Conservative Heritage Foundation opposes Betsy DeVos’ $5 billion federal voucher program proposal
Secretary DeVos recently proposed tax credits as a means of advancing her voucher agenda. Democrats in Congress opposed the proposal immediately. Interestingly, the conservative Heritage Foundation (typically an ally of DeVos)
opposed the plan saying, “The federal tax code is an inappropriate place to intervene in state education policy.”
Regarding the Heritage statement about intervening in state policy, the feds have been running rough shod over state constitutional provisions for the public common school system for at least two decades.
Diane Ravitch's blog 
How does the “party of smaller government” reconcile the federal government getting into the business of re-appropriating public tax dollars to fund private and religious schools? That kinda sounds like a big government funding program that will require lots of additional hires to administrate and coordinate.
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exposing the lie
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I read the statement from the Heritage. The Heritage is all in for school choice and federal support for choice in DC, for military families, and for Native Americans. The Heritage also likes the idea of giving more publicity to state policies for choice. Those policies are in place in twenty-seven states in the form of Vouchers, Education Savings Accounts, Scholarship Tax Credits, and Special Needs Programs/Individual Tax Credits.
The Heritage is likely not eager to have people know that these schemes allow the education service providers to pick the students they will serve and many of these only want students who will produce the most profit at the lowest cost and with the least trouble.
Choice plans are also the preferred means of sustaining or expanding school segregation and sending public money or religious schools. Parents who opt for “choice’ on behalf of their children with special needs are too rarely informed that they give up their federal rights to IDEA and other legislation designed to provide a free and appropriate education.
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Laura Your post leads me to ask: Are we looking at (1) the naivete and political ignorance of one Betsy Devos (being too obvious and straightforward about what she is up to) AND (2) a more politically astute organization (Heritage) who is more politically savvy (deceptive) about going after democracy? CBK
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One of the most sinister plots of organizations like Heritage was exposed recently- the promise of future wealthy patrons for citizens who will promote the oligarchs’ agenda in spheres like justice.
When I view the later employers of TFA’ers, suspicions seem warranted.
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Linda Yes, and that’s why I think, though we should keep exclusionary practices up front, there is always the curriculum to worry about also–both what’s in it, and what’s missing from it. Public school isn’t perfect (and doesn’t claim to be) but it’s where we at least have a shot at children understanding the kinds of political situations they can choose to live in (history, social studies, political philosophy, etc.). CBK
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Ty Cobb speculated today that the Mueller investigation may go into Trump’s second term if he’s re-elected. (A win for the Koch’s) Cobb originally predicted the investigation would wrap up quickly. Justice delayed is justice denied.
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Agree with all the astute comments. It just makes my day, however, to see Republicans disagree with Elizabeth DeVos the Grizzly Hunter about taxes. Hee hee hee.
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I guess Betsy prefers grabbing public money and destroying public schools over states’ rights ideology.
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Republicans have abandoned local control. Betsy is ready to toss out state control.
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I think they praise her with faint damnation. If their goals are the same then Heritage’s objections are a quibble over the appearances and legal viability of the process.
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