(New York) City Schools Could Lose $500M in Funding Under Trump, Teachers Union Fears

dnainfo.com ^ | January 9, 2017 | Amy Zimmer

[Zakeet]

President-elect Donald Trump's vision for a voucher-based education system for low-income students could cost city schools half a billion dollars in lost federal support, according to an analysis from the city’s teachers union released Monday.

More than 700,000 students in more than 1,200 city schools could see bigger class sizes, fewer teachers and less enrichment and after-school programs if Trump pulls federal dollars now used for Title 1 funding at public schools with low-income students, the analysis from the United Federation of Teachers found.

Many fear that the Trump administration will enlist congressional support to redirect Title 1 funding from public schools to pay for a voucher program that would give low-income families taxpayer dollars to pay for private and religious schools.

[Snip]

Sonya Douglass Horsford, a professor at Teachers College, believes that a voucher program is "ironic and hypocritical," given Trump's "criticism of federal overreach and prohibition of federal involvement in education policy."

Vouchers, she said, contradict the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) recently passed by Congress, which redirects education authority away from the federal government to the states in terms of policy and funding decisions.

[Zakeet]

Completely misleading headline! The unions are hacked because Trump is going to transfer (not cut) funding from union schools to charter schools ... giving parents choice and a voice in their children's education ... reducing the government's power to indoctrinate students ... forcing unions to cut back on featherbedding ... requiring unions to improve the quality of the services they offer ... imposing accountability on union members ... and generally limiting the unions' ability to steal from taxpayers. Bad old Donald!

[MichaelCorleone]

Can’t wait to hear the public school teachers and administrators squeal like a pig.

High time they face the music.

[zzwhale]

CHARTER SCHOOLS = EDUCATION

UFT = POLITICAL KICKBACKS TO LIBTARD POLS AND POOR EDUCATION

[BobL]

What they REFUSE to acknowledge, even though they full-well know it, is that STUDENTS are removed from those schools as the dollars are removed. At worst, it’s a push, they simply become a somewhat smaller school system, but with the same dollars per student.

Again, they know it, but most of the public doesn’t get that, so they (dishonestly) use it. Anyone surprised?

[stars & stripes forever]

[More than 700,000 students in more than 1,200 city schools]

If given the choice, how many of those 700,000 opt out of city schools?

[2ndDivisionVet]

Please explain to me what “enrichment” means in this context.

[Lisbon1940]

This idea that everyone should be educated is communistic.

[Kozy]

As a parent I want to provide the best I can for my children. Given the choice of schools, I will choose the right one for my family. The reason those schools would lose their funding or student count is that the parent perceive them as inferior to another school. Politicians always say we need more money for the children, so lets look out for the children. If some teachers lose their jobs it's because they are lousy teachers. Let the marketplace decide not some union presidential thug earning $450,000 tel me what is right for my family.

[NorthMountain]

Why are local schools receiving funds from federal taxes? Where the hell is that in the Constitution?

And where is the Congress authorized to provide "school vouchers" to anybody?

Drain the Swamp!

[Dr. Sivana]

President-elect Donald Trump's vision for a voucher-based education system for low-income students could cost city schools half a billion dollars in lost federal support, [ . . . ] More than 700,000 students in more than 1,200 city schools could see bigger class sizes,

Umm, if the students are going to other schools with their vouchers, how does that make for bigger class sizes?

[LostPassword]

Make YOUR SCHOOL the place parents want to send their kids and YOUR SCHOOL won’t lose money.

I am assuming there is rational distribution of money by the feds, city, and school systems, which is probably a bad assumption. But it is possible. And if teachers care about kids/education they will want the best schools (public or not) to get money and students.

And we need to fix some discipline-related rules/laws to allow public school teacher and administrators to make their schools the place parents want to send kids.

[WKUHilltopper]

There’s always cake wheels and bake sales.

[lexington minuteman 1775]

So this means that we have to listen to longer speeches by Meryl Streep at an awards show?
Gawd these people make me wanna puke!
Suck it up buttercups your union power days are ovuh!

[Jeeper]

I teach high school math in a rural county in Virginia so I can help with what “enrichment” means in my district.

It,s part of the federally funded 21st Century after school program. They do crafts, play games, and just about anything else except actual school work during enrichment.

At first I participated in the program but quickly realized it was just a federally funded after school day care with little or no learning going on. The kids got quite upset with me because I was making them do math so many complained, became belligerent, simply refused to do the work.

In my district teachers get paid an hourly rate to participate and many rely on that money as part of their salary.

Parents love the program because it’s free day care. Teacher love it because it’s more money. The students love it because they get a free meal and get to goof off for 3 hours with their friends.

There really is no learning or “enrichment” going on.

[madprof98]

One can only pray that he will really stop funding these people. Public education? A swamp that badly needs draining!

[txrefugee]

Tens of billions of tax dollars are wasted in US public schools that turn out such failures and freaks as the four Black haters in Chicago. No federal tax dollars should go to public schools. The Constitution does not give the federal government the duty of education. That should be funded by the states and controlled by the states. The results could not be worse than what we have now.

[Ford4000]

less enrichment and after-school programs

In other words, less overhead and featherbedding.

[LS]

Should cut every dime of Fed $ to schools anyway

[Dr. Sivana]

At worst, it’s a push, they simply become a somewhat smaller school system, but with the same dollars per student.

Yup, and while it could be argued that you lose critical mass in rural school systems that way, NYC certainly has no such argument.

[hanamizu]

Why are local schools receiving funds from federal taxes? Where the hell is that in the Constitution?

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Ah, but you see, the children being taught may potentially cross state lines in their pursuit of jobs or business. Therefore education is part of interstate commerce and Congress can act.