I know. I know. I promised finito yesterday on vouchers. For the past week on CI, I have sought to thoughtfully ponder the impact of vouchers on various issues such as achievement, school finance, education equity and rural areas. In prior posts on the the universal implementation of vouchers I have also pondered segregation and the deconstruction of public schools. See the full thread on vouchers here. Today I discovered the Taxpayer Savings Grants website. In the vernacular of my generation, “They keep it real.” None of these important issues are discussed, their website and a “study” goes right for “vouchers means less money from the state budget.” The bottom line (no pun intended) for the supporters of Taxpayer Savings Grants is that they reduce education funding to divests in public education. They highlight:

Net savings to the state would be approximately $2 billion in the first two years of the program.

The impact on state taxpayers can be calculated by subtracting the grants given out under the TSGP from what the state otherwise would have spent on students who participate in the program.

Myopic.

There is even a Facebook page. Have you ever wondered why there isn’t an unlike button?

Why don’t we have a little fun? How about going to their website here and write to your state representative why Taxpayer Savings Grants are a TERRIBLE idea. CI has provided plenty of bullets on vouchers. Why don’t you let them fly!? (The NRA would be so proud)

Dr. Kevin Welner from the University of Colorado also sent along the following resources on neovouchers, a tax credit approach to vouchers (just in case they pivot during the legislative session). He did state that the “Taxpayer Savings Grants” are an approach they are also going after in AZ (Empowerment Scholarship Accounts).

http://nepc.colorado.edu/publication/under-voucher-radar

Click to access NEPC-PolicyMemo_NeoVouchers.pdf

http://www.aasa.org/schooladministratorarticle.aspx?id=2034