Most children left behind (Bob Corkins and school vouchers)

[atommom]

Let's say that we all buy the bunk new Education Commissioner Bob Corkins is selling and that vouchers and charter schools will rescue kids failing in traditional public schools. Let's say that we allow him and others to mine public schools, draw out the resources, and hand them over to private schools in the name of choice. Let's say that some of those kids do succeed.

What happens to the children left behind?

Before I continue, I should warn you that this is more than a hypothetical.

He wants you, the taxpayer, to support two school systems -- the public one that is already under-funded, and the private one where many taxpayers could not afford to send their own children.

http://www.kansas.com/mld/kansas/news/local/13287751.htm

[MuseRider]

1. I get the feeling, and I hope I am right,

that people are not buying this. I could be wrong, my pool is small, but even the righties who I converse with think he and his ideas are full of shit.

[atommom]

2. I hope you're right, too. I would hate to see ideas like his put

into practice here ... it would take a long time to correct the damage.

[proud2BlibKansan]

3. It happened in Missouri

and we fought it HARD. But we now have charters that are sucking kids (and funding) from St. Louis and Kansas City. Financially, it has been devastating.

[atommom]

4. That's what I find scary ... that things like this are getting passed

in other states with relative ease. They seem to be doing their best to destroy everything I care about.

[proud2BlibKansan]

5. They used fear

and capitalized on the deseg cases in KC and St. Louis. They led the non urban areas to the belief that our city schools are failing miserably.

I have worked on several state wide education initiatives over the last 20 years. For about a decade, we in the cities were public enemy #1 in the rural school districts. We were taking ALL their money. They blamed KC and St. Louis for the lack of adequate education funding statewide. It was so bad that people from other districts literally attacked those of us from the urban districts at our statewide meetings.

Once Carnahan took office, things improved and the attacks lessened. But there is still a vocal group of educators statewide who believe the urban districts in KC and St. Louis are money sucking monsters that need to be disbanded.

So when charter school legislation came before the state legislature, and the charters were to be allowed ONLY in KC and St. Louis, the charter law passed easily.