We Need to Help Utah Pass School Vouchers
By monk Posted in Law — Comments (27) / Email this page » / Leave a comment »
Promoted by Adam C as the most important policy issue in this off-election year
Utah's legislature recently passed the first statewide voucher program in the country (Details Here). The law was signed by the governor, but it was then challenged by anti-choice opponents, and now there will be a referendum November 6th to see whether the voters want to keep the program or not.
So far, voucher opponents are raising more money and have outspent the pro-voucher forces by a ratio of 3:1. Most of this money has come from out-of-state teacher's unions.
As a long-term strategy, school-choice HAS to be one of the top domestic priorities for conservatives for the following reasons:
- Children in private schools will be protected from the liberal brainwashing currently occurring in our public schools
- Competition will create better schools and make us stronger and more competitive as a nation.
- Private schools are cheaper to run than public schools because they are more efficient. The more kids there are in private schools the more money
our nation has to cut taxes or increase spending elsewhere. - Creating equal educational opportunities for every family is the single best thing our government can do to help the poor. Currently, the cost of a good public education is the cost of a house in a good school district.
- School choice appeals to minority voters who lean democratic, and is one of the best ways to bring them into the party.
Needless to say, it is critical for the conservative movement in America that this passes and becomes law. If Utah can't pass a statewide voucher law, what state will? And without a large successful voucher program somewhere in the country, how will momentum ever be attained to pass further school-choice laws anywhere else?
Help now by contributing to Parents for Choice in Education.
I haven't been able to find any recent stories (searched google news) about how this is polling. The original bill that created the voucher program was supported by 48% and opposed by 46% last January.
I think I read something a month or so ago that indicated all the negative advertising was turning the public against the program.
It seems that this has a good shot of passing as long as the school-choice proponents aren't outspent by the teacher's unions running negative ads.
I don't live in Utah though. Can any Utahns chime in as to the public mood on this?
As Giuliani says, "This is the Civil Rights issue of the day."
Glad to help.
______________________________________
Bobby Jindal Saves Louisiana
And I recommended to the Club for Growth that they list Parents for Choice in Education as an endorsed and "recommended candidate" that can raise money off of their website like they do with John Sununu and their other recommended candidates.
We need to pump serious money into this race in order to counter the NEA.
I doubt the Utah schoolchildren will fully appreciate the sacrificial giving that this Texan made in order to help them be smarter! LOL.
Where are our presidential candidates stumping and raising money for this??? Where is Orin Hatch and Bennett out beating the bushes in Utah to get this passed?
Won't some nitwit circuit court judge find some flimsy excuse to strike down such a new law? Utah does fall under the 9th Circus, last time I checked.
It's war -- so when can we start shooting back at the enemy Democrats?
Where great conservative legal scholars Michael McConnell, Neil Gorsuch, and Jerome Holmes reign. Half of the 10th Circuit's 12 members are George W. Bush appointees, 4 are Clinton nominees, and there is one each from Reagan and Bush I.
I doubt that opponents would like to have an opinion about the program by one of these judges entered into the public debate and discourse because these three can be incredibly persuasive.
It just seems every time the public gets solidly behind really good ideas (like banning infanticide partial birth abortion, or protecting borders, requiring photo ID's to vote, etc) there's a judge sitting somewhere ready to #### all over their wheaties.
So to both of you, thanks for the background info. I had thought the 9th had everything west of the continental divide.
It's war -- so when can we start shooting back at the enemy Democrats?
I called the Romney campaign and a staffer that Mitt needs to use his sway in Utah and present visibility to get behind this and raise money to get this passed.
I also told him that I'm sure that Mitt has plenty of wealthy donors who have maxed out their contributions to his campaign who could further help the Romney campaign by coming to the rescue of this referendum by saying that they're donating big money to the cause because Mitt Romney said it was important to him.
And this goes for all of the Republican contenders, I also told the staffer that this would be a great contrast in how Republicans actually help children (freedom of choice) v. how Democrats attempt to help children (expanding the dependency class via the welfare state) in light of the SCHIP debate.
I hope Mitt will take the opportunity to really get behind this in a state where he has more in common with the most number of people via his faith than any of the other Republican presidential contenders.
who have seen their children imprisoned in the public school system by liberals, many of whom sent their own kids to private schools.
It's the new segregation, and in another generation or so, it will have gone on for nearly as long as the old segregation.
I just made an edit to this, and it seems that modification took my blog off the front-page. :(
That sounds right. I think that is how the site works.
...a long habit of not thinking a thing wrong, gives it a superficial appearance of being right...
---Thomas Paine---
Yeah, just FYI. If you edit something already on the front page, it takes it off the front page. It should be back now.
______________________________________
Bobby Jindal Saves Louisiana
I've seen the advertisements against the referendum.
They really lucked out, they should have gotten the "Yes" vote, since the referendum is an attempt to repeal the law, but instead they got the "No" vote.
They are playing to that strength- instead of actually engaging on the issue: Is School Choice good or bad? All the negative advertisements are focused on: There are too many questions left unanswered- it's "poorly implemented" just vote no kind of stuff.
Very slick.
The only pro-voucher ads I've seen are focused on attacking the "no" campaign as "the liberal NEA". The NEA is just pouring money into the "No" campaign. (This might actually be illegal as I'm sure all the money is coming from teacher dues, and the SC has repeatedly ruled that the NEA can't use dues for political advocacy).
Not sure how effective the attack on the NEA will be. Utah is heavily Republican and conservative- but they don't like sharp partisanship.
