Voucher report: An alternate point of view

Critics have made their voices heard on OPPAGA's recent analysis of the savings that education vouchers bring to Florida.

Guest blogger Doug Tuthill, president of the Florida School Choice Fund, offers a different perspective:

"The numbers are hard to refute.

Florida taxpayers saved $38.9 million last year while also providing different learning options to 21,493 children from poor and working class families. But that finding, issued [two weeks ago] by the respected state Office of Program Policy Analysis and Government Accountability, should not be interpreted as a competitive threat to traditional public schools.

What the savings actually mean is that one vital option for low-income students is not financially compromising any of the other opportunities available to 2.6 million public school students. That's good news for all educators and taxpayers.

The Corporate Tax Credit Scholarship program, now in its seventh year, was created to help students who are at the greatest risk of failing. Children who come from impoverished homes face enormous obstacles, and we owe them our best collective efforts.

This year, about one of every 52 children on free and reduced lunch is using the scholarship to attend a private school that may better suit his or her needs. Remarkably, their families, with average incomes of $24,543 per year, are so motivated they often end up paying the difference between the $3,950 scholarship and the actual school tuition out of their own pockets (about $1,200 per year on average).

This kind of customized learning is an integral part of today's public education system. Students choose from magnet and fundamental schools, career academies and International Baccalaureate programs.

They take advanced placement or online courses or dual enrollment on college campuses. Last year, 105,239 students attended privately run charter schools, 19,582 students with disabilities chose private providers, and 136,436 four-year-olds went mostly to private schools for prekindergarten — options that didn't exist a generation ago.

In Florida today, one in four students attends something other than what their parents would call a traditional public school.

When lawmakers expanded the Corporate Tax Credit Scholarship program last May by a strong bipartisan majority, they asked OPPAGA to answer a narrow financial question: Do the scholarships undermine the operational budget for traditional public schools? The report issued Tuesday said no, and went further. The state, OPPAGA wrote, actually saves $1.49 for each $1 that is lost in corporate tax income.

That finding should prove reassuring to public school advocates, but appears to have created unnecessary angst instead. A Florida Education Association spokesman said: 'It seems like there's a lot of scenarios and a lot of assumptions and not a lot of facts.' Herald- Tribune columnist Tom Lyons went so far as to call the scholarship program 'a money-laundering scheme.'

That's unfortunate. These scholarships are part of a publicly funded system that is customizing education and finding ways to match different children to the learning environments that suit them best. They strengthen public education and save tax money. Surely that can't be a bad thing."

Comments

[Julia]

OK so you are saying that they should take advantage of charter or voucher options. By saying they should take advantage of the vouchers etc... means they must have some intrinsic value. If you are blanket opposed to vouchers, then you would favor taking those options away from some one like that? Just trying to clarify your stand.

I am not talking research or studies or anything else. I am talking reality. Your child has just been assigned to one of the worst public schools in Pinellas county. You didn't get a spot in a magnet/fundamental etc... We have almost no charters here except for one in south cnty. That just opened up to a very rocky start this past August. What would you do? You are a single parent. Would you really want to hear from the talking heads about how vouchers are bad? Or would you just want one so you could get your child out of a very bad environment immediately? Again, I am not a proponent of blanket vouchers or private schools. Mine go to public. I went to private and public and have both good and bad things to say about both my experiences. I would just like to see options available to people, that's all.

Dear Julia,

No one is trapped in a poor public school. We have more vouchers in Florida than any other state in the country. We have the second most charter schools of any state in the country. Only the voucher advocates are acting as though THEY are somehow mistreated. Last year, the amount per student for vouchers was increased by hundreds of dollars while the per student spending per public school student was decreased by nearly $800 per student (after the January cuts of another 8% of GR). And, the voucher advocates keep saying that vouchers are helping. Please. Find one real researcher (not the Manhattan Institute).

[Julia]

While I agree that vouchers are not a cure all, there are some major things that need to be addressed. It's not just a funding issue. It's kids coming from very neglected homes etc... I agree schools need more funding up to a point. It is not the only thing though. Imagine being trapped in a failing school if you were a single mom and feeling helpless. I would love to hear some of you come up with a solution for some one like that. Don't say take a 3rd job either to pay for private yourselves. That simply is not an option for many working families from a child care pov.

