Tue
Nov 13 2012
05:33 pm
Task force on school vouchers concludes
By: Tamara Shepherd

Per The Tennessean, Governor Haslam's task force on private school vouchers convened in a final meeting this morning.

There was little agreement among the panel's nine members, to whom Commissioner Huffman served as Chair.

They did agree that the program, which panel members were told to accept as a given, should initially focus on just students from low-income families.

They did not agree, though, on student eligibility requirements, whether to mandate transportation, and the dollar amount of the voucher.

In other points of disagreement:

...the panel disagreed on whether students who get vouchers should only come from low-performing schools, or if vouchers should be available to any student regardless of the school or their academic performance.

There also were various opinoins on whether the program should be statewide, or just apply to some school districts.

The task force will submit its report, presumably to cover "a range of opinions," to the governor within the next two weeks.

Topics:
R. Neal's picture

Expect lots more stories like

Submitted by R. Neal on Tue, 2012/11/13 - 5:56pm.

Expect lots more stories like this:

The Perils Of School Vouchers: Unregulated FL Private School Offers High School Diploma In 8 Days For $399

Tamara Shepherd's picture

*

Submitted by Tamara Shepherd on Tue, 2012/11/13 - 6:40pm.

Yes, Florida has both a private school voucher program and a private school tuition tax credit program.

Also, Florida law does not require private schools receiving the public monies to administer the state's battery of standardized tests, called the FCAT, to their students (scroll down to FAQ #10 at link).

Jeb's legacy.

Stick's picture

Down we go...

Submitted by Stick on Tue, 2012/11/13 - 7:12pm.

The only question is whether they'll go for broke a la' Louisiana or take a gradual approach that starts with urban school districts first and expands over time.

Tamara Shepherd's picture

Urban school districts

Submitted by Tamara Shepherd on Tue, 2012/11/13 - 7:50pm.

Like I reported the other day, the state is only contributing 28% of Davidson County's total per pupil costs and 34% of Knox and Hamilton Counties' total per pupil costs now, per the State Report Card released just this month (scroll down to lower right corner on each system's "Profile" page).

Tennessee's urban school systems have been dying a slow death already, in advance of any private school voucher program.

If this voucher proposal should be enacted, I don't know that urban schools' "gradual" demise underway could continue for long at all.

EricLykins's picture

David Sirota, Salon: The

Submitted by EricLykins on Wed, 2012/11/14 - 1:20am.

David Sirota, Salon:

The media barely noticed, but voters in three states rejected the profit-driven fraud that is education "reform"

Stick's picture

A good sign but...

Submitted by Stick on Wed, 2012/11/14 - 10:42am.

That piece has created quite a buzz on the inter-tubes, but I wouldn't get too confident. Ed reform is a global movement that is still gaining steam. This train will keep rolling until the wheels fall off.

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