Texas Senators examine expanding school choice

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) ? Top education leaders in the Texas Senate on Friday debated offering state-funded vouchers for private schools and expanding the number of charter schools statewide, an opening salvo in what should be a long fight over the future of public education when the Legislature reconvenes in January.

Members of the Senate Education Committee heard from advocates for programs that allow parents to take a portion of what the state would spend to educate their children in public schools and use it to cover tuition at private ones. They also listened to groups wanting to ease the current cap of a maximum 215 charter schools licensed to operate in Texas.

"We need to look at this as more of a free market system," said Andrew Erben, president of the Texas Institute for Education Reform, who compared today's schools to a ball bearing factory where authorities establish a single set of regulations and hope all kids come out the same.

Erben, whose group represents business interests, added: "We need to let parents and students decide by giving them more options."

Sen. Royce West, a Dallas Democrat, noted that Erben's institute has called for an end to bilingual education programs and scrapping a state-imposed maximum of 22 students per elementary school classroom, and believes that Texas already spends more than enough on public education. Erben replied that "spending nearly $50 billion in the aggregate is more than adequate" to which Royce shot back, "We cut about $5 billion from our school fiance system. You still think it's adequate?"

In 2011, state lawmakers cut $4 billion from public school funding and $1.4 billion from grant programs, even though Texas' booming population means enrollment is surging.

Fellow Democratic Sen. Wendy Davis of Fort Worth said private schools can pick which students they want to accept, meaning greater school choice may ensure that the only students left in traditional schools are those who will be rejected by private ones or whose parents are too poor to help pay for schooling.

Sen. Dan Patrick, a Houston Republican, supports legislation to expand charter schools and programs allowing students to attend private schools with some state funding. He ran Friday's meeting and may become Education Committee chairman during the 2013 session because the current chairwoman, Republican Sen. Florence Shapiro, is retiring.

"I would argue that now, people with money can just move to another neighborhood for a better school," Patrick said.

Joseph Bast, president of the Heartland Institute, a conservative, Chicago-based think tank, said an unsuccessful bill introduced in Texas in 2011 would have allowed parents to be reimbursed up to 60 percent of what the state spends educating their child in public schools, or around $5,200, on private school tuition.

He said that under such a program, about 6 percent of the 5 million Texas children currently enrolled in public schools would likely jump to private ones in first two years alone, saving the state about $2 billion.

Bast said the program would provide enough money for elementary school students to attend private schools free, but that the parents of older kids would have to pay thousands out-of-pocket. He said perhaps private foundations could help sponsor low-income students.

Proponents of applying free-market principles to public education also support charter schools, arguing they are more efficient and cost-effective than their traditional counterparts and that, while they aren't subject to the same state accountability requirements, poorly performing charters go out of business because parents stop sending their children there.

David Dunn, executive director of the Texas Charter Schools Association, said tens of thousands of students statewide are languishing on charter school waiting lists. Dunn called for easing the state's cap to allow 20 new schools per year.

But critics point to existing charter schools that have underperformed. Greg Richmond, president of the National Association of Charter School Authorizers, said that while nationwide 400 to 500 new charter schools now open per year, only about 7 percent of those up for renewal close, meaning many sub-par schools continue to operate.

Rita Haecker, president of the Texas State Teachers Association said, "so-called 'choice' programs offer no real choice for the overwhelming majority of students."

"Voucher plans benefit only a few students while enriching profiteers at the expense of public schools," Haecker said in a statement.

In written testimony to the committee, Kathy Miller, president of Texas Freedom Network, said ideas on restoring funding to cash-starved state public schools "must once again take a back seat to a political experiment that has failed to deliver on any of its promises."

Source: http://feeds.sfgate.com/click.phdo?i=50d8f95b465d29220d3aca323587a48c

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