All sorts of goodies are tucked away in the GOP tax reform proposal for their base. One of them is a tax plan to put money away tax-free to pay for private school tuition. This is modeled on the current 529 plan, which enables people to save for college tuition. The special treat in the new GOP Proposal is that families can put money away for the “unborn,” thus inserting the language of the anti-abortion groups into federal legislation and recognizing that a fetus is a person. The irony is that these groups are ambivalent about the word “choice.” They favor school choice, but oppose a woman’s choice to have an abortion.

Categories Education Reform

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Susan Lee Schwartz says:

November 6, 2017 at 12:09 pm

It’s up at: https://www.opednews.com/Quicklink/Peter-Greene-on-the-GOP-Pl-in-Best_Web_OpEds-Anti-abortion_Diane-Ravitch_Legislation_Money-171106-300.html#comment678477

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Retired Teacher says:

November 6, 2017 at 12:17 pm

The education news is constantly depressing. It feels like whiplash – this dismantling or weakening of our educational foundations.

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- FLERP! says:
  
  November 6, 2017 at 12:36 pm
  
  As opposed to the rest of the news?
  
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  - GregB says:
    
    November 6, 2017 at 12:46 pm
    
    I’m trying to sum up the strength to get through our national day of mourning two days from now.
    
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  - Joel Herman (@jwherman11) says:
    
    November 6, 2017 at 1:04 pm
    
    GregB
    
    There is hope the rest of the World seems to have far lower rates of mental illness.
    
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- NYC public school parent says:
  
  November 6, 2017 at 12:50 pm
  
  Retired Teacher,
  
  I agree – most Americans don’t support what is happening with the public funding of private schools (including charters, which are private schools that are 100% funded by our taxes). But the rich and powerful do and they have succeeded in changing the debate so it is only on their terms. It is depressing.
  
  I find it odd when people respond to real concerns expressed here with utterly gratuitous remarks like FLERP! just made. Expressing concern with what is happening in education in no way undermines all the bad things happening in other areas.
  
  So why post such a gratuitous remark unless you have an agenda?
  
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  - FLERP! says:
    
    November 6, 2017 at 1:30 pm
    
    It’s an attempt at gallows humor, NYCPP. Please lighten up. You don’t need to be angry at me 24/7.
    
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  - NYC public school parent says:
    
    November 6, 2017 at 1:59 pm
    
    FLERP!, why are you so defensive? Retired Teacher was depressed about the state of education and you hijacked the comment for absolutely no reason. Here is a suggestion: If you want to express some “gallows humor” instead of discussing the subject of the post, just start a new comment and don’t reply to someone else’s.
    
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  - speduktr says:
    
    November 7, 2017 at 12:18 am
    
    NYC public school parent, I sympathize with you on many of your comments, but I do think you are a bit trigger happy when it comes to Flerp. Notice how Flerp rhymes with flippant? On more occasions than not I find his comments an attempt to lighten up the atmosphere, or as he said, gallows humor If we were standing in a circle just airing our frustrations, his comment would be greeted with tired chuckles of agreement. It is patently obvious that education is only one of many discouraging policy discussions we could be having. I do not see him as an attack dog.
    
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  - NYC public school parent says:
    
    November 7, 2017 at 2:00 pm
    
    speduktr,
    
    I didn’t notice that flerp! rhymes with flippant. I must be missing something there : )
    
    But not to worry – flerp! and I understand each other pretty well. Just check out the discussion on the Virginia blog. Flerp! is even keeping me updated on his (or her) own voting today!
    
    But I take your point and I will try not to be as trigger happy at the snarky remarks. Thank you.
    
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- FLERP! says:
  
  November 6, 2017 at 2:03 pm
  
  Retired Teacher, I apologize for my attempt at gallows humor in response to your comment. I didn’t intend to minimize your concern about the depressing nature of education-related news.
  
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Chiara says:

November 6, 2017 at 12:19 pm

Odd, isn’t it? Our elected officials at the federal level seem to be completely unaware that 90% of families use public schools.

Something has gone very, very wrong in that place. They don’t even pretend to represent our interests.

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- Charles says:
  
  November 6, 2017 at 12:43 pm
  
  Where do you come up with this assumption? How can you state, that federal officials are unaware of the fact that a large majority of America’s schoolchildren are trapped into government-run publicly-operated schools?
  
  I live in metro WashDC. I believe that the officials in the federal government, are more aware of the facts about publicly-financed education, that you believe.
  
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  - dianeravitch says:
    
    November 6, 2017 at 1:35 pm
    
    Charles,
    
    You assume that Washington, DC, is representative of all US education. Why? You live in Farfax County, one of the best public school districts in the nation. On the other hand, Mrs. DeVos hails from Michigan, which embraced choice for the past 20 years, and has experienced plummeting test scores for every group regardless of race or income level.
    
