Betsy DeVos and Vouchers - Yes!!!

[Anonymous]

+1

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Actually, I have it directly from families who have switched from Catholic to DCPS and vice versa ( and one who went from DCPS to Catholic to DCPS) that the good DCPS ES are better than the Catholic in their neighborhood.

Agree I worked many years in the inner city Catholic schools in DC. We were smaller and safer than the neighborhood school in southeast but the education provided was a failure. It was the norm to have kids performing several grade levels below regardless if they transfered into the private school or started at pk. The principal have to call in favors for admittance to Carroll every year because they are not prepared. Imagine a significant portion each year of eight graders graduating performing on a 4th grade level. I still have many friends teaching in these schools who have the heart but not the needed education or training. These same teacher would never meet the criteria for certification and employment in a public school. Just about anyone on this tread could become a teacher at those schools with the degree and experience you currently have. The Catholic schools in southeast are not comparable to Blessed Sacrament or Georgetown Prep. The kids were no better educated and have less resources than being in DCPS. I would never put my kids in any of these .

In some instances, Catholic school teachers are there because they cannot pass the teacher certification exams.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:^^^ I'm quite certain that a voucher equal to what DCPS spends on average per student (or is supposed to spend) would permit parochials to surpass anything DCPS has yet to provide. Parochials already operate on much lower budgets as it is, and definitely exceed any measure that DCPS could only hope to achieve.

Agreed.

It's pretty obvious, yet now the BS professionals and special interests will come to attack what's obviously best for a majority of families: to have some CHOICE.

Dropping your child's name in a charter school lottery is not best for the majority of families nor is it empowering.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:^^^ I'm quite certain that a voucher equal to what DCPS spends on average per student (or is supposed to spend) would permit parochials to surpass anything DCPS has yet to provide. Parochials already operate on much lower budgets as it is, and definitely exceed any measure that DCPS could only hope to achieve.

Agreed.

It's pretty obvious, yet now the BS professionals and special interests will come to attack what's obviously best for a majority of families: to have some CHOICE.

Except, you're wrong.

https://paulinehawkins.com/2016/11/27/the-problem-with-choice/

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:^^^ I'm quite certain that a voucher equal to what DCPS spends on average per student (or is supposed to spend) would permit parochials to surpass anything DCPS has yet to provide. Parochials already operate on much lower budgets as it is, and definitely exceed any measure that DCPS could only hope to achieve.

Agreed.

It's pretty obvious, yet now the BS professionals and special interests will come to attack what's obviously best for a majority of families: to have some CHOICE.

Dropping your child's name in a charter school lottery is not best for the majority of families nor is it empowering.

I don't think you live in DC. So entering the lottery in DC is disempowering. But a voucher to attend a non-existent (and will never exist) private school is empowering?

[Anonymous]

School choice is empowering, and I welcome it. The more choice, the better. It'll also keep my neighbors here instead of the current exodus to the suburbs or WotP. Who in their right minds would be against choice, if they actually have kids in the system?

[Anonymous]

Is "empowering" the new buzz word from marketing / lobbyists?

I've met many parents entering the lottery, and the last thing they seem is "empowered". I'd start with "frazzled", "anxious", and "confused".

[Anonymous]

Getting back to DeVos...

vouchers =/= charters

And DC charters are different than charters most everywhere: weeds out the worst actors, there are contractual procedures for what happens to assets when a school shuts down, etc. Most are not.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:School choice is empowering, and I welcome it. The more choice, the better. It'll also keep my neighbors here instead of the current exodus to the suburbs or WotP. Who in their right minds would be against choice, if they actually have kids in the system?

School choice would be empowering, but no one is really giving you school choice.
What you have is school chance, and that is anything but empowering.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Getting back to DeVos...

vouchers =/= charters

And DC charters are different than charters most everywhere: weeds out the worst actors, there are contractual procedures for what happens to assets when a school shuts down, etc. Most are not.

