AUGUSTA, Maine — Gov. Paul LePage is among 17 governors who recently signed proclamations declaring next week as National School Choice Week, a sign that Maine’s governor could be ready to announce an initiative that would expand school choice in this state.
Adrienne Bennett, the governor’s spokeswoman, said the governor is scheduled to make a major education announcement next week, but would not confirm any details.
It’s likely that school choice will be a part of either that announcement or a separate announcement in the coming weeks.
LePage’s education commissioner, Stephen Bowen, effectively endorsed school choice during a roll out of his own education plan earlier this week, which called for, among other things, better flexibility for students. Department spokesman David Connerty-Marin confirmed Thursday that school choice legislation will be submitted this session.
Bowen’s previous employer, the conservative Maine Heritage Policy Center, has advocated for expanding school choice, which refers to a broad policy initiative that expands the ability of students and their parents to allow kids to attend schools across municipal or district lines.
The concept is not universally accepted by administrators and educators, though, and has been a hot button issue in other states.
The Maine Education Association — the state’s teachers’ union — is opposed to unrestricted school choice for a variety of reasons, according to spokesman Jon Kosinski. The biggest reason, he said, is that it would create an increased burden on local districts and would generate uncertainty about enrollment.
Another problem is that school choice could allow for taxpayer dollars to be used to send children to private and perhaps religious schools, Kosinski said.
Sen. Justin Alfond, D-Portland, who sits on the Education Committee, said neither he nor any other Democrats have been approached about the governor’s education plans but he said school choice is dangerous.
“This week, Commissioner Bowen put forth a strategic plan, which is something I’ve wanted and many others have wanted for years,” Alfond said. “And there is tremendous energy and momentum behind that plan. To add school choice or a voucher program for the state, which is one of the most divisive education policies across the country, would be detrimental to that plan.”
Sen. Brian Langley, R-Ellsworth, co-chairs the Education Committee. He said if a school choice bill was introduced it would certainly generate a “robust discussion.”
“I think equity would be the biggest thing,” he said. “We would need to balance the public good with individual students’ rights.”
National School Choice Week is billed as a series of events to shine a spotlight on the need for better providing educational options for children.
The other governors who signed proclamations on National School Choice Week were: Robert Bentley of Alabama, John Hickenlooper of Colorado, Nathan Deal of Georgia, Mitch Daniels of Indiana, Bobby Jindal of Louisiana, Rick Snyder of Michigan, Mary Fallin of Oklahoma, Tom Corbett of Pennsylvania, Gary Herbert of Utah, Bob McDonnell of Virginia, Janice Brewer of Arizona, Terry Branstad of Iowa, Martin O’Malley of Maryland, Matt Mead of Wyoming and Scott Walker of Wisconsin.
All except Hickenlooper and O’Malley are Republicans.
Gov. LePage already has been successful in bringing charter schools to Maine with the passage of legislation last spring. None have actually opened and the Legislature is preparing to take up a bill that addresses some technical concerns about the original legislation, but many regard charter schools as the first step toward school choice.
Charter schools are publicly funded but most often privately run. They often focus on a specific topic such as fine arts or natural sciences but must meet state and federal academic standards. They do, however, have more flexibility in curriculum, budgeting and other issues.
No bills are before the Legislature that deal with school choice, but the initiative could be included in an Education Department bill or a bill from the governor’s office.
Parents have an obligation to make sure their child gets to attend the best school possible. Why would anyone be opposed to school choice? If the school that your child is attending or will attend does not seem like it will provide him or her with an appropriate level of education then why should you be not allowed to pick another school for him?
Bill Cosby supports school choice. He hardly seems like a right wing radical to me.
The theory that ALL students should get Go to the best school possible is flawed in that when they ALL go to that school the school “System ” suffers.
Its like “everyone” moveing out into the country for the quality of life only to find that they brought the city with them!
