I moved to Texas from a voucher state (Indiana) in 2020 to help my parents through the pandemic. I was astounded and incredibly grateful to find out that TX did not have the voucher program. It passed in Indiana in 2011 and while I wasn’t against it when it passed, what happened subsequently opened my eyes to the realities that politicians will absolutely sacrifice children for personal gain.
When Indiana introduced the program, they put limitations similar to the ones I’m hearing in bills today. A child had to be low income (and TRULY low income, not the 6 figure low income SB2 defines), a child had to be districted to an “F” rated school, and a student had to have never been previously enrolled in private school. Our family fit all those parameters as my daughter’s middle school was sadly failing, we were low income at the time because I was in nursing school and we were living only on my husband’s income, and my daughter had never been enrolled in private education. We tried to get the voucher and found out quickly the limitations of “choice”. The two closest private schools did not accept voucher students, they didn’t want to participate in the program at all, and the catholic school that DID accept vouchers was further away and had a waiting list we would never reach the top. We had NO CHOICE!!! Even then though, I figured “oh well” and sent my daughter to public school. It didn’t matter anyway bc the very next legislative session the politicians eliminated or expanded all those “priorities”.
By the time she got to high school you could see the pressure that vouchers (and an ever-expanding charter system) was putting on public schools. It seemed like things were falling apart all around us. I was spending almost a thousand dollars in book/technology fees for 2 kids, class sizes increased, so many teachers left, we lost all sorts of programs and services, my daughter had to learn calculus in a class of 3 combined classes bc our district couldn’t afford to pay quality teachers for such high level classes, we had to spend literally thousands of dollars for my daughter to play sports in her public school, we had to continually pass referenda (called bonds here) just to keep facilities safe.
Now? Things are even worse. Even more schools are closing, they’re passing bills to raise property taxes bc the costs keep ballooning, scores continue to fall, and over 80% of voucher recipients have never been in public schools. When your school closes where is your “choice”??? When the private school doesn’t want to participate in the voucher program, where is your “choice”? These vouchers are a disaster and a scam and the only ones who benefit are the politicians!!!!
I'd add that wealthy parents of private school kids, lobbyists, pro-voucher political donors, and private schools will all make out very well under these Texas vouchers scams.
In Texas, public school funding has been more/less locked at 2019 levels, which is objectively horrific given how much more expensive things are since then. You call what I wrote propaganda but haven't even attempted to refute a single fact I've set out. Calling vouchers a "choice" isn't a substantive argument. Crawl out of your informational basement and learn about your world.
I have a son who benefits from special needs services that were not available until public kindergarten. The preschools opted just to kick him out. This is not the world’s most complicated case, but it has made a world of difference to my son. This bill is such a fucking scam. Our children should not be profit centers for billionaires.
One of the worst problems with these Texas voucher proposals is the fact that private schools get things so much easier than public and can pretty much do whatever they want. That works a lot better when private schools aren't getting public tax dollars, but is a non starter when they are. Just mind blowing bullshit.
I’m seriously considering leaving Texas, and I love Austin dearly. But if this bill plus the one that requires a two thirds vote for taxes passes, Texas will turn into a third world s-hole, and I don’t want to live in a s-hole. I want a decent society.
I moved to Texas from a voucher state (Indiana) in 2020 to help my parents through the pandemic. I was astounded and incredibly grateful to find out that TX did not have the voucher program. It passed in Indiana in 2011 and while I wasn’t against it when it passed, what happened subsequently opened my eyes to the realities that politicians will absolutely sacrifice children for personal gain.
When Indiana introduced the program, they put limitations similar to the ones I’m hearing in bills today. A child had to be low income (and TRULY low income, not the 6 figure low income SB2 defines), a child had to be districted to an “F” rated school, and a student had to have never been previously enrolled in private school. Our family fit all those parameters as my daughter’s middle school was sadly failing, we were low income at the time because I was in nursing school and we were living only on my husband’s income, and my daughter had never been enrolled in private education. We tried to get the voucher and found out quickly the limitations of “choice”. The two closest private schools did not accept voucher students, they didn’t want to participate in the program at all, and the catholic school that DID accept vouchers was further away and had a waiting list we would never reach the top. We had NO CHOICE!!! Even then though, I figured “oh well” and sent my daughter to public school. It didn’t matter anyway bc the very next legislative session the politicians eliminated or expanded all those “priorities”.
By the time she got to high school you could see the pressure that vouchers (and an ever-expanding charter system) was putting on public schools. It seemed like things were falling apart all around us. I was spending almost a thousand dollars in book/technology fees for 2 kids, class sizes increased, so many teachers left, we lost all sorts of programs and services, my daughter had to learn calculus in a class of 3 combined classes bc our district couldn’t afford to pay quality teachers for such high level classes, we had to spend literally thousands of dollars for my daughter to play sports in her public school, we had to continually pass referenda (called bonds here) just to keep facilities safe.
Now? Things are even worse. Even more schools are closing, they’re passing bills to raise property taxes bc the costs keep ballooning, scores continue to fall, and over 80% of voucher recipients have never been in public schools. When your school closes where is your “choice”??? When the private school doesn’t want to participate in the voucher program, where is your “choice”? These vouchers are a disaster and a scam and the only ones who benefit are the politicians!!!!
Thank you for sharing.
I'd add that wealthy parents of private school kids, lobbyists, pro-voucher political donors, and private schools will all make out very well under these Texas vouchers scams.
True, now they can take the vacay to Europe instead of Mexico🥂
Le Sigh
Nationwide, spending on public schools keeps going up and up and the outcomes keep going down and down.
This whole post is a bunch of anti choice propaganda
In Texas, public school funding has been more/less locked at 2019 levels, which is objectively horrific given how much more expensive things are since then. You call what I wrote propaganda but haven't even attempted to refute a single fact I've set out. Calling vouchers a "choice" isn't a substantive argument. Crawl out of your informational basement and learn about your world.
I have a son who benefits from special needs services that were not available until public kindergarten. The preschools opted just to kick him out. This is not the world’s most complicated case, but it has made a world of difference to my son. This bill is such a fucking scam. Our children should not be profit centers for billionaires.
One of the worst problems with these Texas voucher proposals is the fact that private schools get things so much easier than public and can pretty much do whatever they want. That works a lot better when private schools aren't getting public tax dollars, but is a non starter when they are. Just mind blowing bullshit.
I’m seriously considering leaving Texas, and I love Austin dearly. But if this bill plus the one that requires a two thirds vote for taxes passes, Texas will turn into a third world s-hole, and I don’t want to live in a s-hole. I want a decent society.
Feels a bit like the fix is in, doesn't it?
Unfortunately it does.
sad