DOJ says school vouchers are racist

[K-S-U-Wildcats!]

http://www.slate.com/articles/double_x/doublex/2013/08/private_school_vs_public_school_only_bad_people_send_their_kids_to_private.html

That's parody, right? I can't tell because it's Slate. I mean, this is the true philosophy behind much of the opposition to vouchers, I just wouldn't expect the a "mainstream" liberal publication to admit it.

[john "teach me how to" dougie]

http://www.slate.com/articles/double_x/doublex/2013/08/private_school_vs_public_school_only_bad_people_send_their_kids_to_private.html

lol

[michigancat]

http://www.slate.com/articles/double_x/doublex/2013/08/private_school_vs_public_school_only_bad_people_send_their_kids_to_private.html

That's parody, right? I can't tell because it's Slate. I mean, this is the true philosophy behind much of the opposition to vouchers, I just wouldn't expect the a "mainstream" liberal publication to admit it.

did you read it? It's basically calling on liberals to put their money where their mouth is. It's pretty funny, too.

[Rage Against the McKee]

That's a great article, michigancat. It's spot on.

[OregonSmock]

Thanks for sharing, mich.  Good stuff.

[K-S-U-Wildcats!]

did you read it? It's basically calling on liberals to put their money where their mouth is. It's pretty funny, too.

Right, I especially enjoyed this part:

Your children and grandchildren might get mediocre educations in the meantime, but it will be worth it, for the eventual common good. ... So, how would this work exactly? It’s simple! Everyone needs to be invested in our public schools in order for them to get better. Not just lip-service investment, or property tax investment, but real flesh-and-blood-offspring investment.

 

I also enjoyed the analogy of this "everybody has to go to shitty public schools to eventually make them better" approach to single-payer healthcare. 

So is the author serious or not? I really can't tell. That's the extent of libtards libtardedness.

[K-S-U-Wildcats!]

Well wonders never cease, from the majority liberal WaPo editorial board: http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/the-justice-department-bids-to-trap-poor-black-children-in-ineffective-schools/2013/09/01/2173e5a6-0f77-11e3-85b6-d27422650fd5_story.html

Justice Department bids to trap poor, black children in ineffective schools
By Editorial Board, Published: September 1

NINE OF 10 Louisiana children who receive vouchers to attend private schools are black. All are poor and, if not for the state assistance, would be consigned to low-performing or failing schools with little chance of learning the skills they will need to succeed as adults. So it’s bewildering, if not downright perverse, for the Obama administration to use the banner of civil rights to bring a misguided suit that would block these disadvantaged students from getting the better educational opportunities they are due.

The Justice Department has petitioned a U.S. District Courtto bar Louisiana from awarding vouchers for the 2014-15 school year to students in public school systems that are under federal desegregation orders, unless the vouchers are first approved by a federal judge. The government argues that allowing students to leave their public schools for vouchered private schools threatens to disrupt the desegregation of school systems. A hearing is tentatively set for Sept. 19.

There’s no denying the state’s racist history of school segregation or its ugly efforts in the late 1960s and early 1970s to undermine desegregation orders by helping white children to evade racially integrated schools. These efforts included funneling public money to all-white private schools. But the situation today bears no resemblance to those terrible days. Since most of the students using vouchers are black, it is, as State Education Superintendent John White pointed out to the New Orleans Times-Picayune, “a little ridiculous” to argue that the departure of mostly black students to voucher schools would make their home school systems less white. Every private school participating in the voucher program must comply with the color-blind policies of the federal desegregation court orders.

The government’s argument that “the loss of students through the voucher program reversed much of the progress made toward integration” becomes even more absurd upon examination of the cases it cited in its petition. Consider the analysis from University of Arkansas professor of education reform Jay P. Greene of a school that lost five white students through vouchers and saw a shift in racial composition from 29.6?percent white to 28.9?percent white. Another school that lost six black students and saw a change in racial composition from 30.1?percent black to 29.2?percent black. “Though the students .?.?. almost certainly would not have noticed a difference, the racial bean counters at the DOJ see worsening segregation,” Mr. Greene wrote on his blog.

The number that should matter to federal officials is this: Roughly 86 percent of students in the voucher program came from schools that were rated D or F. Mr. White called ironic using rules to fight racism to keep students in failing schools; we think it appalling.

Unfortunately, though, it is not a surprise from an administration that, despite its generally progressive views on school reform, has proven to be hostile — as witnessed by its petty machinations against D.C.’s voucher program — to the school choice afforded by private-school vouchers. Mr. White told us that from Day One, the five-year-old voucher program has been subject to unrelenting scrutiny and questions from federal officials. Louisiana parents are clamoring for the choice afforded by this program; the state is insisting on accountability; poor students are benefiting. The federal government should get out of the way.

[Rage Against the McKee]

The vouchers are not working, K-S-U-Wildcats! The private schools these kids are getting sent to would receive an F grade under the same standards the public schools are held. Why should the Louisiana taxpayers be expected to continue to fund a failing program?

[john "teach me how to" dougie]

The vouchers are not working, K-S-U-Wildcats! The private schools these kids are getting sent to would receive an F grade under the same standards the public schools are held. Why should the Louisiana taxpayers be expected to continue to fund a failing program?

maybe the federal school grading system is flawed or skewed to fit the public schools curriculum. poor minorities are still trying to escape the public schools for private, so they must be doing something right.

[Rage Against the McKee]

The vouchers are not working, K-S-U-Wildcats! The private schools these kids are getting sent to would receive an F grade under the same standards the public schools are held. Why should the Louisiana taxpayers be expected to continue to fund a failing program?

maybe the federal school grading system is flawed or skewed to fit the public schools curriculum. poor minorities are still trying to escape the public schools for private, so they must be doing something right.

