Louisiana's bold bid to privatize schools

[Judi Lynn]

Source: Reuters

Louisiana's bold bid to privatize schools
By Stephanie Simon | Reuters – 10 hrs ago.

(Reuters) - Louisiana is embarking on the nation's boldest experiment in privatizing public education, with the state preparing to shift tens of millions in tax dollars out of the public schools to pay private industry, businesses owners and church pastors to educate children.

Starting this fall, thousands of poor and middle-class kids will get vouchers covering the full cost of tuition at more than 120 private schools across Louisiana, including small, Bible-based church schools.

The following year, students of any income will be eligible for mini-vouchers that they can use to pay a range of private-sector vendors for classes and apprenticeships not offered in traditional public schools. The money can go to industry trade groups, businesses, online schools and tutors, among others.

Every time a student receives a voucher of either type, his local public school will lose a chunk of state funding.


Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/louisianas-bold-bid-privatize-schools-220651571.html

[Lasher]

1. This sucks.

The public school system is being dismantled before our eyes. Separation of church and state is just a quaint old concept from the olden days.

[BlueIris]

2. What an appallingly bad idea. nt

[liberalmike27]

6. Agreed

Like everything that is privatized, employees will make less, have fewer benefits, work in more unsafe conditions, and generally will receive all the down-side. Those who buy and run the schools will get the Lion's share of the money. And the government will end up paying those wealthy people more money, for the same or less dedicated services.

Worse, the kids will get the same, or worse educations, to the tune of about 80 percent. I suspect a lot of teachers, that can, will end up moving to other states, rather than suffer the abuse of the private system.

Most of this was spawned from Katrina, a Shock Doctrine thing--read Naomi Klein's book to see a more detailed description of what is occurring. Another dumb republican idea, to introduce more cronies to the trough of government money, once spread out amongst our kids, who really need it.

[agentS]

3. This is not going to end well.

Having been through the public education system in Louisiana, I know how crappy the schools are.
But, having read the article, the private schools don't sound any bit better neither.

This is just another way to break the school system and pass the buck. The rich kids already go to private schools. The upper middle class kids will go to private schools eventually but their parents will be paying out the nose in fees and surcharges. That leaves the poor kids stuck in the dismal public schools, and eventually the Christian Madrassas like one the schools mentioned above.

bible-based education my ass.

Maybe I should get into the 'school' business in La... get me some TED videos, a grant from Pepsi, sign up with the state, hire a laid off teacher, and so on...

Real 'turn-key' operation, huh?

[KansDem]

5. It'll be like McDonald's with a blackboard...

"Do you want fries with that history book?"

[pstokely]

8. Most private schools don't have bus service either

It's not like poor kids will get into the best private schools, and the snobby private schools will find ways to keep "those people" out.

[fasttense]

4. So much for public schools.

Say bye, bye to public schools in Louisiana. Soon the costs of elementary and high school education will be so high the poor and middle class will not be able to afford to educate their kids even with the vouchers. There will be fees, penalty charges and transportation costs, supplies and books that will not be covered by their little vouchers. Then there will be loans a family can get to send their kids to elementary and high schools but the poor wont be able to get the loans at a decent rate. Then the next thing you know all the minority kids will be in one school and all the rich white kids will be in another school and the civil rights laws wont apply to private schools.

What a dumb idea to think making money off the future of our children is good for America.

[bonniebgood]

14. BINGO! Well said fasttense. nt

[awoke_in_2003]

15. This is the plan for the whole country...

as in feudal days, only the elites will be educated. An educated workforce demands more money, safe working environments, etc. it is a class war, and we have been losing a long time

[PSPS]

9. More gas in the tank for the corruption machine

These "privatize" things are all off-the-shelf corruption machines.

1. Corrupt politicians pass a bill to "privatize" <fill in noun here>

2. Corporation sets up a <fill in noun here>, hires smallest possible number at the cheapest possible price, non-union of course

3. Corporation begins getting taxpayer cash that used to provide good for many people

4. CEO is awarded enormous "salary," which is paid from the taxpayer funds. Would otherwise have been invested in operation of <fill in noun here>.

5. CEO apportions part of giant "salary" for bribes "campaign contributions" to politicians in step #1.

Also, notice the list of eligible recipients of this taxpayer money:

The money can go to industry trade groups, businesses, online schools and tutors, among others.

Industry trade groups? Their sole function is "lobbying" (bribing) and public relations on behalf of their corporate members.

I can see it now -- a plethora of TV ads like those you see from for-profit "colleges" now, many of which with disclaimers such as "credits earned not likely to transfer." What will these ads say? "Courses offered not likely to be beneficial to your future?"

[JDPriestly]

18. Anyone want to major in drinking Pepsi-Cola or Coca-Cola or how about eating McDonalds'

hamburgers or Kentucky Fried Chicken. Courses could be given in how to pour a soft drink into a bottle or maybe how to prepare food in the fast food places. (Worked there. Done that. Takes about 10 minutes to learn.) - Joking of course.

This is our future, guys.

Meanwhile, California has low state taxes, thus paying higher federal taxes some of which go into the coffers of the Southern states so that they can do this sort of nonsense.

I'm planning to vote to raise California's income taxes when and if a proposition is on our ballot. That's about the only thing I can do to foil the stupidity that passes for policy in the Southern states. (And I went to high school in one of them, so if I diss them it's because I have experience with them and know what I am talking about. No offense meant to liberals in those states.)

[FreeBC]

10. I always thought that the next revolution in education would come from Mississippi

I guess it turns out to be Louisiana leading the pack.

I'm looking forward to seeing startling breakthroughs in cold fusion technology come out of LA in the next few years.

[IamK]

11. not much to lose if these stats from the article are accurate....

White would not say whether he is prepared to pull vouchers from private schools that do poorly on tests.

He pointed out that many kids applying for vouchers are now enrolled in dismal public schools where two-thirds of the students can't read or do math at grade level and half will drop out before they graduate high school. Given that track record, he argues it's worth sending a portion of the roughly $3.5 billion a year the state spends on education to private schools that may have developed different ways to reach kids.

[tooeyeten]

12. Jindal wants to be VP now or in the future n/t

[tooeyeten]

13. means of diluting teacher unions

close public schools, fire the teachers.

[dinopipie]

16. Great idea crappy schools will only get crappier

but on the up side it is not like any one is going to notice. Louisiana has never been known as having good schools to begin with.

[JDPriestly]

17. Next step, segregation by various social criteria including religion, race, etc.

Then, there will be a movement demanding lower taxes and state money will be withdrawn from the schools and the voucher program.

Finally, poor children will be educated at the whim of the very rich.

The result will be a mass of truly ignorant poor who have no hope.

Think of South America 50-100 years ago.

I see a very dim future.

The thing I notice is that you can see how the right-wing sets goals and moves toward them step by step. We Democrats tend to believe in causes, wish for specific outcomes but have no plan to get what we think is right. We just kind of move like a wave without much sense of plan.

[xxqqqzme]

19. That was a point

Lakoff made. Conservatives know what they want and they never compromise because by compromising, they don't achieve their goal.. Democrats have never learned to be that focused, that hateful, that bitter.

[Rosa Luxemburg]

20. Private schools have been dying with the recession

in our state many private schools closed due to parents not affording the fees and went bankrupt. The teachers fled to the public system but had to take more credits for certification.

[0rganism]

21. "bold bid" my ass

more like "foolhardy dismantling of essential social infrastructure."

then again, a lot of folks seem to like the idea of enforced stupidity as a way of life. this change will no doubt be of great comfort to them.