Here’s a hypothetical situation.
Let’s say you’re a Republican-controlled Congress. You start a school voucher program in the capital of the United States. You decide to funnel federal tax dollars into private schools. Since you believe in the magical power of the free market, you don’t bother to worry much about what actually happens to the money. You simply take the word of people who claim to be running private schools that they’re doing what they are supposed to be doing – providing quality education to kids in acceptable facilities.
What could possibly go wrong?
Republican lawmakers crafted a policy whereby federal funds would flow to private schools with no checks to certify whether all of the participating schools had the required operating permits. The results put kids at risk.
What’s he talking about? The Washington Post reports that
A voucher program designed to send low-income children in the District to better-performing private schools has allowed some students to take classes in unsuitable learning environments and from teachers without bachelor’s degrees, according to a government report.
So, we’re spending tax dollars to send kids to schools that aren’t even hiring minimally-knowledgeable teachers? How’s that possible? Part of the problem is that nobody bothered to check to see that the free money was even being sent to, well, actual schools.
In a random sample of 18 schools reviewed by the GAO, two lacked occupancy permits, and four lacked permits needed for buildings used for educational purposes. At least seven of the 18 schools were certified as child development centers but not as private schools. In one case, a school was operating in a space designed for a retail store, the report says.
“Child development centers”. In other words, day-care providers. Not schools. While I don’t think vouchers are a good idea, would it kill voucher proponents to recognize the need for some oversight on where taxpayer money actually goes? Ensuring the money actually goes to schools might be a good first step on the long road to accountability.