Crist out front on vouchers

We know this isn't new news. And we don't want to overdo the voucher posts. But it's worth noting that nearly halfway through Gov. Crist's term, vouchers are one of the few parts of the Jeb Bush education program that Crist has embraced beyond statements in press releases.

Crist was in a Jacksonville church yesterday, before a predominantly black audience, for the fifth annual Step Up for Students rally to support corporate tax credit vouchers.

"We are no longer just competing with other states in this great nation, but with other countries as well," he said in a press release from the governor's office. "Step Up For Students Scholarships are helping us diversify our education system to achieve greater results and provide our children and future workforce with a world-class education."

The scholarships are "an example of what we need to do to adapt public education to a new century," he said in another release sent out by the Florida School Choice Fund. For more on the event, see this Florida Times Union story and video.

- Ron Matus, state education reporter (Photo of Crist with student Denisha Merriweather and Step Up For Students founder John Kirtley, courtesy of Step Up For Students)

Comments

[kay]

Vouchers are just a supplement for the wealthy. You cannot send your child to a good private school on a voucher alone. If you cannot afford to pay the remainder of the tutition out of pocket then you must "chose" a school with a lower cost.

We can't afford these school voucher programs because we need all of our tax money to bailout Bush's Wall Street buddies. $700 billion for commercial banks. $100+ billion for AIG. $25 billion for the auto makers. The largest annual and accumulated federal deficit in the history of any country in the world. We're #1.

All this while our public schools beg for just to receive smaller CUTS and get told that they are greedy and selfish. Our priorities are so screwed up.

All of those who bash the public schools should look at the billions and billions that we are wasting to bailout private corporations run by private school graduates instead of investing in the real future of our country.

What gives "low income" people the right to demand a private education? If you are so bad off that you cannot give your child the education you see fit, maybe you should stop having 700 children and rethink your priorities.

Seriously, do you think poor black and hispanic people are going to turn away something handed to them for free? Oh here's a free private education if you want it. Would you turn that down? These people know nothing more about this program than the fact that it's a free handout like everything else they partake in. Next thing you know there will be a voucher for a@% wiping.

They have bought certain legislators, but if they put vouchers to a vote of the citizens, they fail. The constitution bans them. Bush v. Holmes confirms this.

Again, Ron, did they buy you, too? I also noted the article in today's Jax rag that talked about "Corporations investing in student's futures" when the real headline should have been that corporations duck their tax liabilities by contributing to illegal program. There is no investment. It was money they owed to the government that they are instead redirecting. This was a really (intentionally) misleading headline. I wonder if the other paid hack wrote it for them.

[MenckenJr]

Missing point:

Maybe he does know better and is trying to get his mojo back after backing McCain for President and getting passed over for VP.

[Missing point]

Certainly missing from this debate is the definition of failing school. A failing school should be determined by the size of learning gain as found when subtracting MDSS scores and not by demographically sensitive proficiency rates. Political motives are achieved by keeping the public stupid and believeing a failing school should be defined by Fcat levels. Crist should know better!!

[MenckenJr]

10:14 - As long as the private schools that accept vouchers have to give the FCAT just like public schools do, who can argue? I certainly couldn't. But the fact that the private schools don't want to submit to it is really telling, and the fact that voucher backers' won't push for voucher-accepting schools to give the FCAT is even more telling. And what it tells me is that nobody really thinks that there will a significant difference in performance between public and private schools. IOW, Crist and his band of budget pirates should put their FCAT where their mouths are, or just shut up and go back to dedicating bridges and signing proclamations.

Termie,

Thanks for the racist rant. The world changes and passes you by. Parents, especially low income ones, demand choices--including private schools--and they punish legislators who don't give it to them. The teachers' union, who used to demand obedience from Democrats (and Senate Republicans), loses their grip on the votes.

It's a wonderful new world!

PS--it's spelled "collosal", but don't worry it's probably not on the FCAT.

[terminator]

8:44 and 8:50
Why is it always the minorities that need special schools or special programs for them to be able to achieve what white/Asian/Jewish kids do at the regular public schools?
Oh, I forgot, they are "disadvantaged". I think that says something about the vast majority who can't compete academically on a level playing field and need vouchers to help them.
The effort to "close the achievement gap" has been a collasal waste of time, money, effort and resources.
Crist is a dunce who has no education policy initiatives. McCain had no new policy initiatives either just the same old Jeb Bush recycled garbage.
Let's face it guys, the only reason they like vouchers is because it hurts the public schools/unions, it's cheaper per pupil than public school FTE and they can dish taxpayer money to their privitization buddies who donate gobs of money to their campaigns.
Kirtley himself donated $100K to the RPOF and the corporate voucher scholarship program was born.
Isn't it great that Obama won the election and is going to gut NCLB?
Isn't it great the state of Florida has a Governor who doesn't have a clue what to do regarding public education?
Isn't it great the state of Florida is too broke to engage in right wing demagoguery?
You bet!

Not to mention the tremendous support for parental choice in the Hispanic community as well. This past session the bill to expand the program got 100% of the Hispanic caucus, including all the Democrats.

There is no downside for Crist here. He supports something that is strongly supported by the black community (note the venue of the event), yet is also supported by Republicans. This is such a loser issue for the Democrats who pledge their fealty to the teachers' union.