that privately run schools will get high scores and that every child will get “an excellent education” if allowed to exercise choice between public and non-public schools. Thus, when the results reveal that their claim was false, it must be pointed out.
Even now, as voucher students continually post scores that are not significantly different from their peers who didn’t get a voucher, choice proponents are searching for other non-academic ways to claim “success.”
The US Department of Education promoted vouchers yesterday at a meeting of parent advocates for public schools:
“A senior presidential aide said Wednesday that American families should have various school options for their children, including private schools.
Jason Botel, Donald Trump’s education adviser, told a National PTA conference that some children may not thrive in traditional public or charter schools and should have an opportunity to attend private schools.”
Still haven’t offered anything of value to the 90% of children in public schools yet they have time and money to conduct a political campaign pushing vouchers.
The public schools advocates were (understandably) surprised at why the US Department of Education traveled a conference about public schools to promote private schools:
“Some in the audience did not appreciate the message.
“Our stance is that public money should not go to funding private education,” said Rebecca Gawsyszawski with the Ohio PTA. “It’s part of our democracy that every child should be allowed free public education.”
Public school leaders have to start asking themselves what this “movement” offers existing public schools. If the answer is “nothing” then let’s not waste our time working with them.
Ed reform can push vouchers all day long as far as I’m concerned. What they can’t do is use public school events to conduct this nationally-orchestrated political campaign promoting private schools. We shouldn’t allow this.
Our schools have value. We deserve advocates in government. We don’t have any.
http://abcnews.go.com/Lifestyle/wireStory/trumps-education-adviser-promotes-private-schools-46001990
There are 4200 public employees at the US Department of Education.
Can someone explain to me why they spend all their time promoting private school voucher programs?
I know public schools are unfashionable and voucher-mania has hit ed reform but is it really too much to ask for 90% of kids to have ONE government advocate?
I’m a public school parent. What does ed reform or the US Department of Education offer public school parents? There should be something! If there isn’t anything then public schools shouldn’t be wasting time engaging with ed reformers. That is a DISSERVICE to their students.
The role of public schools in ed reform seems to be to collect data so they can run political campaigns pushing charter and private schools.
I don’t want my son or his school used like that. Offer us something of value or leave us alone.
Here is literally the sum total benefit ed reform has offered public schools this year.
They promise that public schools will get better as a result of their voucher programs.
That’s it. That’s what they offer 90% of kids. A vague theoretical promise that private school vouchers will maybe, eventually, make public schools “better”.
Public schools are an afterthought in this “movement”. They don’t even pretend to offer any direct benefit to kids in public schools. That’s how little they value public schools.
Well, they have to make some claim to justify all those millions going to underfunded church schools where the teachers are uncertified and the Bible is the basis of the curriculum.
If you want to find public schools on the US Department of Education agenda go to the the office of ed tech:
There they are! A huge market for the ed tech industry. We’re only useful as a potential buyer of ed tech product- obviously charter and private schools can’t keep this growing industry afloat.
I think the thing that upsets me most is not that ed reform has complete and utter disdain for public schools.
It’s that the only time they address public schools is when they’re selling them ed tech product.
We’re good enough to buy product and keep this emerging industry in the black, but other than that no one’s interested.
Crossposted at Oped News : https://www.opednews.com/Quicklink/North-Carolina-Voucher-Pr-in-Best_Web_OpEds-Diane-Ravitch_Fraud_Lies_North-Carolina-170309-173.html
Browsing the Duke study, my fave feature is the criminal background check for head of private school accepting vouchers. The law requires that a criminal background check be performed– period. OK for school to keep receiving voucher $ if head of school turns out to be a felon.
Reminds me of this ad:
And isn’t it true that the largest single recipient of voucher aid in NC is the Greensboro Islamic Academy? And there have been no sqawks from the fundies?
Reblogged this on David R. Taylor-Thoughts on Education.