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Dayton Daily News education reporter Scott Elliott writes about schools, kids, teaching and learning.
Home > Blogs > Get on the Bus > Archives > 2006 > March > 30 > Entry
Voucher rule changes pass
Here’s the story I wrote for today’s paper. It didn’t end up making it into the paper today, but some version of it should be in tomorrow’s paper.
By Scott Elliott
selliott@DaytonDailyNews.com
Thousands more kids in Dayton and across Ohio are eligible to receive private school vouchers under newly approved rules.
Changes to the voucher law were passed by the legislature as part of a budget corrections bill this wee and are awaiting Gov. Bob Taft’s signature. Normally, new laws take effect in 90 days, but spokesman J.C. Benton said the Ohio Department of Education will begin following the new rules immediately.
The voucher program will allow students in consistently low performing schools to use up to $5,000 in state money for private school tuition. When the program kicks off this fall it will be the nation’s largest statewide voucher program, helping 14,000 Ohio kids attend private schools.
Under the new rules:
• Students attending schools that have been rated in the two lowest state categories — academic watch or academic emergency — would be eligible. This would include Dayton’s Belle Haven, Edison, Fairview, Hickorydale, Cornell Heights and McNary elementary schools, plus Dunbar and Belmont high schools; Jefferson Twp. High School; and Camden Elementary School in Preble County.
• In Dayton, all incoming kindergartners and all students attending charter schools can seek vouchers under the new rules.
Statewide, 45,000 kids will now be eligible to apply, probably guaranteeing they will all be used. If more than 14,000 apply, lowest income students would be given first priority.
Tom Mooney, president of the Ohio Federation of Teachers, said the teachers’ union opposed the expansion, because it believes the changes will hurt schools that are improving.
“We think its a bad idea to expand a program that hasnt even been launched yet,� he said. “There is no track record anywhere that shows vouchers improve student achievement.�
Daria Dillard Stone, program manager for the Dayton-based Parents Advancing Choice in Education, said the new rules offer help to parents who need it.
“It gives them more choices,� she said. “Anything that increases their options is a plus.�
Contact Scott Elliott at (937) 225-2485.
Permalink | Comments (6) | Categories: Charter Schools and School Choice
Comments
By Mary
April 3, 2006 12:37 PM | Link to this
Dear old prof, it sounds as if you were tarring charter schools and all students with the same brush. I am confused by the utopian concept of public education as the perfect melting pot that deserves everyone’s educational tax dollar. Kids/students should not be melted.By Oldprof
April 2, 2006 12:33 PM | Link to this
As usual, Mary promotes her own claims by tarring everyone with the same brush. Unless the people at the top (legislators and governors and state boards) get a clue about how to improve education (hint: nothing they’ve tried so far has worked), then little will get done. And blaming teachers primarily for poor outcomes—well, some deserve blame, but for most it’s like arming our troops with pea shooters and blaming their marksmanship for losing the battle.By Mary
April 1, 2006 11:25 AM | Link to this
Dave, pocket lining takes place in the public school arena also. There is a chapter in the book “Cheating our kids” entitled “No vendor left behind” that discusses this. Also, consider teachers, administrators and board members are also public employees and/or politicians. You should also question their decisions and roles, not just state level employees/politicians.By Dave
March 31, 2006 3:00 PM | Link to this
I sympathize with any parent who seeks vouchers for his/her kids. But too often, the charter alternatives just line the pockets of the charter school owners. In the long run, we will continue to have major problems until the Governor and Legislature decide to obey the state constitution and do whatever it takes to guarantee an adequate free education at ALL public schools. If they are not willing or competent to do this, they should quit public office NOW. I am not saying this is an easy task, but they swore to uphold the constitution when they were sworn into office. If they didn’t like the job requirements, they shouldn’t have taken the job.By Barry
March 31, 2006 1:47 PM | Link to this
About bloody time Why should we continue to support substandard public schools with our tax money? We should give the parents in our state the option of giving their children the best education they can. If this means that kids go to private schools who would otherwise have gone to a poor public school then so be it.By becki
March 31, 2006 1:45 PM | Link to this
I get so tired of reading your “expert” opinions on education. Just because you did a program at Michigan doesn’t make you an expert. You wouldn’t last a week in a school; rural, urban or suburban, with your Pollyanna solutions to education!