Bill Cosby can afford to send his kids to Harvard….that’s not the issue….parents have had the right for years to either home school their children, send them to private schools….or have them attend local schools which their taxes are paying for…..and not paying for in other districts that they may want to have their children attend with school choice program. So who in the other district is going to have to fund and pay for your children to go to their schools. If you don’t like the schools in your area that your children are going too, than why are you living there….Governor LePage again has proven that he is for the rich who can send their kids to a private school, get a voucher…which is called…”Wealth Redistribution Republican Style”. Gives his rich cronnies tax breaks in Portland for his CEO’s wants the disabled and seniors and poor to help pay for his mis-management of the DHHS….and now the rich can send their kids to private schools, get a voucher and with that voucher get all the money they spent back at the end of the year. Wonderful…my Republican party at its best…..Thank You Governor for being so thoughtful…….
It costs a certain amount of money to send a child to high school each year. That is called a per pupil fee. It is paid for by the taxpayers in that town where the students come from. A town like Trenton has no high school of its own. Thus the town collects the per pupil fee from the taxpayers and pays it to the RSU that is running the high school. Lets say it cost 5000 dollars to send the child to MDIHS per year.
Now lets assume that I dont like MDIHS. I want to send my child to John Bapst instead. The cost of educating a child per year at Bapst is 6000 dollars. Plus there is no transport to the school from Trenton.
Now if the town of Trenton is paying 5000 per pupil to begin with why cant that 5000 dollars be paid to Bapst and I make up the 1000 dollars difference and be responsible for the transport of my child to school? The taxpayers are not be taken advantadge of in this circumstance.
Another option is the one you suggest. Move to a better school district.
A friend of mine is very much against school choice. His theory is that if MDI High School suddenly turns into a bad school he would not be able to drive or pay to transport his kids to another school in Hancock County. That would be unfair and his kids would be trapped with other kids that couldnt leave while kids whose parents could would take their kids out of the school. In his mind all the kids should have to suffer equally by going to a bad school regardless of the parents ability to put them into a better school.
That’s one of the fallacies used by the anti- public education crowd.
The quality and level of achievement of a public school depends in a great part on the ability and interest of the students. Every time a capable student leaves for another school you have diminished the quality of sending school. Why should taxpayers spend money to diminish the quality of their schools. School choice creates bad schools by skimming off all the capable students. Conversely it doesn’t make good schools any better and may actually diminish the quality as additional students results in over stretching the resources of that district. Here’s a thought. Join a school board or a parents group and make the school your kids attend the best it can be.
I agree that parents have a huge responsibility in how their children are educated. They have to instill the love of learning. They have to be involved in the childrens school and take a stake in how it is run.
However I do know that some schools are better than others, for a variable of reasons. I do think that parents should have the right to move their child from a school they are not satisfied with. If that results in the removal of a brighter student from the school then so be it. My sister graduated high school a year and a half early as she was way ahead of her peers. Should she have been made to stay at her detriment so that the school would not loose an excellent student?
Your sister didn’t transfer. She stayed and graduated. She and probably you were capable students and added to the quality of your school.
Here’s the problem with school choice. Town X has miserable schools but very low taxes. Town A has high taxes and excellent schools. All the parents in Xtown send their children to Atown. They get excellent education and don’t pay for it. Atown struggles along with increased enrollment and reduced resources. How long will it be before Atown taxpayers shut off the parents in Xtown. This is not a system that works except for the very rich. Every school benefits from parents and educators working together to make their school better. It takes effort. Atown made the effort. Why should they put up with kids whose parents didn’t make the effort.
Your example with Atown and Xtown is a good one. If it costs 5000 per pupil to send a child to school in one town and in another it costs 6000 then in my opinon the people in Atown should get a 5000 dollar credit to where they want to send their child and then have to make up the difference in cost out of their own pocket. In this case 1000 dollars.
Go for choice.. The good schools will survive .. And the bad schools will suffer.
Actually poor kids or families who are not able to personally transport their children to a so-called good school will suffer because the school that they are stuck with won’t have anything left for them.
Private schools will PROFIT and the “Children” will suffer!