I don't know. I've never taken a federal test. I was part of the group as a HS senior that took early NCLB tests to set cutoffs for future classes, though. It seemed to just focus on reading, English, and math. You know, very basic stuff that nobody should be able to graduate high school without.

I really think that the success of private schools is really built more upon the lack of poor students moreso than any abundance of good teachers. It just doesn't make sense why a good teacher would stick around for the poor pay and lack of benefits compared to public ed.

[K-S-U-Wildcats!]

The vouchers are not working, K-S-U-Wildcats! The private schools these kids are getting sent to would receive an F grade under the same standards the public schools are held. Why should the Louisiana taxpayers be expected to continue to fund a failing program?

If the private schools are just as bad, if not worse, than the public schools, then why are parents clamoring to get their kids into the private schools? In many cases, the vouchers do not cover the entire cost of tuition, which means that not only are parents choosing to send their kids to a new school, they're footing the bill for at least some portion of the tuition.

And again, you're arguing the merits of voucher programs, which is pretty misguided in and of itself, but it completely ignores the shameful political action being taken by our supposed Department of "Justice." Under Holder and Obama, it truly has been transformed into the Department of Liberal Politics.

[Rage Against the McKee]

The vouchers are not working, K-S-U-Wildcats! The private schools these kids are getting sent to would receive an F grade under the same standards the public schools are held. Why should the Louisiana taxpayers be expected to continue to fund a failing program?

If the private schools are just as bad, if not worse, than the public schools, then why are parents clamoring to get their kids into the private schools? In many cases, the vouchers do not cover the entire cost of tuition, which means that not only are parents choosing to send their kids to a new school, they're footing the bill for at least some portion of the tuition.

And again, you're arguing the merits of voucher programs, which is pretty misguided in and of itself, but it completely ignores the shameful political action being taken by our supposed Department of "Justice." Under Holder and Obama, it truly has been transformed into the Department of Liberal Politics.

People believe the private schools are better. No objective analysis has proven that to be the case.

[CNS]

If you guys are still talking about Louisiana, the parents are choosing private schools for religion and racial issues. 

[michigancat]

You could argue that this program removes some of the best students from a disproportionate number of minority schools, thus making minority schools even worse. I don't think there's real evidence to support that, though. (although there does seem to be evidence that this doesn't actually improve education).

[Rage Against the McKee]

You could argue that this program removes some of the best students from a disproportionate number of minority schools, thus making minority schools even worse. I don't think there's real evidence to support that, though. (although there does seem to be evidence that this doesn't actually improve education).

I don't think it is removing the best students, though.

[john "teach me how to" dougie]

I think you guys missed the part about 90% of the vouchers going to poor minority students.

[michigancat]

You could argue that this program removes some of the best students from a disproportionate number of minority schools, thus making minority schools even worse. I don't think there's real evidence to support that, though. (although there does seem to be evidence that this doesn't actually improve education).

I don't think it is removing the best students, though.

Yeah, that's true.

Also, kind of funny: the DOJ is only trying to stop this in districts that are still affected by desegregation laws. New Orleans students wouldn't be affected, it appears. About 570 students out of the 5000 who won the lottery were affected.

"...the United State is not asking that this Court enjoin the State from awarding any school vouchers," the suit says. "With respect to students attending school districts operating under federal desegregation orders, however, the United States requests that this Court permanently enjoin the State from issuing any future voucher awards to these students unless and until it [Louisiana] obtains authorization from the federal court overseeing the applicable desegregation case."

http://media.nola.com/education_impact/other/US%20DOJ%20petition%20vouchers%20deseg.pdf
http://www.nola.com/education/index.ssf/2013/08/us_government_files_to_block_s.html

[Rage Against the McKee]

I think you guys missed the part about 90% of the vouchers going to poor minority students.

Why does that matter? The vouchers are not working. They are a waste of money. I thought you supported reducing wasteful government programs that don't work.

[john "teach me how to" dougie]

I think you guys missed the part about 90% of the vouchers going to poor minority students.

Why does that matter? The vouchers are not working. They are a waste of money. I thought you supported reducing wasteful government programs that don't work.

I don't see this as wasteful. The government is still spending the same amount per student, and I'm not convinced a federal government study is a good way to judge the schools for which they would like to see gone.

[michigancat]

The government is still spending the same amount per student, and I'm not convinced a federal government study is a good way to judge the schools for which they would like to see gone.

what on earth are you talking about?

[K-S-U-Wildcats!]

One to Seven years in prison for the cheating cheaters. http://news.yahoo.com/pleas-mulled-former-atlanta-educators-test-cheating-scandal-120733406.html;_ylt=AwrBJR8ROi1VG0YAVUTQtDMD

I wonder if that's a minimum security prison or a pound me in the ass prison? Either way, the prison library staff just got a major boost.

[Rage Against the McKee]

Prison seems really harsh for cheating on tests.

[MakeItRain]

weird thing to be happy about and an absolute absurd reason to put someone in prision

yaaaayyy police state, maybe we will start imprisoning people next to murders, thieves, and rapists who lie to their spouses too

GO JAIL!!!

[K-S-U-Wildcats!]

They were convicted of racketeering. Teachers and adminsitrators conspired to engage in systemic cheating at certain schools and districts in order to increase the size of their own paychecks. That's not just cheating, it's theft. They absolutely deserved prison. This is not about some student hiding answers on his TI-85.

[Rage Against the McKee]

They were convicted of racketeering. Teachers and adminsitrators conspired to engage in systemic cheating at certain schools and districts in order to increase the size of their own paychecks. That's not just cheating, it's theft. They absolutely deserved prison. This is not about some student hiding answers on his TI-85.

It's hardly theft. They deserve to be fired and to lose their licenses. We don't need to put them in prison. That's ridiculous.