FL vouchers used for home-schooling with no accountability! Not ok!

[madfloridian]

That is what this article is saying. I found the Palm Beach Post cached version from google, after Soup pm'ed me with the article.
I used quotes from it to search. I saw this earlier in August, but lost the reference. I am so mad about the way congressmen are passing the DC vouchers and referring to Florida's success with them. Baloney!

http://makeashorterlink.com/?H22A510F5
SNIP....."State tax money intended to send disabled students to private schools is being siphoned off by middlemen who use it to help parents home-school their children -- a use never envisioned by the law's sponsor.

The state's oversight of the McKay scholarships program is so lax that the middlemen -- organizations listed in state records as private schools but often just a person's home or Web site -- are able to take in thousands of dollars each year in state vouchers with little accounting for how that money is spent.

Critics complain that the organizations are nothing more than clearinghouses for home-schooling parents to receive vouchers, something they can't normally do under state law.

In one case, a parent complained that the organization wanted up to half the voucher money for itself......"END SNIP

This is not ok! Taxpayer money should not be used this way, ever.

[DoYouEverWonder]

1. Too qualify for a MacKay Scholarship

is a lengthy process that you must go through, in order for a student to be classified as an ESE student. Often, these are the kids that nobody wants. These are kids that cause 'problems' in a regular classroom and most teachers do not have adequate resources or time to deal with these kids. Jeb is more than happy to have them 'out of the system' and could care less how the money is spent once they are gone. It's a great way to make it look like the public schools are doing a better job. Get rid of all the ESE kids who cost more to educate and pull down your performance numbers.

In the meantime, parents are given this money with almost no strings attached. It is entirely up to the parent to decide how to provide their child with an education that suits the child's needs. This is okay when you have an educated parent who is committed to getting their child the best education they can provide. However, a lot of ESE kids don't have parents who are capable of making good decisions.

The way the program is set up there is zero accountablity for how the parents spend this money. It is a very easy system to abuse.

[azrak]

2. public school teachers

have enough on their hands without having to deal with disabled kids in a regular classroom. Diaper changes for middle school kids, or high school. The parents of these kids need the break too, so a 3rd party needs to step in.

[SharonAnn]

3. If the 3rd party provides the education, then fine. But if all they're

doing is siphoning off a large percentage of the education money and providing no education or education services, then that's just plain "stealing" or, as it's legally know, "fraud".

And to have no accountabilities when you're spending taxpayer money, what an inappropriate situation.

But, just like a typical GOP ploy these days. All they seem to care about is finding a way to get the stream of taxpayer money that is provided for services and get that revenue stream diverted to their pockets.

[madfloridian]

4. They should be accountable with my tax money.

Our county has special schools for the children you mention. They have had for over 33 years, the number of years I have been teaching.

There should be no vouchers with my tax money which are not fully accounted for. There should be no children shuffled off to unknown fates.

I agree that special kids need special handling, but not at the hands of a person with convictions 19 times over like the Sago Palm Academy. Check out my other thread.

I have an open mind about options. I just demand that everything be open and above board. If you read the article, even John McKay who proposed these scholarships, is getting concerned at how they are being used.

They should have had the foresight to know that you must be accountable with taxpayers' money.