In 1994, the Clinton administration allocated $6 million to help start charter schools, a brand-new idea that had no track record and looked promising. That money was intended for teacher-led innovative schools or mom-and-pop start ups. The federal Charter Schools Program has since grown into an annual pot of $440 million, which mostly goes to corporate charter chains like IDEA and KIPP, which are rolling in dough.
The CSP is riddled with waste, as about 1/3 of the schools that were funded with federal dollars either close soon after opening or never open at all, as studies of federal data by NPE demonstrate.
Now existing charters are getting permission From the Department of Education to tap into the funds for start ups and use it to pay off coronavirus expenses. This is a direct refutation of the purpose of the law. No such fund exists to help public schools.
By now we know that DeVos uses federal funds as she wishes. She treats the CSP as her private slush fund. She creates conditions on the coronavirus relief funds that Congress never authorized. She is out of control.
Diane Ravitch's blog 
There’s an expression for this…let’s see, what is it now? Oh, yes: “throwing good money after bad.”
The proposed HEROES Act prohibits DeVos from having any discretion in setting priorities.
The law says: “With respect to the allocation and award of funds under this title, The Secretary of Education is prohibited from—
(a) establishing a priority or preference not specified in this title; and (b) imposing limits on the use of such funds not specified in this title. In other words, DeVos cannot privilege charter schools. That is why Nina Rees complained there are “there are no safeguards for charter schools in this package.”
https://www.publiccharters.org/latest-news/2020/05/13/national-alliance-releases-statement-heroes-act-proposal-and-letter-house
The draft law also requires inspectors general to look at how money is spent. That kind of oversight is anathema to Trumpsters. I think this bill is not likely to be passed. It calls for about $58 billion for public K-12 schools and specifically “prohibits financial support for students in private schools, with the exception of those with special needs and under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act.”
You are right that it is to unlikely to pass. Even if it gets through the House, it will likely sit in the Senate like every other bill intended to serve the common good.
SICK!
“The U.S. Department of Education has indicated that it will allow states to repurpose money originally earmarked to help start new charter schools to instead help existing charter schools teach students remotely.
In a letter to the Florida Department of Education, obtained by Chalkbeat, assistant education secretary Frank Brogan approved the state’s request to redirect about $10 million to help new and existing charter schools “purchase the hardware and software necessary to enable all of their students to access curriculum and lessons from home.” Other states, including Colorado, Tennessee, and New York, have made similar requests.”
Continuing their consistent record of doing absolutely nothing for public schools or public school students.
Between marketing campaigns promoting private schools and finding additional funding for charter schools (but never finding any additional funding for public schools) these public employees simply don’t have time to do any work on behalf of students in the unfashionable public school sector.
They’ve been completely and utterly AWOL as far as public schools in this pandemic. They have not lifted a finger to help our students or schools.
Isn’t the private sector charter and voucher lobbying effort enough? The public also needs to pay hundreds of charter and voucher lobbyists?
Here’s the sum total of what the US Department of Education accomplished for public school students this year:
“Some have won widespread support, including the swift decision to allow states to cancel annual testing this year.”
They graciously allowed our students to skip the standardized testing they mandate. January to June. That’s their sum total contribution to the students in the schools they sneeringly refer to as “government schools”.
Congress mandates the annual testing, not ED.
In 2015, Dem senators were more pro-testing than GOP.
Bill Gates pushed his many revenue nets to demand testing as a “civil right”
YES — the language was ready and waiting for Trump
“The federal statute authorizing the program grants DeVos broad authority to waive aspects of the program — but the funds must go to charter schools, and cannot go to traditional school districts.”
For no other reason than our schools are ideologically disfavored in DC.
Our schools aren’t fashionable enough to merit assistance. The best public school families can expect is a one year reprieve from standardized testing. Nothing positive is offered or even considered.
Here’s the US Secretary of Education, hard at work again:
“sets the record straight on K-12 education: “money is not a cure-all”
In 1998 8th graders scored 263 on NAEP reading assessment
Education spending increases significantly over the years
In 2019 8th graders scored….
Nothing. They do no work at all for our kids. In fact, mostly we’re paying them to work against public schools. No positive contribution of any kind. DeVos and her team could stop showing up for work completely and there isn’t a public school student or family in this country who would know the difference. For all I know, they HAVE stopped coming to work- they could be having aides send these tweets.
Public school students would be better off if DeVos didn’t show up for work. Then, she would cause less harm. BTW if money is no cure-all, why does she try to send public money to vouchers and cyber charters? Both perform dismally.
The ed reform echo chamber haven’t been much better in this crisis. They all immediately jumped on public schools with criticism but none of them offer anything of practical value or assistance. It’s just one more opportunity to bash our schools and promote the schools that meet their ideological requirements.
A huge group of paid public school critics. Public schools were down and the echo chamber eagerly piled on to bury them.
how different is this from what Bill Gates has been trying to do—-or already did? Is it different in degree(size)….in principle….or just not appropriate to bother to compare?