[speechlesstx]

Apparently not since there seem to be an abundance of schools rated D or F. No one seems to care.

Sigh, I guess you missed the whole point.

[NeedKarma]

You focused on one thing and I saw another. No harm, no foul.

[Tuttyd]

From the WaPo editors...



Did you catch that headline? From WaPo?

"Justice Department bids to trap poor, black children in ineffective schools"

Why would they do that? Do the children come first or not?

Weren't you previously supporting equal rights under the law?

[talaniman]

Louisiana Sends Kids to Private Religious Schools, Test Scores Don't Go Up | Care2 Causes

In other words, the best way to improve failing schools is to put fewer resources into them.

In May of this year, the Louisiana Supreme Court ruled that the manner of funding violated the state's constitution and the state must repay the $30 million dollars to the public schools.

Now faced with trying to find funds for the estimated $45 million dollar cost for the voucher program, Louisiana must also deal with the reality that voucher students are performing worse on standardized tests than their public school counterparts. In results released also in May, 60 percent of voucher students failed to score at or above grade level in the LEAP testing given to third through eighth graders. The 40 percent proficiency level of voucher students was significantly lower than the state average of 69 percent.

The testing at the private voucher schools are for accountability purposes since they receive taxpayer funds. Seven of the schools performed so badly for the past three years (less than 25% of the voucher students scored at proficient levels in any year), they are no longer allowed to accept new voucher students (current students can remain).

These seven schools are also the most dependent on public funds of all the voucher schools.

The state superintendent told The Times-Picayune that the low 2013 scores for voucher students were due to a large influx of students from poor performing schools, indicating that 61 percent of the students were in their first year at the school.

Of course, this does not explain why voucher students in the previous year were only at 33 percent proficiency.

Perhaps the poor performance of the voucher students has something to do with the curriculum in the schools. In 2008, the same year that the voucher program was approved for New Orleans, the legislature passed the Louisiana Science Education Act. The ironically titled act encourages the teaching of creationism as an actual competing theory to evolution.

Of the approximately 130 voucher schools, 20 purposely use textbooks and guides in their “science” programs that promote Biblical theories. While they will indicate that “evolutionists” believe something different, God's word is the one they should always trust. So if God says that dinosaurs and people lived on an earth that is only 6,000 years old, that is the correct test answer.

Unfortunately, standardized tests don't agree.

In December of 2012, the Orleans Parish School Board prohibited the teaching of creationism or intelligent design in public schools. Orleans Parish had 84 percent proficiency on the LEAP tests. Of the seven voucher schools that had less than 25% proficiency, three of them have a biblical based curriculum for their science teachings.

The majority of the voucher schools are religious.

The court ruling did not say the entire voucher program was unconstitutional, nor did it say that public funds could not be used. It simply stated that the funds could not come from the pool of money specifically designated for public schools.

Tax payer money shifted from public schools to private religious ones that think the Earth is 6,000 years old. What could go wrong?

[Wondergirl]

First order of business is to get their religion right. "So if God says that dinosaurs and people lived on an earth that is only 6,000 years old, that is the correct test answer."

There is nothing in the Bible about the Earth's age or about dinosaurs. The adults need to get their heads on straight before teaching children.

[speechlesstx]

You focused on one thing and I saw another. No harm, no foul.

No sense. That Jindal is trying to get these poor, black kids out of failing public schools shows and WaPo finds it "appalling" that Holder would keep them there IS the concern you couldn't find.

[speechlesstx]

Weren't you previously supporting equal rights under the law?

What's your point?

[speechlesstx]

Louisiana Sends Kids to Private Religious Schools, Test Scores Don't Go Up | Care2 Causes



Tax payer money shifted from public schools to private religious ones that think the Earth is 6,000 years old. What could go wrong?

From your source:

White said the 2013 scores for voucher students were low because of the large influx of students from failing schools. The voucher program, officially called the Louisiana Scholarship Program, started in New Orleans in 2008 and expanded statewide just this school year. It is open to low-income students who are either entering kindergarten or who have been attending a public school graded C, D or F. This year, 61 percent of test-takers were in their first year at their voucher school.