We have been throwing good money down the toilet for years to improve education. Lets atleast give this a try. If we get better students I am all for it
The Union answer is, “We need to spend more on education.”
Just because it hasn’t worked for thirty years is no reason to give up so soon.
If money is not a factor in education why do the schools towns like Portland and Cape Elizabeth spend so much time down in Augusta pleading for educational funding formulas that favor them over rural schools?
If money isn’t a factor why do charter schools fight to get more and more money out of the state?
If money isn’t a factor why do private schools charge so much tuition?
If money isn’t a factor why do parents’ groups bust their butts raising funds for schools?
If money isn’t a factor why do richer schools not share with less advantaged schools?
If money isn’t a factor why do kids do better in schools with better facilities and better teachers?
A note to the undereducated: The years we spent more on education: we got a better educated children. Look up the statistics.
I agree completely with the idea of parents deciding what is best for their kids. My kids are in a community that has school choice and I think everyone in the state should have the same opportunity.
My
community lost school choice due to consolidation (RSU 1). They architects of
the plan “grandfathered” certain families with choice to keep them quiet. Our student achievement at the high school
was higher prior to consolidation. I
hope that your town hangs onto school choice!
See the article below:
http://www.pressherald.com/archive/some-mainers-just-lost-school-choice_2008-04-23.html
I am the only one who sees the irony of these guys being “pro-choice”?
LOL
But will the school also get to choose? If the school doesn’t want a student or students who will drag the school down, will they be able to say, “No”?
That would be against the charter law. However, there will be ways of getting around it. There are already special enrollment provisions for children of teachers and board members of charter schools.
Transportation and limits on capacity of the schools receiving students are large and possibly insurmountable problems. Limited school choice at the high school level is already in force, isn’t it?
I believe very strongly that if the country gave each parent a voucher…several things would happen. Number one[,] schools would start marketing themselves like crazy to get students. Secondly, I think you’d see a lot of new schools starting…. I believe that they would do far better than any of our public schools would. The third thing you’d see is…the quality of schools again, just in a competitive marketplace, start to rise.
Who said this?
Steve Jobs!
He also believed that Unions were the biggest problem with government schools.
Imagine it!
Many others see it as things like “No Child Left Behind” …. Imagine that!
I don’t mind living in your community and benefitting from the low tax rate, but give me back, in the form of a voucher, some of my money so that my kids don’t have to play and learn with your kids.
School choice is already a reality- the only hitch is you have to pay out of pocket if you don’t want your kids to play and learn with the local brats.
For true school choice, we need to privatize the whole educational system. Public education is actually very expensive compared to private. And this is without ultra budget schools that would invariably arise, if public school was phased out. Public schools misallocate too much money to non educational things. And the high property taxes to pay for them are sapping prosperity, job growth, wealth creation, basically our future. Put the consumer back in charge of education, and you will see the quality of education increase, while the costs decrease.
Private schools run on PROFIT !
They Add 20% to the cost of public schools right off the bat!
Profit makes a school sustainable and means it can grow enrollment and improve itself over time. A profitable school attracts outside investors, who, seeking profit, will finance expansion. If a school is doing well, other entrepreneurs will take note and start their own schools. Over time, enrollment growth and competition will lower tuition costs for students. I think private schools could be more flexible with payment options, like you could pay for tuition with labor, as well. As it stands, if you don’t pay for public schools via property taxes, the town will seize your property.
Name one private school that is your model for schools. Then name the tuition.
I send my children to an excellent private school in mid-coast Maine for $4,400.00. The curriculum is excellent. It’s worth every penny.
Look-up the research on school choice in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Students do better, are more likely to attend college, parents are more involved and the state is estimated to save ~50 million/year.
I haven’t made up my mind about this, its a complicated issue. But the research is out there and it looks legit. However, Maine is different than Milwaukee and the results could be very different here.
So, ??/
If you dont pay you tuition bills you go to court and the juge puts a lien on your house!
Where are you getting this crap??????
Mitt Romney school of capitalism?
