Wow, that didn’t take long! Stomping the crap out of States’ Rights on education, Rep. Steve King [R-IA4] introduced HR 610 on 1/23/2017 to begin the voucherization of our tax dollars assessed for public K-12 education as private profit:
Betsy DeVos, who up until the day she was confirmed as Secretary of Education, filled her pockets profiting off taking our educational tax dollars for her cadre of charter schools. Sadly, she and her cohorts now intend to demolish public K-12 education system throughout the United States in the name of consuming public education monies for their private profit. With the passage of HR 610, she stands to profit immensely. (So much for draining the swamp!)
HR 610, if enacted, would eliminate the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESSA) of 1965 which is the nation’s educational law and provides equal opportunity in education. It is a comprehensive program that covers programs for struggling learners, AP classes, ESL classes, classes for minorities such as Native Americans, Rural Education, Education for the Homeless, School Safety (Gun-Free schools), Monitoring and Compliance and Federal Accountability Programs.
Choices in Education Act of 2017
This bill repeals the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 and limits the authority of the Department of Education (ED) such that ED is authorized only to award block grants to qualified states.
The bill establishes an education voucher program, through which each state shall distribute block grant funds among local educational agencies (LEAs) based on the number of eligible children within each LEA’s geographical area. From these amounts, each LEA shall: (1) distribute a portion of funds to parents who elect to enroll their child in a private school or to home-school their child, and (2) do so in a manner that ensures that such payments will be used for appropriate educational expenses.
To be eligible to receive a block grant, a state must: (1) comply with education voucher program requirements, and (2) make it lawful for parents of an eligible child to elect to enroll their child in any public or private elementary or secondary school in the state or to home-school their child.
HR 610, if enacted, would also abolish the Nutritional Act of 2012 (No Hungry Kids Act) which provides nutritional standards in school breakfast and lunch. For our most vulnerable, this may be the ONLY nutritious food they have in a day.
No Hungry Kids Act
The bill repeals a specified rule that established certain nutrition standards for the national school lunch and breakfast programs. (In general, the rule requires schools to increase the availability of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and low-fat or fat free milk in school meals; reduce the levels of sodium, saturated fat, and trans fat in school meals; and meet children’s nutritional needs within their caloric requirements.)
The bill has no wording whatsoever protecting special needs kids.
Some things the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESSA) of 1965 currently does for Children with Disabilities:
- ensures access to the general education curriculum
- ensures access to accommodations on assessments
- ensures concepts of Universal Design for Learning
- includes provisions that require local education agencies to provide evidence-based interventions in schools with consistently under-performing subgroups
- requires states in Title I plans to address how they will improve conditions for learning including reducing incidents of bullying and harassment in schools, overuse of discipline practices and reduce the use of aversive behavioral interventions (such as restraints and seclusion).
HR 610 has been referred to the House Committee on Education and the Workforce. Please call your representative and ask him/her to vote NO on HR 610 introduced by three Republican reps.