They’re baaaaccckkk!
The zombies called vouchers will be introduced again in the Texas State Senate, once again under the fraudulent claim that they are intended for children with disabilities.
Governor Greg Abbott is calling a special session, holding new state funding hostage in exchange for vouchers. Once again, we pray, the Texas House of Representatives will stop the voucher proposal. The House has saner and wiser people than the State Senate.
Texas’s very own version of Rush Limbaugh, the former rightwing talk-show host and current Lt. Governor Dan Patrick, will once again promote his favorite obsession.
The vouchers won’t help many–or any– kids with disabilities, because private and religious schools are not equipped to help them and don’t want them.
One parent of a child with special needs testified against vouchers in the last session. Her child was turned away by 13 private schools.
Diane Ravitch's blog 
See how Texas public education system deals with children with disabilities here:
http://www.houstonchronicle.com/denied/5/
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The Texas legislature put an artificial cap on the number of children who may receive special education services at 8.5%. If the actual number is 12%, those kids don’t get the services to which they are legally entitled.
Charles, didn’t you read the New Yorker article about Texas that I posted a few days ago.
The legislature doesn’t want to pay for public education, probably because most children in the state are Hispanic and poor.
In 2011, the legislature cut the school budget by $5.2 Billion. Since then, the enrollment has increased, but the lawmakers have restored only $1 billion.
The House wants to add another $1.5 billion to the budget but the Senate won’t approve the increase without vouchers. The House won’t approve vouchers because they destroy communities and are very unpopular
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I did read that article you cite. I am certain that there are several reasons that the House will find school choice/vouchers “tough sledding”.
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The House will reject vouchers because rural Republicans want to protect their communities, not disrupt them.
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School choice/vouchers have more support in Texas than you realize. See
http://watchdog.org/286602/school-choice-texas-2/
Interestingly, there is a billionaire grocer named Charles Butt, who is working against school choice, and perpetuating the public school monopoly (in Texas)
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Charles Butt is a great Texan. His family fortune was made by owning small grocery stores across small towns. He believes in giving back to the communities served by his grocery stores. He respects community. Advocates of “choice” believe in destroying community.
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OMG! And this is the United States of America? Terrible. Guess United States means something else to fascists.
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Charles, I really object to the term “school monopoly”
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See
https://www.privateschoolreview.com/texas/special-education-private-schools
There are 51 (special needs) private schools in the Lone Star State, serving 4,535 (special needs) students (Source: Private School Review)
If school choice/vouchers are approved in Texas, then these schools will be able to accept some of the special-needs children in Texas. Some may expand, and hire additional staff. Once the funding is assured (through vouchers), school operators will begin opening special-needs schools in Texas, and add to the existing 51.
Not all of the non-public schools in Texas, are currently equipped to provide proper services to the special needs children in Texas. Not all of the public schools in Texas, are adequate to meet the needs of these children, either.
At least one parent had to move to Pennsylvania, to get the proper schooling for their child.
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Charles,
The Republicans in the House voted vouchers down several times. Hopefully, they will do it again and again.
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School choice/vouchers are probably “dead on arrival” in Texas.
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I sure hope so
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TN has this type of voucher for students with disabilities. It was a new law that passed in 2015to get the vouchers in TN with the clear intent to expand vouchers.
An entirely new department within the TDOE had to be created, funded, and staff hired to oversee this SPED voucher program. In addition, money was spent advertising these special vouchers to parents across the state.
Do you know how many students actually used these vouchers last year? Only 35 students.
Despite what legislators claimed, there was not an overwhelming demand for these vouchers from parents of SPED students. All the precious tax dollars spent on advertising and beauracracy would have been better spent in classrooms to help students.
http://humphreyonthehill.tnjournal.net/just-35-enrolled-in-tn-voucher-program-for-students-with-disabilities/
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Many school districts in Florida have their own special education charter school. I believe the main reason is to circumvent IDEA in order to keep costs down.
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Interesting, retired. Do these charters have qualified, certified sp.ed. teachers, parapros & O.T.s, P.T.s, speech therapists, social workers, counselors & any other professionals/number of classrooms needed to provide a FAPE*, IEPs*, LREs* & a Continuum of Services*?
FAPE= Free, Appropriate Public Education
IEP= Individualized Education Plan
LRE= Least Restrictive Environment (in many cases, the LRE is the self-contained classroom & not inclusion, as tends to be popular
belief)
CoS is the gold standard (& necessary) to ensure the optimal education of sp.ed. students–i.e., a student may start out needing a self-contained classroom, but later may need inclusion in some classes w/pull-out resource services, &, later, may simply need inclusion with or w/o an aide. Again, the reason we have IEPs, & it is called special ed–must be individualized as to students’ needs in order for students/programs to be successful.
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I doubt they follow all the IDEA requirements. If they were intending to follow the letter of the law, there would be no need for the school district to set up its own charter. It may also have something to do with gaming the dumb letter grade rating system that Florida has. Maybe too many classified students lower the score, or it saves the district money. I just know that several county districts have established their own special education charters.
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Another example of DeVos and her antics!
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Look at how Dallas ISD spends its money intended for at-risk students.
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Disdheist.com
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Reblogged this on David R. Taylor-Thoughts on Education and commented:
The thing that will not die….especially with the zombie master at the helm. thanks Lt. Dan
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