The Moneychangers: How Florida’s Education Reform Movement Uses Religion to Manipulate the Public | Scathing Purple Musings

The Moneychangers: How Florida’s Education Reform Movement Uses Religion to Manipulate the Public | Scathing Purple Musings:

The Moneychangers: How Florida’s Education Reform Movement Uses Religion to Manipulate the Public

by Bob Sikes

Jacksonville writer, parent and public education advocate Julie Delegal closely follows Florida education policy. She offers this in response to legislative efforts to expand vouchers through repeal of the Blaine Amendment.

In the wake of a recent circuit court decision, Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi has rewritten a legislatively composed ballot initiative that would, critics say, allow state money to go directly to private, religious school vouchers.

Floridians may be surprised to learn that we already have private school vouchers, and that they are already redeemable at various religious schools. (See http://www.folioweekly.com/documents/folio0901main_000.pdf.) Lawmakers call these vouchers “tax credit scholarships.” Tragically, Florida’s religious voucher schools don’t