Teachers union gives voucher schemes ‘F’

The Orange County Classroom Teachers Association stands united in its commitment not just to preserve public education, but also to strengthen it. Thank you to the Orlando Sentinel for the Pulitzer Prize-worthy series, “Schools Without Rules” by reporters Leslie Postal, Annie Martin and Beth Kassab. It exposes the truth about vouchers, which drain nearly $1 billion every year from Florida’s public schools to fund private schools that have few regulations and little oversight.

President Donald Trump and Education Secretary Betsy DeVos are promoting private-school vouchers and backdoor vouchers in the form of tax credits. Former Gov. Jeb Bush and Gov. Rick Scott are also fierce cheerleaders. Vouchers require taxpayers to fund both public- and private-school systems. OCCTA rejects Trump-DeVos voucher schemes that do not serve all children and aim to privatize education. Private-school vouchers fail students and communities by taking taxpayer dollars from public education to fund private and religious schools that are not held to the same standards as public schools. They do not meet the standards for teacher qualifications, curriculum or testing.

Our students deserve more than a profit-driven approach to education. Our children should not be looked at as tools for corporate money schemes.

DeVos is recognized as the most unqualified candidate ever selected as secretary of education. Neither she nor her children ever attended a public school; and she worked to dismantle public schools in Detroit to the detriment of students and the entire community. She is not an educator; she is a lobbyist. For two decades she personally spent millions to elect legislators who support diverting tax dollars from public schools for privateschool vouchers. We need to strengthen – not weaken – our country’s public schools, which 90 percent of American children attend. The Trump-DeVos education plan is seen as a wrecking ball for public education.

OCCTA stands in solidarity because we recognize public education as the cornerstone of American democracy. Every community member must stand up for public education today and every day.

We need every parent, teacher, education-support professional, school board member, policy-maker and citizen to oppose policies that would threaten our public schools and our children’s future.

OCCTA opposes private schools that do not hold students to the same standards as other public schools; that selectively enroll students; that do not disclose financial and academic information; and that deny their employees the right to bargain collectively.