Yesterday the AZ Supreme Court refused to hear a case, which left standing an appeals court decision that allows public monies to be used for "empowerment scholarships" which are vouchers for private school tuition.
Stating that because this is done by parental choice, and because the religious school is teaching reading and math, this siphoning of public funds is legal.
Without comment, the high court refused to disturb a Court of Appeals decision that said the program, officially dubbed “empowerment scholarship accounts,” does not run afoul of a state constitutional provision that bars public funds from being used to subsidize private and parochial schools. That court said the fact the parents decide where the money goes, and not state officials, is sufficient to make the program legal.
From the Appeals Court judgement:
The parents of a qualified student under the ESA must provide an education in reading, grammar, mathematics, social studies, and science. Whether that is done at a private secular or sectarian school is a matter of parental choice. The ESA students are pursuing a basic secondary education consistent with state standards; they are not pursuing a course of religious study.
(Oh, really? Last I checked, religious schools taught religion, alongside and intertwined with reading, social studies, and science.)
The program started small in 2011 with vouchers only for children with disabilities. (See the ad below.) In 2013 it was expanded to any child in a D or F school, and this year there is a pending bill to extend it to any Title I student. Since AZ is a high poverty state, this would mean about 70% of students would be eligible.
The last several years have been terrible for public education in AZ. Our lege made the deepest cuts of any other state during the recession. They love every ALEC and Jeb Bush idea that comes down the pike. For the last 12 years, the Supt of Public Instruction, an elected position, has been a Republican, who is not an educator. Last month Supt Huppenthal lent his voice for robo-calls made by the Goldwater Institute to people living near a D school in order to promote vouchers.
"Hi, This is John Huppenthal, State Supt of Public Instruction ....That's right. You may be able to send your child to private school for free."
Our schools have been drained of every resource possible, and now they want to squeeze even more out of us.
As a public school teacher, administrator, parent, and supporter, I'm really sad. I hear a death knell for the once great public schools, killed by ideologues.
This ad is from the Arizona School Choice Trust. Trust them not.
Thanks for reading.
Links:
Today"s news about the Supreme court refusal to hear case:
http://azstarnet.com/...
Appeals court decision:
http://azcourts.gov/...
230 troubled AZ School Supts write an open letter opposing vouchers
http://azednews.com/...
State Supt of Public Instruction defends Goldwater institute robo-calls to promote vouchers:
http://www.eastvalleytribune.com/...
Mercedes Schneider's take on vouchers in LA and AZ
http://deutsch29.wordpress.com/...