Andrea Gabor: Betsy DeVos’s Voucher Obsession Could Boomerang on Republicans
Veteran journalist Andrea Gabor explains that Betsy DeVos got the Trump administration to commit fully behind her voucher obsession, rolling some 29 or 30 programs into a block grant, including the toxic federal Charter Schools Program. In exchange, the Trump administration is seeking $5 billion for national voucher program. It is certain not to be approved by Congress, but meanwhile the Supreme Court is considering a case (Espinoza v. Montana) that could eliminate all state bans on public spending for religious schools. This would have a devastating fiscal impact on public schools.
But, she warns, the voucher idea is an expensive failure and politically toxic. Based on recent electoral results, she predicts that it could blow up in the faces of Republican candidates. The overwhelming majority of American children attend public schools, including the overwhelming majority of children of Republican voters.
Despite DeVos’s enthusiastic support for vouchers, it may turn out to be a losing issue:
K-12 schooling remains a hot issue especially in local elections; thus, the combination of block grants and CONTINUE READING: Andrea Gabor: Betsy DeVos’s Voucher Obsession Could Boomerang on Republicans | Diane Ravitch's blog
