Promises made--Promises broken!
What happens when the money is returned to the states?
My state (ranked # 47 in Education, I believe) is big into vouchers--and haven't allocated enough money for them.
The "grant" will go to my state, and the money that was spent on disabled children now in public schools (and whose per pupil costs are higher, sometimes substantially higher, based on disability) might now go to vouchers--which, in their first two years, went 95% to comfortable parents who had been sending their children to private schools already.
So we have the scenario. Governor wants vouchers for private schools. Federal block grant needs to help disabled children whose "appropriate education" is required under PL94-141. Federal Title I grant needs to help children who need help in reading and math, and possibly bilingual/ESL education.
The private schools don't want these children with their extra needs and extra costs. So they will be in public schools--and will the Governor do what conscience, decency, morality, and PL94-141 require--and take that federal money and use it for the children for whom it is intended? Or do what lack of conscience, lack of decency, and lack of morality will tempt her to do--use it for her pet program, and who cares about the disabled and educationally needy children?
What about Pell Grants for low-income college students? What about federally guaranteed student loans?
My (state's) governor--I hate to claim the 97% of Arkansas elected officials who don't represent me--or the common good--has decided that what's most important is training the workforce employers want. Welders? Auto mechanics? A bunch of blue collar jobs she says are "well-paid." In Arkansas, well-paid is $40,000 per year--according to her. So will she do what conscience, decency, and morality require her to do and give Pell Grants to both teens who want to go to college and teens who are going to vocational school? Or will she be pushing vocational school so hard that teens feel they don't have a choice?
Her track record for conscience, decency, and morality has not been good so far. Foreign junkets on State police planes, a very expensive Super Bowl skybox trip for the whole fam, a $1900 podium...