4:46- public education here in Florida has sucked for more than 10 years:) Trust me, I know! Florida has been particularly hard hit by the economy because so many of our jobs were related to construction, growth and tourism. These are all things that have been hard hit by the recession. Let's not start confusing issues.

Jeb go away- the reason this joker gets so much blogspace is that his partner in crime is Jon East, former SPT editor!

The public schools in America have been a huge force in making this country the greatest DEMOCRACY and CAPITALIST success story in the world. Ever since the creation of significant VOUCHER programs nationally(about 10 years ago) the country has slowly and consistently fallen in its world standing. Coincidence? If vouchers were a panacea, Florida would have the greatest economy and education system in the country. Almost 15% of our students are served by charter schools or VOUCHERS. However, Florida's economy is arguably the WORST in the country (most jobs lost, biggest tax revenue fall per capita, etc.). Ten years of Florida vouchers haven't helped the private sector here. WAKE UP SPT. Please.

Doug Tuthill=a selfish, oportunistic sellout.

[me]

The biggest problem with vouchers is the lack of accountability. Students at "failing schools" can go to private school on state's dime, but the state does NOTHING to ensure the private school is providing any better education than the school the state deems to be "failing". I wish someone could explain the sense in that - I don't see any!

[retiredteacher]

The cost of education remains the same--the electric bill doesn't go down because Johnny goes to the Jeb Bush Private School and think Tank. We still have too many "do nothing" administrators to pay to annoy teachers and support staff. And let's get rid of all of the other "socialist" organizations--the police, the army, the firefighters, the postal service. Hmmm, voucher proponents seem to pick and choose their socialist organizations. I also agree about Tuthill--bought and sold to the highest bidder. He's probably going to run for office soon and I'll vote for his opponent.

I think I'm in love with, "uh, Bob?"

Nice job, "uh, Bob."

The logic of vouchers???? Don't you mean the political will of voucher proponents? Of course that would ask a voucher lover to be honest and I don't know if that is possible. Please show me how free market forces change student intellect. Don't try using Milwaukee as I am not dumb.

[uh, Bob?]

Bob, you say name-calling "will not stop the logic of vouchers" but then engage in that same behavior ("Only a neo-Communist would have opposition to the concept.") to stifle any disagreement with your conclusion. You also name-call (erroneously) when you call public education "a socialist experiment on the highest levels". In fact, it arose out of the capitalist need for a trained work force. Ah, but we've come too far and are teaching the great unwashed masses how to think for themselves, at the peril of the ruling political and economics elite. Time to put a stop to all this "thinking" and "reasoning" for the common folk, let's stick with just enough reading and ciphering so they can keep the economic engine running.

At the risk of being branded a "neo-Communist" (if the previous comments haven't already branded me as an old-school Commie) I will voice some concerns over the implementation (if not the "concept", as if the two could be separated) of the voucher system that seems to be favored here.

Consumer freedom of choice works to improve the quality of products only if certain conditions are met. When applied to education, many of these conditions fly squarely against the principles on which this country was founded. Many are staunchly opposed by the supporters of the voucher system. If you want to use public funds to "improve education through free-market competition", and that's what you say vouchers would supposedly do, then you must accept certain consequences.
(1) Just as unsafe cars are kept off the shelves, education consumers must be protected against inadequate "schools". This is done, albeit imperfectly, in public schools through teacher and school accreditation. But voucher proponents oppose this kind of mandatory evaluation. While cars are tested before being put on the market, voucher proponents insist on a system where honest folk can work to truly improve education while allowing untested charlatans to make a quick buck with untested snake oil, leaving the public schools to clean up after them when they leave town.
(2) Just as car buyers can compare models based on tested performance versus cost, education buyers must be able to make informed choices. Voucher proponents favor a system in which such comparisons are impossible. The consequences of making a poor choice in a car is that you're unhappy until you can replace it. The consequence of making a poor choice in a school can be a wasted life and a life-long drain on society.
(3) Just as not everyone can afford the best car and some must get by with a used POS, or no car at all, under vouchers not everyone will be able to afford the same quality of school, nor should they in the kind of free-market approach you espouse. Will "high-quality" voucher schools flock to economically-depressed areas to set up shop where parents can't afford to kick in the extra cost (time or money) to send their kids there, or will these areas become the home of "Al's Budget Schools - Al's Budget, where you get the A and the B and save some C(ash)"?
I know inequality exists today, where not everyone can afford the elite private schools and even public schools differ in quality based on the affluence of their surroundings (although this is limited to a certain extent by state-wide funding rules); but the idea as decreed by the Florida Constitution is quality education, even if the Legislature ignores that mandate.

