It’s been a very bad week for Step for Students

Friends I actually think vouchers should have a small role to play in education as a supplement. Unfortunately here in Florida some people envision them as a replacement for public education and aren’t above using dubious tactics and poor mostly minority students as props to get their way.  Step up for Students the organization that administers the vouchers and takes home nearly 7 million for their efforts had a pretty terrible week because of above.

First came the Video from Doug Tuthill their president which revealed they spend over a million dollars, some undoubtedly tax payer money to influence elections and legislation that directly benefits them. If they get their way and the bill currently working their way through the legislature passes they could conceivably triple their fees to about 25 million dollars.

http://jaxkidsmatter.blogspot.com/2014/03/when-they-say-it-is-all-about-kids-what.html

Then came the revelation that the waiting list they and their supporters claimed to have that they used to justify the expansion of vouchers doesn’t actually exist.

http://jaxkidsmatter.blogspot.com/2014/03/it-turns-out-that-waiting-list-for.html

Now they have since tried to clarify their record keeping practices but their efforts seems self serving at best.

Friends the bottom line is they don’t care about the mostly minority and poor children they serve because if they did they would insist on accountability measures, qualified teachers and legitimate curriculums but they don’t and in fact they fight against those things.

Their efforts are about three things only: funneling money to religious schools, knee capping public schools and filing their pockets, children and apparently decency and the truth don’t make the cut. 

The only question that now remains is will the Florida legislature, dominated by people who receive donations from Step up for Students will do the right thing or not, sadly history does not leave me optimistic.