9/12/2023 0 Comments Tiny troopers 2 cheats ited money![]() ![]() Any talk of competition between nonpublic and public institutions isnt a competition at all because were not talking about institutions playing by the same set of rules. So when we talk about school choice under a voucher plan, we need to ask about choice for whom? Does that voucher spend the same for LGBTQ students and their families? Or for students with disabilities? And where does that voucher money go once it gets spent? Let's investigate:One Iowas Director of Policy and Advocacy explained to me earlier this year, Since we dont treat these organizations similarly under the law, any discussion about choice is at best a misunderstanding and at worst an intentional misrepresentation.When One Iowa went through every nonpublic school policy they could find in the state, 75 percent indicated, either explicitly or implicitly they would be willing to discriminate against LGBTQ families, only 15 percent stated affirmatively that they would not. We have the highest highschool graduation rate in the country and more high schoolers taking college courses than any other state.Vouchers are another policy tool framed as providing school choice to families and students, but school choice really means nonpublic schools get to make the choice about what students they serve, all while receiving public dollars to discriminate based on religion, gender and sexual identity, disability, and other protected statuses under Iowa civil rights code. And I agree with Reynolds when she boasted that same year, in January 2020, about the successes of Iowa public schools, saying, We have strong local control, rooted in communities and parents who care deeply about educating their children. Thats 93 percent of public school children in Iowa attending their neighborhood school district.Given the choice to open enroll, the vast majority of Iowa parents choose their neighborhood schools. According to a report from the Iowa Department of Education, only about 7 percent of public school students were openenrolled outside their home district for the 20192020 school year. Governor Kim Reynolds website currently reads: School choice allows public education funds to follow students to the schools or services that meet their needsand allows parents to choose whats best for their children, whether thats a different public school, a private or charter school, home school or other learning environment.And it is true that we already have a robust open enrollment system for public schools in Iowa. All students, no matter what they look like or their zip code, deserve the freedom to learn and succeed. As a teacher, I saw firsthand that most Iowans, including teachers and parents, want the same thing: strong, quality public schools that give every student the freedom to reach their full potential. I taught social studies at Ankeny High School from 2012 to June of this year. How is the use of taxpayer money going to private schools a separation of church and state, a basic tenet upon which our country was founded? Do not siphon off funds meant for public education to support nonpublic schools! This proposed legislation involving school choice will not lead to improved student achievement which is what we should be striving for when discussing education in the State of Iowa. ![]() ![]() Private schools may support religious based education. Private schools are not accountable to the public/taxpayers for educational standards, for teacher licensure, or for providing student transportation. ![]() Private schools do not have to accommodate student with learning or behavioral disabilities or admit students from lowincome households. As a retired public school teacher who taught students with special education needs, I know that private schools are not held to the same standards for admissions as public schools, meaning they can decide who they want to admit. I am opposed to the school choice bill that Governor Reynolds proposes. ![]()
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