Meanwhile there has been a severe crackdown in the teacher circles. Most ordinary teachers are nervous about the voucher issue- from a "I don't know what is going to happen". Very understandable. However, the "leaders" of teachers are violently opposed (naturally) and have been putting a lot of pressure out to silence any teacher who dares support vouchers.
I tried to argue that vouchers would be beneficial because it would empower parents who are poor minorities- I was told "Those people don't care about their children".
Then the UEA person went through to show to the dime how much money each individual teacher would lose from their paycheck if vouchers were passed. I thought about making a sarcastic comment on their idealism, or maybe even just pointing out that those numbers were only because they were counting administrators as teachers. (Actual classroom teachers should expect an eventual wage increase). However the tension and hostility in the room was already so thick I was worried I would face repercussions if I continued to present my views.
I have to be careful until I secure a permanent position.
Nice to get a local take on the situation.
You mentioned this might help empower poor minorities. As someone who attended private schools I know it was a financial hardship on my parents. I'm willing to bet that new private institutions that spring up to accept new students are far more likely to do so in affluent or middle class areas than in traditionally poor minority communities. This is simply a matter of economics. A middle class family could afford to take the voucher and add some money on top of that for a "better" education for their children. The poor don't have that option. Given that situation why would new for-profit schools not attempt to maximize profit?
A religiously run school is entirely different. I'm sure they would be a wonderful addition to any community they decide to build a school in. The problem again is the millions it takes to build a new one. I just don't see too many local churches having the funding to start new schools up in poor areas. On the other hand, larger organizations can do so. I expect quite a number of Mormon based schools in Utah would immediately spring up. Have they taken a position on this and promised new schools? If so where are they suggesting they might open some?
The Mormon Church funds several private schools in Guam, Tonga, and Samoa.
It hasn't funded private schools in Utah since the 19th Century.
Instead the Mormons have adopted a "seminary" program. In Utah, Idaho, and parts of California, the Mormon Church has built small classrooms on land adjoining public schools. Mormon student then attend religious courses at the adjoining classrooms for one period out of their school schedule. This system is called "release time". In other states the seminary programs are instead "early morning" and are held at local church buildings in the hour prior to the start of public schools.
The Mormon Church has stated that they have no official position on the measure- and urge every voter to carefully study the issue and then vote their conscience.
The largest private school network in Utah is Catholic. There are a few private schools that are unaffiliated with the Mormon Church, but who do sell themselves as "Mormon Schools".
However, the main main reason people view Utah as ripe for school vouchers is the huge number of home schooled children.
As for poor children not benefiting- I think you misunderstood me. I feel vouchers will empower minority parents not because they will be able to send their children to private school- but because they will have direct control over the budget of their local public schools- and therefor teachers and administrators with treat them with greater respect rather than the current condescending disdain.
As something else you might find interesting, the Mormon Church started a program (in 2001- I was at the announcement) that provides student loans to church members in poor areas of the world (Particularly Latin America and Asia) to pay for their attendance at college/trade schools.
After graduation these people then pay back the loans into the Education Fund and the money is again loaned out to other people who need it.
I have long felt that this will end up being one of the most important developments of this century.
The preceding example of this type of fund is the old PEF (Perpetual Emigration Fund) which provided loans to Mormons who desired to emigrate to America. It successfully helped over 30,000 Mormons emigrate to Utah. It was disbanded when the Federal Government seized most Church property and related corporations during the Edmunds-Tucker suppression of polygamy.
If you can't pass school vouchers in Utah, is there any hope?
Utah is arguably the most conservative state in the U.S. If you can't pass a school voucher bill there, it's hard not feel hopeless.
The teachers unions are going to spend as much money as it takes to stamp out school vouchers, they're scared to death of them.
If the leading presidential candidates turned to their big donors who have maxed out their contributions to their campaigns and asked them, "will you please also donate $5,000 to Parents for Choice in Education for me?" it's hard to imagine them not raising substantially more than that.
Or at least not the main one.
The problem is that the voucher supporters have been caught flatfooted in making an effort to get widespread support. They are not making the argument for why vouchers are such a good idea- at least not in a way that can be fit into a 30 second TV ad.
I bet Mitt Romney's personal endorsement would do more to help the voucher resolution pass than any amount of money.
I called the Romney campaign. Hopefully something will come of it.
Perhaps Ken Mehlman needs to be dispatched to better run the campaign effort from now until election day.
Are there any organizations on the right that can give a couple hundred thousand or a million dollars to important fights like this? The left has MoveOn, teacher's unions, etc. Who do we have? Can the RNC put money into this? If we don't have one, we need some type of organization to mobilize the grassroots to give money and call and whatnot.
Has talk radio picked up this issue at all? I don't get a chance to listen to the radio much.
I think that Parents for Choice in Education should hit up the Club for Growth and even see if they can't get Republican Main Street Partnership to give them some cash. This is something that all Republicans should be on-board for. Dick Armey's FreedomWorks. The Free Enterprise Institute. CATO. All of these groups should really be jumping all over this.
...a long habit of not thinking a thing wrong, gives it a superficial appearance of being right...
---Thomas Paine---
Be careful, the RMSP is just as likely to come down firmly on the teachers' unions' side and lend them some "bipartisan" cover.
Generally, if it would get them some MSM love, the RMSP would do it ... and we all know where the media is going to down on this issue.
Every other group you mentioned is good ... just be very careful if you're gonna approach the RMSP. It's better to approach those members who seem to harbor some pride in being Republicans.
I really hope they can get the vouchers going in Utah. The school systems REALLY need some competition to force them to get their acts together.
How is this polling in Utah?
...a long habit of not thinking a thing wrong, gives it a superficial appearance of being right...
---Thomas Paine---