    DC has had choice for many years. If you don’t like DC, avoid choice.
    
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  - Charles says:
    
    November 6, 2017 at 1:42 pm
    
    Maybe I did not make myself clear. The Congress, which is composed of representatives and Senators from all 50 states, has individuals who are aware of the state of public education in their respective districts/states. The level of their awareness, varies of course. Most of them send their own children to non-public schools.
    
    The bureaucrats in the Education department, also have varying “awareness” of the state of public education nationwide.
    
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  - dienne77 says:
    
    November 6, 2017 at 2:58 pm
    
    What these representatives are aware of, Charles, that the vast majority of their constituents – both left and right – send their kids to public schools, like their public schools, are dependent on their public schools, and will fight to defend their public schools. The public is very much opposed to privatization of public education – it fails nearly every referendum (except when privatizers try to sneak it through with deceptive language like “Parent Trigger”) and every legislative attempt that is remotely transparent.
    
    What they’re also aware of is that their donors don’t like public schools and are trying to get rid of public schools.
    
    So what these representatives are trying to do is have their cake and eat it too. They try to pretend how much they love public education and teachers while passing measures – usually buried deep in legislation regarding other matters – that harms public education and diverts funding to privatized education, whether vouchers or charters or “ESAs” or whatever they can get away with.
    
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  - Joel Herman (@jwherman11) says:
    
    November 6, 2017 at 3:01 pm
    
    Charles
    
    Many are clueless on many issues and even more are disingenuous. Our National representatives have a lot on their plates to begin with . So on how many issues do they do the in-depth
    research, that would be required to truly understand issues . I suspect they concentrate most on the issues in front of their committees .
    
    After doing the research (or their staff), they would then be faced with the political realities of any decision . How engaged their constituents would be on any particular issue. How it would affect their donor base or voter bases.and even their own pockets .
    
    Do you think we still have mass shootings because Republicans are aware of the facts or rather care about facts.
    
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  - Charles says:
    
    November 6, 2017 at 3:49 pm
    
    So politicians pretend to love publicly-operated schools, and then “suck up” to their donors. Stop the Presses. I could quote Sun-Tzu and Machiavelli, but I won’t.
    
    This blatant hypocrisy is another reason for the public financing of election campaigns.
    
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  - dianeravitch says:
    
    November 6, 2017 at 3:50 pm
    
    Note to Charles: quoting Sun Tzu, Machiavelli, and the Heritage Foundation is not persuasive
    
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  - dienne77 says:
    
    November 6, 2017 at 4:37 pm
    
    Okay, so you’re admitting that federal officials aren’t worried about children being “trapped” in “failing” schools. You’re admitting federal officials don’t give a rat’s patoot about children. Fine, then state it that way the first time, please. Please stop pretending that our elected officials’ constant push for “school choice” has anything to do with children or families or anything other than their own bottom lines.
    
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  - Charles says:
    
    November 7, 2017 at 1:16 pm
    
    @Dienne: Politicians have three(3) priorities. Get re-elected, get re-elected, and get re-elected. In order to run for office, it takes money. So politicians “suck up” to the donors.
    
    If our nation had public financing of election campaigns, then the incentive for politicians to pander to the special interests would disappear.
    
    Fat chance.
    
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  - dianeravitch says:
    
    November 7, 2017 at 1:25 pm
    
    Ever hear of the Citizens United decision of 2010?
    
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Edd Doerr says:

November 6, 2017 at 12:21 pm

The GOP tax “deform” plan demonstrates a total Repub hostiliy toward public education, wwomen’s rights of conscience, and our constitutional heritage of church-state separation.

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Charles says:

November 6, 2017 at 12:40 pm

see https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/education/wp/2017/11/02/how-the-gop-tax-reform-bill-helps-betsy-devoss-school-choice-agenda/?utm_term=.73f565d34f87

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Chiara says:

November 6, 2017 at 12:48 pm

Who lobbied to get the private school provision in there?

Obviously they somehow have much more clout and influence than the 53 million children who attend public schools in every state and district supposedly represented by these people.

Is there a single advocate for public schools in Congress? Anyone? You would think we’d get ONE out of 500 people.

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- Charles says:
  
  November 6, 2017 at 3:45 pm
  
  There are many advocates for publicly-operated schools in the congress. Two of them are Mark Takano (D-CAL) and Mark Pocan (D-WIS). There is even a public school caucus, where congresspersons who support publicly-operated schools, can plan their strategy. Its members include Democratic Reps. Alma Adams (N.C.), Suzanne Bonamici (Ore.), Rosa DeLauro (Conn.), Mark DeSaulnier (Calif.), Raul Grijalva (Ariz.), Sheila Jackson Lee (Texas), Jared Polis (Colo.), Jamie Raskin (Md.) and Bonnie Watson Coleman (N.J.).
  