“taxpayer dollars to be used to send children to private and perhaps religious schools, Kosinski said.”? OHHHHHHH NO, can’t use my tax money to send your kids to a “religious” school! Listen, If I find that my child would do better in a school out of my local area, I should be able to send them there, There is a but tho… If you do, you should have to make up the dfference in money spent for the bus ride to that school. Would be good to have a say where your kids can get their education!
Most public systems are set up as universal systems. To be universal, everybody has to have access. The system cannot be a pick and choose systems letting people opt in or out.
You can forego the use of the public library but you don’t get a rebate on your property taxes. It’s a universal system, every body pays whether they use it or not. You may never use the services of the fire or police departments but you still have to support them.
I would love to have that portion of my tax money refunded that was spent on going to war with Iraq. It isn’t going to happen. Getting a refund for not using the public schools isn’t going to happen for those that have no children or have chosen to send their children to private school.
More LePage Shock Treatments attacking Public Education.
And I see there’s already MHPC Friedmanites on the prowl.
I’m a parent with two children in public schools in Maine and I’m not against school choice but “Free” schooling is not an entitlement as so many comments here imply. It is paid for by taxpayers, many of whom never had and never will have children, in order to promote the PUBLIC GOOD by creating an educated population and its accompanying social and economic value. So many comments here imply that parents have some inalienable right to spend taxpayer dollars the way they see fit. That’s “welfare” plain and simple.
This is another Republican attempt to steal money from the public sector and give it to the private sector.
Crony Capitalism!
The republican school voucher system is a scam and only an indirect tax cut for the rich !!
HERES how it works………….The rich guys kid is ALREADY in private school …… so……he gets a VOUCHER.The regular working guy CANT afford to pay $10,000 for private school for each of his kids, he CANT write a check !!!And so will not be able to use his “Voucher”.So at the end of the year, the rich guy gets to use his “VOUCHER” and he gets all the money he spent on private school reimbursed to him.BUT where is it “reimbursed” from ?? The public school.SO the regular guys kid is STUCK at the public school BUT now its even worse cuz they have even LESS money for the the public school system.
Wealth Redistribution Republican style !
The purpose of the plan prettied-up as “School Choice” is to kill public education in America and turn it over to for-profit companies.
How do we pay for this? I am taxed for my local RSU. If I decide to send my children to the neighboring district — does my tax money move? I can see all sort of logistical problems. The perception that there are good and bad schools is wrong-sided. What I see (in general) is that where families have more money, children read more, and have been exposed to more culture. These children in general, also do better on their standardized tests which is one determinant of a “good” school. This is real life, folks — money talks. Also, the change in culture is a big factor. When kids have to be watched like hawks because they are addicted to their cellphones and all the media they now get on these gadgets… that is not a good predictor of school success. Finally, the unions have nothing to do with school failure or success… when parents stop texting their kids in school, when they encourage them to attend school every day, when parents set up a routine for homework at an appropriate time, and participate in their child’s education — all schools will work.
I do believe that there is a myth that sending your child to a different school will instantly turn them into scholars. The parental involvement in a childs education and care is probably the most important factor.
In most of this rural state the student numbers are already dropping due to the out migration of young people that wish to raise a family with at least a living wage. School buildings are deteriorating due to lack of funding to maintain the flat roofs that were allowed to be built in snow country.
If the voucher program is put into place there are some questions. Will the charter schools be mandated to feed breakfast and lunch, and at who’s expense? Will the charter schools be forced to take students, no matter what their academic prowess is? Will they still be subject to all the State/Federal mandates that our publick shools are sadled with? Finally where is the savings? Are there any?
If people want the best education choice for their kids open your wallet, not everyone elses.
If it cost $7000.00 to educate your child in your town and $10,000.00 the next town over and you use your child as a tax deduction, then your not even paying for your kids education in your town.
Single childless or married childless people are paying for it. The same childless people LePage wants to drop from Mainecare who already can’t afford medical care because they’ve been paying your taxes.
