VOTE NO VOUCHERS - Faxed to all members of the PA General Assembly 06/21/11

VOTE NO VOUCHERS

INEFFECTIVE

Forget about so-called “gold standard studies” – after 20 years and $1 billion spent on vouchers in Milwaukee, last year for the first time voucher students were finally required to take the same state assessment as the public school students.   The results for voucher students were dismal, especially in math at all grade levels.

UNACCOUNTABLE

Public schools are accountable for public funds.  Voucher schools would simply

take tax dollars with no requirements, obligation or burden of compliance with a host of state and federal laws and regulations. No NCLB, no AYP, no IDEA, no PA School Code, no right-to-know laws, no sunshine laws, no public budgeting, no public spending oversight, no state ethics law compliance  – no accountability.

UNCONSTITUTIONAL

Article III, Section 15 "Public school money not available to sectarian schools. No money raised for the support of the public schools of the Commonwealth shall be appropriated to or used for the support of any sectarian school."

Article III, Section 29 "Appropriations for public assistance. No appropriation shall be made for charitable, educational or benevolent purposes to any person or community nor to any denominational and sectarian institution, corporation or association…" The only exception to this constitutional prohibition is for state grants and scholarships for higher education.  

Article III, Section 30 "Charitable and educational appropriations. No appropriation shall be made to any charitable or educational institution not under the absolute control of the Commonwealth, other than normal schools established by law for the professional training of teachers for the public schools of the State, except by a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each House."