Mailbag: Reactions To Recent School Choice Coverage
It’s been a while since StateImpact did a Mailbag post, where we showcase reader comments and reactions to our stories – but that doesn’t mean we aren’t always reading your feedback.
We’ve recently done a few stories reporting on school choice in Indiana, and many of you shared your thoughts with us.
In a story looking at the state’s voucher use since it started five years ago, we looked at the original intention of the voucher program and how it’s changed after four years:
To understand the state’s school voucher program, officially called the Choice Scholarship Program, you have to sift through a lot of numbers. A good place to start: enrollment.
“Well it’s grown quite a bit, the number of students using the choice scholarship program increased a lot year over year, there’s no question about that,” says Chad Timmerman, education policy adviser to Gov. Mike Pence.
During the 2011-12 school year – the first year for the Choice Scholarship program – around 4,000 students enrolled. Last year, it was almost 30,000.
“Obviously with the doubling of students or whatever magnitude we’re growing, you’re obviously going to spend more on vouchers,” Timmerman says.
After reading the story many of you took to social media to share your thoughts on the program and how its changed:
@MrKinetik @ClaireMcInerny Do they offer vouchers for country clubs too? NO, because they’re PRIVATE. You CHOSE to send your kid there. PAY
— P Daddy (@Jaysonparker) July 6, 2015
@Jaysonparker some people suck. The voucher system is going to cost so much money as time goes on that it’ll affect everyone. — The Funky Educator (@MrKinetik) July 6, 2015
Cindi Pastore shared her thoughts on Facebook:
I’m not sure why no one ever sees the flaws in this privatization plan- once you starve the public schools to the point where they have to close or at best can only afford to give children minimal service- WHO exactly is going to educate the children who private and charter schools refuse to serve? Is it that you can’t see this or is it because you don’t care? 40 million dollars are being rerouted awAy from the most needy and to for profits- why doesn’t this bother you?
Rachelle Ruge-Bernard commented on our Facebook:
They made it a business
Keep interacting with us about our work and the topics we’re covering, we love to know what you’re thinking and it often helps drive our reporting.