Killing public education is one of ALEC’s top ten priorities. Right up there with gutting unemployment, workers comp, so-called “right to work” laws, gutting welfare for tax breaks, restricting voters, and others. It’s easy to see where laplague and his gang of repukes are getting their directives, and it’s not from the good people of Maine.
It truly IS a plan for the whealthiest to hold down the poor!
And when the poor fight back it’s
“Class Warfare”!
The best way to control a population is to prevent them from becoming educated. Destroying public education has always been a major objective of the wealthy.
If this is true the Democrats having been doing a good job of it through the public school system for the last 25 years!
Let’s not forget the cheap labor all the uneducated will provide to those looking to kill unions. Look at Texas after a 20 year conservative experiment in education …… last in the nation in almost all categories used to rank the effectiveness of a state’s education system.
no no Dlbrt, it’s “envy”
School choice is nothing more than a Republican scam to take tax dollars out of public schools and put it into the pockets of their un-elected un-accountable cronies.
LePage is bent on destroying Maine’s health care system and Maine’s education system.
Follow the money and hang on to yer wallet.
yessah
How come public schools have to abide by all the regulations? If I’m paying for a private school thru my property taxes ($5,000) with no kids, I want to be sure that the schools are all playing by the same rule. What happens to the students of private/charter schools that fail financially? How much will the taxpayer be stuck with?
Trust me, when the schools fail, the taxpayer will get stuck. When the students fail, there will be no accountability. Hang on to your wallet, the money grab is about to begin.
Most of these so called Private Schools are Religious Schools. No way will I allow my government tax money go to Religious Schools that the Penguin certifies OK to educate Maine’s kids. These Religious Schools will brainwash young kids and make them religious drones and future CASH Contributors to their religious Cults. Just more contributions to Churches feeding off the Government. Bad enough most of these CULTS pay no taxes. No Way Penguin, No Way.
Another Koch brothers / Heritage Foundation anti-education scam.
Go ahead folks, keep voting republican. It won’t be long before you start seeing entire familys homeless. Children begging on the streets. Rich people drive right on by in there big fancy cars.
How in heck can the people of this State and Country not see through these phonys.
Its all about me and my special interest friends and the hell with the rest of you.
LePage is talking like this only in different language. His agenda is coming from the special interest friends who are using him as a hit man. How come the general public cannot see all this coming?
Never never never support any republican for any reason ever again. This Country is fast becoming a third world Country. Voter them all out no matter how well they show themselves.
At the high school level I think it would be great if different area school market to different students. It’s not rocket science that all students are NOT going to college, but because of cost most schools have done away with their general ed, business ed, tech related training etc. Those were valid programs from many kids. I would love to see different schools take on different programs, and then your school choice would be based on what YOUR child needs, you might even have different children in your own family going to different schools, but they would truly be getting an education that will benefit them and society. Right now there is a huge population of kids, sitting in their high school Algebra, Geometry, Biology and Literature classes that are not REALLY learning anything, but on paper, magically it looks like they are passing the classes. What a waste of valuable time, resource and talent. Most of these children could become hard working members of their society. But we choose to not educate them and just slide them through while “modifying” their classes to make it look like they are passing. It looks really good on paper for a school to have all passing students after all!
You have expressed my opinion on this issue and what could be created to benefit all students at many different levels in your post.
School choice is, in general, a good idea. Public education is one of the biggest areas in which Democrats have failed over the years, creating a “cookie-cutter” system that leaves bureaucrats (and the NEA), not teachers, in charge. However, I have a major issue with Religious schools being a part of the discussion. Its one thing to have public money going to, say, a parochial school that has some emphasis on faith, but is also effective at teaching secular concepts. It’s another thing entirely to ask the public to support schools that are essentially madrassas for little Christian children.
NEA is in charge??????? How can that be. The school board is locally elected. The school board hires the superintendent and the principals that carry out the school board’s policies. The school board hires the teachers. The school board approves the curriculum, the teaching methods and the books. How does the NEA run the schools??????