Yes. Maybe we need to start exporting our charter law to other states.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:School choice is empowering, and I welcome it. The more choice, the better. It'll also keep my neighbors here instead of the current exodus to the suburbs or WotP. Who in their right minds would be against choice, if they actually have kids in the system?

School choice would be empowering, but no one is really giving you school choice.
What you have is school chance, and that is anything but empowering.

Try speaking in words instead of slogans. HOW exactly would a $8000 voucher create "choice" in DC? It's been stated here ad nauseum that there is NO MARKET in DC for quality, non-religious schools that can exist on $8000 tuition. There are some Catholic schools in that range, but their quality is doubtful, and they are not a viable choice for people who don't want a religious school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Actually, I have it directly from families who have switched from Catholic to DCPS and vice versa ( and one who went from DCPS to Catholic to DCPS) that the good DCPS ES are better than the Catholic in their neighborhood.

Agree I worked many years in the inner city Catholic schools in DC. We were smaller and safer than the neighborhood school in southeast but the education provided was a failure. It was the norm to have kids performing several grade levels below regardless if they transfered into the private school or started at pk. The principal have to call in favors for admittance to Carroll every year because they are not prepared. Imagine a significant portion each year of eight graders graduating performing on a 4th grade level. I still have many friends teaching in these schools who have the heart but not the needed education or training. These same teacher would never meet the criteria for certification and employment in a public school. Just about anyone on this tread could become a teacher at those schools with the degree and experience you currently have. The Catholic schools in southeast are not comparable to Blessed Sacrament or Georgetown Prep. The kids were no better educated and have less resources than being in DCPS. I would never put my kids in any of these .

In some instances, Catholic school teachers are there because they cannot pass the teacher certification exams.

Same with many charter teachers. Once many become certified, they leave. Hence, the high attrition rate in charters.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Only if you hate public education.

When it's not safe and and doesn't challenge kids, what good is it?

In need of fixing.

When your kitchen gets outdated, do you take a wrecking ball to it and just eat out at restaurants because clearly the kitchen wasn't good enough?
Or do you renovate your kitchen?

This notion of increasing choice / marketplace / tinkle-on-children education theories is a load of crap and a money grab.

Improve public schools. Don't rob them.

Metaphors are always a little flawed, but I love this! Those who complain about our government's current functioning (myself included) should be the loudest advocates for more intelligent investment.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:^^^ I'm quite certain that a voucher equal to what DCPS spends on average per student (or is supposed to spend) would permit parochials to surpass anything DCPS has yet to provide. Parochials already operate on much lower budgets as it is, and definitely exceed any measure that DCPS could only hope to achieve.

Agreed.

It's pretty obvious, yet now the BS professionals and special interests will come to attack what's obviously best for a majority of families: to have some CHOICE.

Except, you're wrong.

https://paulinehawkins.com/2016/11/27/the-problem-with-choice/

OK, that's what your auntie, lovely Pauling says.

This is what published research actually says -- pretty positive, with caveats of course, worth a good read:
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/pam.21691/full

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:School choice is empowering, and I welcome it. The more choice, the better. It'll also keep my neighbors here instead of the current exodus to the suburbs or WotP. Who in their right minds would be against choice, if they actually have kids in the system?

School choice would be empowering, but no one is really giving you school choice.
What you have is school chance, and that is anything but empowering.

YES.

When your neighbor wins the voucher lottery, but you don't, you will understand. There's always next year... maybe another good school will be built...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:School choice is empowering, and I welcome it. The more choice, the better. It'll also keep my neighbors here instead of the current exodus to the suburbs or WotP. Who in their right minds would be against choice, if they actually have kids in the system?

School choice would be empowering, but no one is really giving you school choice.
What you have is school chance, and that is anything but empowering.

YES.

When your neighbor wins the voucher lottery, but you don't, you will understand. There's always next year... maybe another good school will be built...

You mean the "charter lottery"? Again, how exactly will vouchers increase choice in DC?