"Anytime you start something new, it's going to take some time to grow," White said. "Nearly two thirds of the kids taking tests in those schools had only been there six months."

And he pointed out that the state did take seven schools off the voucher list. "After a period of time we cannot tolerate failure," he said.

What is it you guys say about Obamacare? It ain't perfect but give it time?

[NeedKarma]

but give it time?

Time there (at the religious schools) will only turn them into religious drones.

[speechlesstx]

Time there (at the religious schools) will only turn them into religious drones.

Why do you hate people of faith so much? You know nothing about them and your stereotypes are offensive and antagonistic. Not to mention some of the finest educational institutions in America, including a great number of our most prestigious universities Harvard, Yale, Princeton, Notre Dame, etc. - were founded by Christians and/or run by the church, some still are. So keep your hate to yourself.

[NeedKarma]

I was of course referring to the posts above where the teachings will flaunt science if it doesn't line with the bible.

To each his own opinions. I'm not surprised your immediate response is to attack whilst continuously posting your own opinions. Typical political correctness: if one doesn't embrace your view then it must be hate.

[speechlesstx]

I was of course referring to the posts above where the teachings will flaunt science if it doesn't line with the bible.

To each his own opinions. I'm not surprised your immediate response is to attack whilst continuously posting your own opinions. Typical political correctness: if one doesn't embrace your view then it must be hate.

And again, right over your head...

[Tuttyd]

What's your point?

The problem as I see it is that the voucher programme can be viewed as an attempt to promote equality of enrolment. Providing that type of assistance is also a type of affirmative action.

You didn't approve of affirmative action when it come to universities reserving places for minority students, yet you appear to be arguing for the opposite in this post. Could you make your position clear as you cannot have it both ways.

[paraclete]

I was of course referring to the posts above where the teachings will flaunt science if it doesn't line with the bible.

To each his own opinions. I'm not surprised your immediate response is to attack whilst continuously posting your own opinions. Typical political correctness: if one doesn't embrace your view then it must be hate.

Please read the signature line below

[NeedKarma]

I don't display sigs.

[speechlesstx]

The problem as I see it is that the voucher programme can be viewed as an attempt to promote equality of enrolment. Providing that type of assistance is also a type of affirmative action.

You didn't approve of affirmative action when it come to universities reserving places for minority students, yet you appear to be arguing for the opposite in this post. Could you make your position clear as you cannot have it both ways.

I don't see the point in racial quotas, I thought we were supposed to be a colorblind society. If I were a minority I'd be offended to know the only reason I got in was because of my skin color, or conversely rejected because I wasn't black.

The point of vouchers is to get children out of bad schools. Race is not a factor to me, but if it helps poor blacks that would seem to me something to celebrate, not criticize or worse as in Holder's case, sue to stop. Seems to me it is the left wanting it both ways, not me. I say there's room for all.

[tomder55]

It's not a matter of race... it's a matter of choice .

[speechlesstx]

And again another example of the left wanting it both ways.

[Tuttyd]

It's not a matter of race ...it's a matter of choice .

I didn't say it was a matter of race I said it was a matter of affirmative action. Affirmative action is a way of providing an alternative for someone who would other wise not have the opportunity to better themselves.

In other posts you seem opposed to affirmative action.

[Tuttyd]

I don't see the point in racial quotas, I thought we were supposed to be a colorblind society. If I were a minority I'd be offended to know the only reason I got in was because of my skin color, or conversely rejected because I wasn't black.

The point of vouchers is to get children out of bad schools. Race is not a factor to me, but if it helps poor blacks that would seem to me something to celebrate, not criticize or worse as in Holder's case, sue to stop. Seems to me it is the left wanting it both ways, not me. I say there's room for all.

Race is not a factor in terms of my argument. See my post to Tom.