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Friday, February 17, 2017

Republicans Suggest Federal Role in Education Be Limited to Bribery | gadflyonthewallblog

Republicans Suggest Federal Role in Education Be Limited to Bribery | gadflyonthewallblog:

Republicans Suggest Federal Role in Education Be Limited to Bribery

Hey! Let’s repeal the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965!
Let’s hobble the Department of Education!
Let’s make the federal role just handing out bundles of cash to private and parochial schools!
And you completely eliminate any protections for students’ civil rights.
THIS is the brave new world of Trumpian education policy. It’s called HR 610 and was introduced by Republican Congressman Steve King of Iowa.
You may Remember King. He introduced an amendment in the U.S. House that would have prevented Harriet Tubman from replacing President Andrew Jackson on the front of the $20 bill. Sure she was an abolitionist, women’s suffragist and hero who rescued scores of black people from slavery in the Underground Railroad. Why would we want her to replace a former slave trader and architect of the Indian Removal Act and Trail of Tears!?
His new piece of wonderful legislation – not at all written by the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) – would turn the U.S. Department of Education into merely an authorizer of block grants to qualified states to participate in a nationwide voucher program.
The department would give out money to local districts to give to parents to home school or send their children to private schools.