In preparation for next week’s (Tuesday’s, April 5th) hearing on vouchers, here are some resources. We will meet during class time at the legislature at the Auditorium located in the Annex of the legislature. In case you can make it earlier, the hearing starts at 2PM and will continue through the evening/night. Also, earlier in the day, there will be a LULAC/NAACP press conference on vouchers and privatization at 10:30AM, north steps of the capitol. THIS IS NOT TO BE CONFUSED WITH MONDAY'S PRESS CONFERENCE (posted yesterday) THAT IS SPONSORED BY THE CAROLYN BOYLE AND THE COALITION FOR PUBLIC SCHOOLS. You are welcome, of course, to either.
Check out earlier blog posts for the recent fuss over the so-called voucher poll that pro-choice/voucher group, Hispanic CREO, is relying on. I’m trying to get my hands on the poll. It apparently has a bogus question on it that is supporting Hispanics’ alleged support for vouchers. In Texas, HCREO is targeting Austin, Houston, San Antonio and Dallas. As an organizing strategy, they’ve had a door-to-door campaign and they apparently target Latino families who have children in the public school with special needs.
They other key group is the Black Alliance for Educational Options
Both CREO and BAEO are getting huge sums (literally millions) of Department of Education federal dollars through NCLB to support their cause. Previously, these groups only got private foundation money (e.g., from the Walton Family Foundation and the Friedman Foundation), now, they profit from our taxpayer dollars! Hypocritically, they profit from governmental largesse while decrying so-called the “big government” that public schools represent. As long as they don’t use this money to lobby, nothing here is illegal, though clearly insidious and under-handed. Below are resources that will help orient you for the voucher hearing in the afternoon.
See you soon! -Prof. Valenzuela
This website provides PRO/CON positions. You’ll see Alex Molnar’s work there though especially at the EPSL site listed after it. He’s the one that I mentioned in class.
www.infidels.org"
Education Policy Studies Laboratory
Education Policy Studies Laboratory
The National Center for the Study of Privatization in Education, Teachers College, Columbia University
A big name in the pro-voucher camp is Caroline Hoxby. Here are a couple of pieces that turned up in google.
MPS gains are linked to vouchers
Rising Tide
Another piece from the Center for Policy Alternatives is also helpful.
A Donor’s Guide to School Choice also contains a lot of interesting info.
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