The United Federation of Teachers (UFT) today released an analysis that if President-elect Trump makes good on a campaign promise to pull billions of federal dollars away from public schools to pay for private vouchers, more than 700,000 students in more than 1,200 New York City schools – including several large high schools in Brooklyn — would face higher class sizes, have fewer teachers and lose after-school academic and enrichment programs.
Of particular concern, accordning to the UFT, is Federal Title I funding, which provides financial assistance to local educational agencies (LEAs) and schools with high numbers or high percentages of children from low-income families to help ensure that all children meet challenging state academic standards.
“Congressional hearings are scheduled for this week for Betsy DeVos, the administration’s nominee for U.S. Secretary of Education. We need to hear in detail from Ms. DeVos – a fervent advocate of vouchers and charter schools – what the administration’s plan is for Title 1, which is specifically designed to aid poor pupils and which New York City relies on to help serve our neediest students,” said UFT President Michael Mulgrew
The UFT study found that should the Title 1 money disappear, Brooklyn’s Fort Hamilton, New Utrecht, Franklin D. Roosevelt and Madison high schools would lose nearly $9 million in total.
At the same time, more than 900 elementary and middle schools across the city would be affected, over a dozen of them losing roughly $1 million each, according to the report.
“If the school system had to make up a $500 million loss of Title 1 funds – money that helps defray the costs of teachers, guidance counselors, aides and administrators — more than these schools would suffer. The damage would spread through the system, raising class sizes even in non-Title 1 schools, threatening academic enrichment programs, guidance, art and music and other services our children depend on,” said Mulgrew.
The Trump administration is on record supporting choice and voucher programs, but has yet to specify where the administration would find the money to start a national school voucher program. Congressional Republicans, in the name of flexibility, have previously tried to change federal law to allow states to use Title 1 funds for other purposes.
The diversion of public funds from public schools — through charters, vouchers or both — is a pattern already embraced by high-level members of the new administration.
Vice-President -elect Mike Pence strongly backed a voucher program as governor of Indiana. Additionally, Trump’s pick as Secretary of Education, Betsy DeVos, is a leading advocate of vouchers, and a supporter of the charter movement in general.
Link to see which New York City traditional public schools would lose the most Title 1 funding: http://bit.ly/2jerVy7.