  Public schools have more supporters in the congress, than you realize. Even in this Republican-controlled congress, Ms. DeVos plan to provide seed money to states to set up school voucher programs, was killed.
  see
  
  https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/public-education-caucus_us_5875183ee4b099cdb0ffb0c2
  
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  - dianeravitch says:
    
    November 6, 2017 at 3:52 pm
    
    Wrong. Jared Polis is a charter supporter and runs two of them in Colorado. He is also a multimillionaire.
    
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  - Charles says:
    
    November 6, 2017 at 3:59 pm
    
    The HuffPost article says Polis is a founding member of the Public Education caucus. His website says he supports public education. see https://polis.house.gov/issues/issue/?IssueID=107373
    
    Maybe he is playing both sides of the issue.
    
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  - dianeravitch says:
    
    November 6, 2017 at 7:26 pm
    
    I have met Polis. He is a strong supporter of charters.
    
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  - Charles says:
    
    November 6, 2017 at 4:01 pm
    
    From the Polis website Q Jared believes that building an excellent public education system that provides each and every child with the opportunity to succeed is the best possible investment in America’s future. END Q
    
    It also says he founded two charter school networks.
    
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  - dianeravitch says:
    
    November 6, 2017 at 7:26 pm
    
    The usual misleading malarkey about charters
    
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homelesseducator says:

November 6, 2017 at 1:58 pm

CATO opposes 529s and, as best I could tell, it’s because they don’t want to see federal laws applied to private schools that receive funds thought federal programs, such as compliance with civil rights legislation, including not discriminating in hiring and accepting students, to FERPA.

Having worked in private education, from Pre-K through Grad school, which accept federal program funding, from the federal school lunch program, to child care block grants to college financial aid, I know how that applies to private schools at all levels and I happen to think it’s a good thing. So, I have to wonder, as I bet many RWNJs are thinking, does anyone know what the GOP would have to do to wipe out that requirement?

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- NYC public school parent says:
  
  November 6, 2017 at 2:03 pm
  
  I’m certain that CATO is worrying itself for no reason.
  
  The Republicans want to abolish any need for private schools (or any private entities) who receive public funds to have to follow those bothersome regulations. So I have no doubt that private schools will be free to accept the money no strings attached.
  
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- bethree5 says:
  
  November 6, 2017 at 6:35 pm
  
  Not too hard, really: just understaff & underfund DofEd’s OCR Dept & head it up w/ someone like Candice Jackson…
  
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flos56 says:

November 6, 2017 at 2:55 pm

Take the unborn out of the picture.
Let individuals earmark money for educating their children, grandchildren, foster children, godchildren, or even total strangers. No money is disbursed unless to a living person. No pets either.

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- flos56 says:
  
  November 6, 2017 at 2:56 pm
  
  I’m thinking college though, not alternatives to the public education system.
  
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bethree5 says:

November 6, 2017 at 6:29 pm

As blue states are hemorrhaging from scrapping deduction for state & local taxes, Repub reps stab them a couple of times w/nail scissors to make sure they get the ‘point’: their deep-pockets campaign-coffer-stuffers know that top earners can easily toss in a few extra thou to fed on top of state/ local inc taxes & over-the-cap RE taxes– & will pocket the chump change from priv K-12 529’s w/o thanks, & chuckle at the country club over teachers losing $250 in tax credit. Blue-state non-Richie Rich’s take note: throw these Monopoly Men out of office soonest.

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bethree5 says:

November 6, 2017 at 10:54 pm

529’s are a minor tax break: only the earnings on savings are tax-free (fed, & in most states state/local as well). They’re not like IRA,: contributions are from already-taxed income, so “tax-free w/dwls” is meaningless. But if a couple has a whopping big income & can afford to set aside $28k per yr per kid, or grandkid or whoever (the current max contrib in many states)– & say they find an investment vehicle that earns 6%– that’s $1680 per 529 account off your taxable income per account. If you have 3 kids, that’s $2k/yr the fed/state has to find from some other source.

The ‘from conception’ bit is significant as a concept, & should be legally challenged. But newlyweds can already set up 529’s in their own names then switch to kids names when they have kids.

And the ‘expansion’ to cover private K-12 seems only to relate to what you can use the $ for– state max contributions cannot be changed by Congress– but now you can take $10k/yr/ kid out for priv sch. Like that’s going to help all those poor kids from ‘failing public schools’ one whit. Parents who can afford to put $10k/yr/ kid into savgs yrs before they start school… are parents who can afford privsch tuition w/ or w/o this chump-change tax ded!! Deplorable public policy, & practically meaningless $-wise: again, a conceptual camel-nose under the tent, nothing else. Should be fought tooth & nail as a completely baseless give-away to the wealthy.

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