Holder Sues Louisiana over School Choice Vouchers. Holders Wants to Keep Blacks in Failing Schools

from NOLA.com

The U.S. Justice Department is suing Louisiana in New Orleans federal court to block 2014-15 vouchers for students in public school systems that are under federal desegregation orders. The first year of private school vouchers "impeded the desegregation process," the federal government says.
Thirty-four school systems could be affected, including those of Jefferson, Plaquemines, St. John the Baptist and St. Tammany parishes. Under the lawsuit, the state would be barred from assigning students in those systems  to private schools unless a federal judge agreed to it. A court hearing is tentatively set for Sept. 19.
The statewide voucher program, officially called the Louisiana Scholarship Program, lets low-income students in public schools graded C, D or F attend private schools at taxpayer expense. This year, 22 of the 34 systems under desegregation orders are sending some students to private schools on vouchers.
Last year, at least 570 students were affected; the program has expanded since then. The federal petition would require the state to analyze this year's vouchers to see how they affected school desegregation. (Read the petition.)
The Justice Department's primary argument is that letting students leave for vouchered private schools can disrupt the racial balance in public school systems that desegregation orders are meant to protect. Those orders almost  always set rules for student transfers with the school system.
Federal analysis found that last year's Louisiana vouchers increased racial imbalance in 34 historically segregated public schools in 13 systems. The Justice Department goes so far as to charge that in some of those schools, "the loss of students through the voucher program reversed much of the progress made toward integration."
In Tangipahoa Parish, for instance, Independence Elementary School lost five white students to voucher schools, the petition states. The consequent change in the percent of enrolled white students "reinforc(ed) the racial identity of the school as a black school."
While the federal petition would let courts approve vouchers in those school systems next year, Brian Blackwell, attorney for the Louisiana Association of Educators, said it likely would take a lot of time, effort and evidence to persuade the judges.
State Education Superintendent John White took issue with the suit's primary argument and its characterization of the program. Almost all the students using vouchers are black, he said. Given that framework, "it's a little ridiculous" to argue that students' departure to voucher schools makes their home school systems less white, he said. He also thought it ironic that rules set up to combat racism were being called on to keep black students in failing schools.

read more here: http://www.nola.com/education/index.ssf/2013/08/us_government_files_to_block_s.html

State Sen. Dan Patrick Supports School Choice Bill Again in 2013 Texas Legislature

From Big Jolly Politics (David Jennings):

Support Sen. Dan Patrick’s quest for school choice

If Sen. Dan Patrick wasn’t already the target of the left in Texas, his advocacy for allowing parents and students to have more choices in public education will certainly put him in the crosshairs. Thankfully, he has Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst on his side but this will still be a hard battle to win. Hopefully, facts will win the day and the ultimate fate of school choice will not hinge on emotions. In that light, here are a couple of resources from pro-school-choice groups.
The first is a policy paper from the Orthodox Union, an educational, outreach and social service organization which serves the North American Jewish community. This is the group that sponsored the Rally for Tuition Affordability that Sen. Dan Patrick spoke at last week. They passed out copies of their Orthodox Union Position Paper on Government Aid to Jewish Day Schools, which includes a short section on why they support choice, a discussion of the constitutionality of school choice, and a few specific policies that they support. A quick outline of the paper:

• Reasons to support:
  • Economic fairness
  • Benefits the educational system by adding competition
  • Social justice
• Constitutionality
  • Federal
  • State
  • Tax incentives and constitutional issues
• Specific Policies Supported
  • Security Grants
  • Reimbursement for Government-imposed mandates
  • Special education services
  • In-Kind support (healthcare, textbooks, technology)
  • Free transportation for all students
  • Energy efficiency rebates and grants
  • Tuition Tax Credits
  • Tax credits for donations to scholarship organizations
  • Education vouchers

read the rest of the article here: http://blog.chron.com/bigjolly/2012/11/support-sen-dan-patricks-quest-for-school-choice/

Propositions on 2012 Texas Republican Primary Election Ballot – Public Prayer, School Choice, ObamaCare, Balanced Budget

If you are looking for voting info (when where) for the 2012 TEXAS NOVEMBER GENERAL ELECTION please click here: http://www.texasconservativerepublicannews.com/2012/10/texas-2012-election-early-voting-starts.html

Texas 2012 Election Early Voting Starts October 22 Election Day November 6: Obama vs Romney, Congress, State Rep, SBOE, State Senate, US Senate, Many Other Important Races

please click here: http://www.texasconservativerepublicannews.com/2012/10/texas-2012-election-early-voting-starts.html


the following info is old proposition voting info from the May 2012 Texas Election

 
Every 2 years there is a Republican Primary Election in Texas. On the Republican Primary ballot are propositions that the ENTIRE State of Texas votes on if they vote in the Texas Republican Primary. For instance, on the 2010 Primary election ballot there were propositions on the ballot regarding whether or not Texas should require voter id, and also whether or not Texas should require sonograms before abortions. The Republican voters in Texas approved both of those propositions and the Texas Legislature went on to pass laws similar to those propositions.

Last month I sent out an email asking all fellow Republicans to tell me what propositions that they think should be on the Primary ballot in 2012. I got over 50 responses with many good proposition ideas. I sent those ideas to my fellow SREC members.

On December 3^rd, 2011, the State Republican Executive Committee (SREC) voted to determine what propositions should be placed on the 2012 Texas Republican Primary Ballot.

There were MANY great ideas but there are a limited number of propositions that can be on the ballot.

Below are the 4 Ballot Propositions that were approved by the SREC to be placed on the 2012 Texas Republican Primary Election Ballot.

This is what you will see when you go to vote. The SREC also passed a 5^th ballot proposition regarding redistricting, but that proposition might not need to be on the Primary Ballot now that the Redistricting battle is in the US Supreme Court.

Ballot propositions adopted at the December 3 SREC meeting

SCHOOL CHOICE:

The state should fund education by allowing dollars to follow the child instead of the bureaucracy, through a program which allows parents the freedom to choose their child's school, public or private, while also saving significant taxpayer dollars. Yes or No.

REPEALING OBAMACARE:

Congress should immediately repeal the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (otherwise known as Obamacare) and reject the rationing of healthcare by government or the intrusion by government into the doctor - patient relationship. Yes or No.

PUBLIC PRAYER

Government should be prohibited from restricting the content of public prayer. Yes or No.

BALANCED BUDGET / COMBINING GOVERNMENT GROWTH
Out of control spending should be stopped at all levels of federal and state government through constitutional amendments limiting any increase in government spending to the combined increase of population and inflation without voter approval.  Yes or No.