Privatizing education--good move or poor choice?

In state after state, legislatures have cut education funds and asked school districts to make do with less. Aides are laid off, teachers fired, programs cut, supplies reduced, schools consolidated. We are told we have to do this because there is no money, budgets must be balanced, everyone has to sacrifice.

But of course, we know that none of this is true. The money that was there two years ago is still out there—it hasn’t magically vanished from the planet. No- it has shifted ownership—from the 98% to the 2%. Through a number of illicit and unethical machinations, a small number of people have manipulated a massive transfer of funds, on a global scale. The money is still there, it’s just in their bank accounts now, as opposed to ours. And because they have appropriated this money, and have no intention of giving it back, we have to make do with less.   

Of course, that’s a simplistic explanation, but not far from accurate. The consequences of these choices are impacting our children, though, and their futures. In Indiana, the GOP has gone into overdrive to continue this money transfer, by initiating a series of legislative maneuvers to legalize paying private entities to educate the children of Indiana at tax payer expense. The “Choice Scholarship” (HB 1003) just implemented, gives low income families thousands of tax dollars to send their children to private schools. Vouchers on steroids, if you will. While numerous families support this move, because it allows them to pull their children out of low quality public schools, they fail to see the big picture. As the program grows (this year, only a few thousand are allowed to participate), funds for public schools will dwindle ever more as children are placed in increasing numbers in private schools. This is a death knell for public education. But wait! That’s not all!

HB 1479, (http://www.in.gov/legislative/bills/2011/IN/IN1479.1.html ) would turn all low performing schools in Indiana over to private corporations to run for five years. At this point, over 200 schools have been nominated for this transfer. After the end of the contract, the schools could be converted into “independent school corporations.” It is not clear what is meant by that term. During the five year period, the independent contractors would pay $1 a year to lease the property, the materials and supplies from the district, could hire their own employees and would essentially run the school as they saw fit.

Reduced funding for public schools will result in poorer programs and overcrowded classes, meaning an ever increasing flight by families toward better quality schools. The greater the number of private entities functioning on a competitive market basis, the more difficult it will be to monitor outcomes. Indiana has set itself up for an accounting nightmare; short sighted families who have supported these moves are contributing to their own future misery.

The question we have to ask ourselves is—should we pay private corporations to educate our children? There are a number of excellent private universities that provide superior programs (take Stanford for example)—so, the concepts of excellence and private ownership are not mutually exclusive.

 If we do decide to close our public schools, should we continue paying taxes, to support the private entities? I say no. If states want to relinquish their control over schools and educational outcomes, then they also relinquish the dollars involved and close their dysfunctional departments of education. Privatize all the way, be done with it, and allow the citizens to make choices based on competition and free market principles.

If, on the other hand, citizens choose to continue public education, then remove private schools from public funding, keep them separate. Put school funding on referendums and institute the choices made by the people. I can guarantee they will not choose corporate tax cuts at the expense of their child’s educational well being. Public schools should be fully funded and considered, by the state and the people, as an investment in the future.

As long as the economy continues to falter, these choices will increase in urgency. The push to privatize is a well coordinated, well funded agenda by groups who would like nothing better than to use our tax dollars to enrich themselves. I urge every one of you to closely examine proposals your state is advancing that will result in loss of control over your child's education, while benefiting a private company--or many. Virtual academies are part of this group; while some are state-run, most are not.

This is a democracy; self-determination is a fundamental principle, with all its implications of vigilance as to what the government is doing.