Tulsa World editorial: Destructive public school laws disguised as education initiatives
Like a reappearing Trojan Horse, legislative proposals destructive to public schools have crept into the Capitol disguised as education initiatives.
Don’t fall for new marketing or labels. These bad ideas expand vouchers and what amount to vouchers — all for the benefit of private and sectarian schools.
No matter the name or mechanism, they would damage public education and a lot of other things.
Senate Bill 360 would expand the eligibility of the Nicole Henry Scholarship Program for Children with Disabilities to include nondisabled children with an incarcerated parent.
Other bills would expand it for homeless students, foster children and students who have been bullied.
While we have concerns about the impact of Oklahoma’s top prison rate, high foster care population, bullying and homelessness, we don’t agree that robbing the public schools to fund an unproven fix is a step forward.
House Bill 2621 expands tax credits allowed under the Oklahoma Equal Opportunity Education Scholarship Act. This gives tax credits to corporations and individuals donating to scholarship- and grant-giving organizations for private schools.
This would increase the annual cap of $3.5 million in credits for scholarship-granting groups and a $1.5 million cap for education improvement grants to $30 million each.
Oklahomans are already leery about existing tax credits, which detours money from all state agencies, the largest one being the Oklahoma Department of Education. It makes no sense to expand this one.
Voucher proponents have been at this before with the failed “education savings accounts.” Don’t fall for it.
Public schools are the great equalizer in society, where students from all backgrounds can gather for the single purpose of learning. Vouchers would only marginalize public school students and degrade the programs.
About 700,000 students attend Oklahoma public schools, compared to about 37,000 in private schools.
Lawmakers need to focus on where the impact is most felt and continue finding ways to bolster public education, not reduce it.
Tulsa World editorial: Destructive public school laws disguised as education initiatives | Archive | tulsaworld.com
