NEA Today Extra - September 2004

Privatization of Public Education –
From Vouchers to Outsourcing

Thanks for Taking Our Spending Survey! From paper and pencils to lost lunch money, teachers dig deep in their pocketbooks all year—and it adds up. Look for survey results in an upcoming issue of NEA Today.

Table of Contents

September's cover story, "Cash Cow," looks at the way businesses are vying for a larger share of the $393 billion education "industry" – and how educators and kids pay the price when profits outweigh public accountability. We've compiled a list of resources to help you combat privatization in your school district and learn more about this alarming trend.

Take Action!

• Next time your brother-in-law asks what you've got against private school vouchers, spring these Five Talking Points on Vouchers on him.
• Tell your members of Congress: Don't take scarce dollars away from public schools — reject private school vouchers.
• Help parents avoid pitfalls in choosing tutoring services with NEA's "A Parent's Guide to Supplemental Service Providers." Also available en español.

Quick Links - Reports and Resources Mentioned in the Cover Story

• The headlines aren't pretty: The Palm Beach Post and the Associated Press investigate scandals roiling Florida and Milwaukee voucher programs.
• Education management organizations (EMOs), for-profit companies contracted to run public schools, fail to outperform traditional public schools, says a GAO study ( PDF, 62 pp.). Are EMOs setting up shop in your backyard? Find out in this annual report ( PDF, 129 pp.) from Arizona State University.
• People for the American Way exposes how the Bush Administration funnels public money to pro-voucher groups.
• The National Center for the Study of Privatization in Education tracks privatization research and commentary.
• Victory in Colorado: The Colorado Education Association fights vouchers — and scores a win!
• The Edison Schools' Web site features a wealth of corporate information, including a map of school locations. Get the other side of the story, too. Parents Advocating School Accountability keeps a close eye on Edison, and an AFT study found Edison's performance lacking.
• Could privatizing Social Security derail your Golden Years? The National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare argues that privatization would turn Social Security from a guarantee to a gamble.

Become an Expert – For Those Who Want To Dig a Little Deeper

• NEA on Vouchers: The Association's position, plus links to research and advocacy tools.
• NEA on Privatization: Privatization defined, with special emphasis on why privatizing school support services hurts kids and communities.
• Florida court strikes down voucher program: An appeals court ruled Aug. 16 that one Florida voucher program is unconstitutional.
• "Voucher Veneer: The Deep Agenda to Privatize Public Education," from People for the American Way, looks at how a network of Religious Right groups, free-market economists, ultraconservative columnists and others are using vouchers to achieve their ultimate goal of privatizing education.
• "Keep Public Education Public: Why Vouchers Are a Bad Idea," from the National School Boards Association (NSBA), takes an in-depth look at the underwhelming results of existing voucher programs, emerging tuition tax credit initiatives, and public opinion and voting records. NSBA also tracks recent news and views on vouchers from across the country.

Tell Us About It

Is your local association battling an outsourcing effort in your school or district? Email us the details at neatoday@nea.org.