Private
religious schools use different curricula/textbooks (Saxon math/phonics/focused
grammar). Public schools all use ‘reform/fuzzy”
math programs (Everyday Math/TERC Investigations). They also combine language and reading into
one program. When researching schools, I spent some time
researching the academic curricula used in each school. In
Colorado, many charter schools are attracting students because they offer the “Core
Knowledge” curriculum (http://www.coreknowledge.org/about-the-curriculum). I urged my public school to
consider a different math program, but I finally gave up. School Boards always go with the recommendation
of the administration’s hand-picked committee. I am not in favor of charter schools, but I
guarantee you, they will present serious competition for public schools if
they offer a choice of curricula.
I think it’s one of the best ideas LePage has had! I for one, hate our public school system, and it’s blatant refusal to really work with disabled kids. Bring on my school of choice please!
I take it you went to a private school?
What do you mean by “really work with disabled kids” What kids, what disabilities? Define “really work with”.
One more reason that Maine needs a recall provision. LePage-worst governor ever!
Those that think LePage’s charter school law was such a great idea, read the law that got passed.
The financial power and freedom given to for-profit educational corporations operating charter schools is huge. They have the right of first refusal to buy state property. They can take out major building and educational materials loans, privately and/or with the state, with almost no overview. They can accumulate debt with no overview. If they go bankrupt there is nothing in the charter law to prevent them from simply walking away from their financial obligations. Their financial and educational records do not get reviewed for the first 4 years of operation. They can operate as private companies but the state is responsible for all their debts.
Wait til you see his (ALEC’s) plans for vouchers. You are going to just love it.
Until we can vote out these extreme Republicans in 2012 we must be vigilant and assume that all legislation they propose is little more than sugar coated crap.
Here is what will be amusing. Senators Kevin Raye and Nichi Farnham along with Rep Doug Damon and Andre Cushing will all be on board for the school choice. Yet all have become successful products of the public school systems. Speaker Raye graduated Shead high school in one of the poorest counties in New England. Damon and Farnham not only benefited from the public high school but also the publicly funded institutions of higher education. Cushing attended John Bapst but actually graduated from Bangor High School 1977. Hmmm. The politics of life.
I don’t think any public money should be used to send any children to religious schools, mommy and daddy can pay for that thanks.
Private schools are subjected to the rigorous standards and oversight that public schools are. For instance, a teacher doesn’t necessarily have to have a certification.
Public schools must accept any student within the district. Private schools can discriminate. Just because you want your child to go to this school, doesn’t mean that the school has to accept.
The quality of education can vary dramatically.
And, of course, the voucher’s take funds from the public schools. This is obviously a plan that is geared to the more wealthy parents. We just passed the Charter school legislation, and there isn’t any Charter schools yet because they have to clean up the law.
Why can’t we just be a little more prudent and see how the Charter schools work out before we go spending education funds where ever mom and dad want little Johnny to go?
removed
” but he said school choice is dangerous.” Very true. School choice is a disaster – for substandard schools. Great for students and good schools though.
Private religious schools offer a curriculum similar to the “core
knowledge” curriculum (traditional math/phonics/grammar). See the website: http://www.coreknowledge.org/. Many parents choose private school or
homeschooling because of the fuzzy curricula in public schools (Everyday Math/TERC
Investigations Math). Why can’t public
schools offer traditional curricula? The
Core Knowledge Charter schools in other states have long waiting lists and use
traditional curricula not found in public schools. The public schools should wake up and improve
the curriculum before the charter schools get established in Maine.
Let’s think this through a little. Schools will compete for students to some extent. So if I am superintendent or principal, I’ll have to make my school more attractive than my competitors. Academics might make a difference, but what other things? Sports teams? Other extra-curricular activities? But those things cost extra money. How about labs and shops? More money. Some students are far more expensive than others, particularly those with special needs or behavioral issues. How do I make them cost effective? Or do I just refuse to admit the expensive ones and go for the ones who only need a few textbooks, some pencils, and classes with 23 other students? They would be cost effective. It looks like all you principals and superintendents or educators planning on becoming one should get into an MBA program. Selling will be the name of the game.