I have a snow-day chore for all my teacher friends. Today you can sit at your own computer, and use your private email address to send a letter to the Senate Finance Committee. You could call from your own telephone. You could urge them all to vote no on SB609
This is my letter to the Senate Finance Committee...Not my first...hopefully my last. SB609 is the ALEC voucher bill pure and simple. Except there is no accountability for the private schools receiving tax dollars. Even ALEC wrote in accountability when drafting their model legislation. We've been told this is a win-win for schools, that since only 80% of the money leaves per child (ONLY 80%!), 100% of the child leaves. I guess my questions include, 'for how long? What happens when the private school kicks the student out? What if a private school won't take the student (let's not fool ourselves...choice is all about the schools choosing kids, not kids choosing schools)?
To the Committee:
A school administrator told me the numbers on this bill didn't add up...that the kids who are now NOT in public schools would be added to the count, thus lowering the per-pupil amount. And then those kids would take their voucher out of the already-depleted fund...but my English-teacher brain could not wrap itself around this.
This is my letter to the Senate Finance Committee...Not my first...hopefully my last. SB609 is the ALEC voucher bill pure and simple. Except there is no accountability for the private schools receiving tax dollars. Even ALEC wrote in accountability when drafting their model legislation. We've been told this is a win-win for schools, that since only 80% of the money leaves per child (ONLY 80%!), 100% of the child leaves. I guess my questions include, 'for how long? What happens when the private school kicks the student out? What if a private school won't take the student (let's not fool ourselves...choice is all about the schools choosing kids, not kids choosing schools)?
To the Committee:
A school administrator told me the numbers on this bill didn't add up...that the kids who are now NOT in public schools would be added to the count, thus lowering the per-pupil amount. And then those kids would take their voucher out of the already-depleted fund...but my English-teacher brain could not wrap itself around this.
Rob Miller 'splained it to me...I'm sharing this with you. This bill WILL take desperately-needed funding out of public schools with all the crippling accountability for students, teachers, schools, and districts. It WILL give tax-payer funds to private schools with no accountability...not even ALEC's accountability. It WILL give MY tax contribution to parents who can already afford private schools, parents who will use my tax contribution, tax free.
We don't need ALEC in Oklahoma. We need to attend to our public schools. If we truly want parents to choose public schools, fully fund us. Give us the resources to teach every child. Give us the support to make our schools successful.
Please vote NO, and tell public school children they are your priority.
Claudia -- retired teacher, grandma, tax-payer, and voter
Here are the names and emails of the Committee...I know several and know they are responsive. Please write and send your own note before 10am today.
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