Texas State Senator Nathan Johnson Explains Why Vouchers Are a Really Bad Thing For Texas
We can't even call it "School Choice" with a straight face
In case y’all haven’t been paying attention, a pitched battle for the soul of public education in Texas is being waged right now at the Capitol, featuring a weird conglomeration of far-right, pro-voucher fanatics and the politicians they’ve paid for battling against human beings with common sense and an understanding of how society functions teaming up with several Republican lawmakers from rural areas.
The issue comes down to whether or not we believe that Texas tax dollars earmarked for public schools, as they have always been, should now be funneled to private, for-profit schools by way of an $8,000 per student voucher that can pay for approximately 0% of private schools in Texas. So you can see why this whole scheme is being called out as a giveaway for rich Texans who can already afford private schools (which often cost $40,000 per year or more) rather than a legitimate way to help economically-challenged kids in suffering school districts.
The fact that Governor Greg Abbott is holding back long-overdue teacher raises as a carrot to try and jam these vouchers through is a cynical as it is transparent, as is the fact that state funding to schools remains frozen at 2019 levels against the backdrop of some of the biggest inflation spikes in a generation. Starving public education and its teachers, then using under-performing schools as evidence that private school vouchers are needed is some pretty gross shit.
I recently had Texas State Senator Nathan Johnson on my Stuck With Evil MoPac podcast (YouTube episode is here and Spotify episode is here ) to discuss this voucher scam and get his thoughts on why it’s so dangerous. Three key exchanges offer some fantastic context and clarity on this important issue at the same time as they made my blood boil:
Evil M: “I do want you to give me your thoughts on this ‘voucher/school choice’ thing being shoved up Texas’ bumhole by Greg Abbott and a bunch of astroturf lobbying groups who wouldn’t know El Paso from Highland Park.”
Sen. Johnson: “Most of the private schools out there are going to cost…quintuple the amount of a school voucher…do you really think we’re going to replace our public school system with a series of popup private schools? Where the hell are we? That is one thing that is actually in our Constitution: That we will have a public school system. De Tocqueville, when he was touring America, was talking about the American commitment to public education as setting us apart from the rest of the world…(so) to now do this “government schools (are) bullshit routine” when you’re passing out coupons, basically, that won’t really pay for private education in the name of giving people a choice. I don’t want to use the word lie, but it’s a false promise.”
[T]here are some people walking around with t-shirts that say, “My Child, My Money, My Choice.” First of all, it’s not your money, okay. Your money that you pay in property taxes to school districts is the money we all pay whether or not we have a kid in the public schools, and 75% of Texans do not have a kid presently in the public schools.
Evil M: “What is the amount of the voucher we’re talking about?”
Sen. Johnson: It’s $8,000 and it is a small fraction (of the cost) and by the way, there are some people walking around with t-shirts that say, “My Child, My Money, My Choice.” First of all, it’s not your money, okay. Your money that you pay in property taxes to school districts is the money we all pay whether or not we have a kid in the public schools, and 75% of Texans do not have a kid presently in the public schools. We pay property taxes—school taxes—for the privilege of living in an educated society so that Democracy can function and so that employers can hire people with skills, it is not your tuition money.”
Evil M: “There’s a larger thing at play here…that they want to basically kill public education. Is there any truth to that?”
The people who are at the base of the voucher movement are convincing people who don’t wasn’t to destroy the public schools that, nonetheless, it’s a good idea.
Sen. Johnson: “Oh it’s completely true. The people who are at the base of the voucher movement are convincing people who don’t wasn’t to destroy the public schools that, nonetheless, it’s a good idea and that’s the real damage and it does undermine the fabric of the public schools.”
Obviously all y’all need to decide for yourselves, but please take the time to let your Governor, Texas Representative and Texas Senator know how you feel about public vouchers being rammed through the Special Session right now.
My two cents is that the voucher idea, in both design and execution, is a horrific threat to public education in Texas. If Texas actually wants to make things better, we should properly fund teachers and schools, while relying on ideas/actions that focus on struggling districts and students, rather than embracing a tax dollar giveaway to wealthy families being pushed by people who hate public education.
I just found out you have a podcast and I’m dying to be a guest. Here’s my channel: https://youtube.com/@FenixNewsNetwork