Even though our society is many ways capitalist, we have realized the need for government-overseen/run monopolies in many situations.

Bob says, It's time..."the private sector, which provides all the revenue generated to fund government "bushito" programs, gets what it needs to continue to make America great."

WOW.

Have you read the news? Seen TV? Opened your 401K statement? Tried to sell your house? Insure your property?

Just to fill you in, Bob, this is December 2008. Wall Street has fallen. A non-white man has been elected Presidents. The retail economy has not seen a worse holiday shopping season since 1970-nearly 40 years ago.

Government deregulation of the finance market, lack of prosecution of white collar criminals and a Presidential regime willing to instill fear of its people and distract them domestic issues by pointing the finger at "worse" governemnts may make up a big block of blame, but the "free market" concept has never cost so many so much.

Bob Richardson, Several TRILLION dollars in bail out money says your are DEAD WRONG and that "government run" organizations can never ever ever never touch the kind of corruption big business has perpetrated over the past decade.

Take your communist "free market" theories to a third world country. Maybe they haven't been affected by the fall of Wall Street yet.

Is Bush your neo-Cmmunist? I believe so. What President of a free country would go against the will of the people and turn over billions of their tax dollars to car manufacturers? What President of a free country would use fear to ignore the Constitution of their country...written by the people for the people?

The logic people like Bob and the "preachers of god" want to teach children in these voucher schools is very scary. Do you think they are concerned with curriculum or competing with the rest of the world?

What will the American history classes be like? Commie bashing? Prostetant centered? Pilgrim and Indian plays at Thanksgiving for sure. What about world history?

TUthill used to oppose vouchers.. Is his opinion dependent on the highest bidder?

[Bob Richardson]

Quality comes from competition; it's time the monopoly of public schools, a socialist experiment on the highest levels, is halted and the private sector, which provides all the revenue generated to fund government "bushito" programs, gets what it needs to continue to make America great. It's that simple. Who is John Garth, anyway? You can call me people names, but it will not stop the logic of vouchers -- an idea which grows in popularity everyday. Only a neo-Communist would have opposition to the concept.

[Truth]

Doug is full of it and he knows it. The issue here is Quality. I beg Ron Matus or any SPTimes reporter to look into where these "private schools" actually ARE and the QUALIFICATIONS of those teaching these kids. I assume what you will find is a HIGH number of small minority-led churches located in poor communities deciding to start a "private school" for their congregations. The Pastor then recruits any person willing to teach. Pastors are then encouraging their parents to "decide" to take their child out of public school for reasons other than academic ones. This is another scheme put on by what I like to call "poverty pimps". These are people and organizations who find ways to make money off of the ignorant poor. The Florida School Choice fund is one of those pimps along with AMSCOTT and the Florida Lottery. Doug is saying it saves the state money. Bull honkey!! Florida will end up paying for a bad education in the long-run when these same students end up dropping out of school, getting involved in crime, and taking up residence in one of our state prisons ALL BECAUSE Florida decided to save money from a public school system that's always been underfunded.

[Jeb go away]

Why does this joker get so much space on your blog SPTs? Public funds do not belong in private sector. Why does nobody pay attention to the state constitution?

...Tom Lyons went so far as to call the scholarship program 'a money-laundering scheme.'

He is right.

Allow the same tax credits for donations to public schools.

People like Tuthill are on top of the pyramid raking in the bucks at the expense of our children.

Didn't Doug Tuthill already "guest blog" abou the topic? It seems comments on the last voucher article were filled with Tuthill philosophies.

At least this time the paid voucher advocate is "outed" as a full-time paid staffer for the voucher vampires.