Winter is coming...the legislative session is coming. Vouchers are coming.
I have read the first
Game of Thrones novel, and was horrified when Martin, the author, killed off my very favorite character with no mercy...since then I check in with others who continued reading to see if my other favorites are still around...
I’m going to begin by telling you how tired I am about
talking about vouchers. Tired. But, like the zombies I called them last session, they just keep struggling to their feet, year after year, for us to
fight again.
In anticipation of our next ESA bill (have not read through
the proposed bills for the 2017 Session, but I know there will be at least one,
even though their standard-bearers, Representative Jason Nelson and Senator
Clark Jolley, are not there to introduce them.
I’m pretty sure who WILL introduce a bill in the Senate…Kyle
Loveless, who had two primary opponents in June, but no opponent in the fall.
He only beat teacher and coach Mike Mason by 766 votes, but one would think he
won by a landslide by the way he’s been hawking vouchers nonstop since his
squeaker of a race.
I find it interesting that
American
Federation for Children brags about having a hand in Loveless’s 766-vote
victory. Wonder how much each of those votes cost AFC in donations. Here’s how
they characterize the race: “In addition, Sen. Kyle Loveless, R-Oklahoma City,
was re-elected earlier this year in a primary, defeating an opponent recruited
by the teachers’ union who opposed school choice.”
Those of us with long memories will recognize the name
Jennifer
Carter, who is deeply involved in the AFC Fund…she was Janet Barresi’s
campaign manager, and then chief of staff, until an unfortunate incident of
name calling forced her to resign. She is married to an editorial writer for
the
Daily Disappointment Oklahoman.
The Lost Ogle did a satirical piece
on the Carters
here.
Aren’t dots fun to connect? Barresi—Jennifer Carter—Ray Carter—
DOK--vouchers. And
the biggie….
Those of us with short memories may recognize the name at
the top of the AFC link: Bet$y Devo$, the president elect’s choice to head the
Department of Education. She is Chair of the Board. Voucher proponent in charge
of the Department of (public) Education. Ms. Fox – here’s your henhouse.
But I digress…this is about vouchers and the fight here in
Oklahoma.
Since his primary win (766 whopping votes – I’ve written
nearly half that number of words so far on this post), Senator Loveless has
been posting every pro-voucher link and article he can on his FB page. Senator
Loveless is not a member of the Senate Education Committee. I’ve observed at
least one of his appearances before the Committee, and I found it surrounded
with a kind of tension I could not identify. His relationship with the
Committee feels very prickly and not very cordial. **
His posts about vouchers are full of the false narrative
that #oklaed opposes school choice because we oppose vouchers. He and
Oklahoma
Council of Public Affairs and AFC work overtime to drive their point home.
They are NOT the same. Nope. Choice we have in abundance…we can choose our
neighborhood school, or another school in the district. We can choose to
transfer out of our home district, and provide transportation. We can choose
public charters, and again, provide transportation. We can choose to home-school
our children. And we can choose (IF we are chosen) to send our children to a
private school, providing tuition and transportation and fees and uniforms.
That last choice is the sticking point, and the centerpiece of
AFC’s, Carter’s, OCPA’s, and Loveless’s work: they are determined to make public
schools pay for families’ choices to attend private schools. They frame it ‘about
the kids…for the poor kids who are attending those nasty
government-monopoly-public-schools.’ We are painted as those greedy, grasping
establishment teachers-union lackeys who are in education for the money and
glory.
I’ve written about previous attempts to ram voucher bills
(or ESA—education savings account) down our throats
here
and
here.
I’ve compared and contrasted our bills to ALEC model legislation, and the
similarities were undeniable. ALEC writes our voucher bills, and local politicians
carry them, pretending to be the authors. I’ve
written
about conversations on social media, including some strategies for talking to
proponents.
One can assume Senator Loveless will be the new
standard-bearer of the ALEC legislation this year. He and the
Daily Disappointment Oklahoman
are doing all they can to push the false narrative of ‘choice’ as ‘vouchers’.
Who doesn’t want vouchers? Public schools (THAT is word 766 in this post. That’s how many votes the sitting Senator won by, beating a political novice, full-time teacher and beloved coach), religious
organizations, homeschooling families. Who wants vouchers? AFC, ALEC, OCPA, Daily Disappointment Oklahoman,
Senator Loveless. Other legislators will step forward, I am sure.
So, keep this post close, browse through the links. Share
them on your FB page, in your Twitter feed. Share them with your legislators.
Let policy makers know you are informed on this issue, and you are expecting them to
stop the hemorrhaging in our public schools, not open another artery.
We know voucher proponents will attack us as union lackeys,
supporting failed schools. We will be accused of thinking only of ourselves, of
blocking progress. They will use the word ‘choice’ as a synonym for ‘vouchers’.
We know vouchers will not be going to poor families in urban or rural schools –
they will be going to wealthy families who can well afford the tuition and
transportation and uniforms and fees…AFTER the private schools choose them.
Vouchers will go to families who already get
significant
tax credits for donating to their private school…and now they want vouchers
too. Wealthy families can benefit twice at our expense if vouchers become the
law…ESA should stand for “Entitlement Savings Account.”
We’re ready. I’m collecting every link I can find that will assist us in this zombie battle and shared below. I’ll update and republish this piece when I find helpful resources.
If you find a good source, add it in the comments. Let’s
make this a living document, a resource center.
Ending where I began – I’m tired of this fight. But I’m
ready with more facts, and with the knowledge of how the proponents will fight,
and how they’ll characterize those of us who oppose them.
Help an old lady out…let’s make this session the LAST
session we talk about vouchers.
**Correction: Senator Loveless has been named to the Senate Education Committee for this Session...So, we'll be seeing a lot of each other as I visit and watch the Committee hearings. Will be observing for that same awkwardness.
Links:
