As a former teacher, I believe the last thing we need is an expansion of the school voucher program in Ohio. Ohio Republicans are promoting an extension of the voucher program for special needs children. I believe that many of the Ohio lawmakers have not been in a regular city public school for years. They are just relying on information that has been fed to them by their political contributors and right wing think tanks who just happen to be owners/supporters of charter schools.
I know how public schools support special needs students. Classroom teachers, teacher assistants, special tutors, psychologists, and speech and occupational therapists, all work together to provide a proper learning atmosphere for these students with learning differences. Charter schools, some of which have been operating in store fronts, church basements, or other non-academic buildings, cannot provide the correct learning environment for students. When a public school has professional teachers/specialists and administrators who are certified in education, their expertise outweighs the 'teachers' of charter schools. Unfortunately, for the Ohio Republicans, they are too frightened to actually spend a day in a public school to find out how real schools operate.
*****I almost forgot.......
Today is Tuesday and I have to give you an update on Republican Rep. Deborah Pryce's failure to attend a Monday session of the U.S. House of Representatives. Here it is: She did not vote again on Monday! According to the Washington Post, Pryce did not vote on Vote 550: HR 2545 or Vote 549: H RES 189. Pryce has now missed 54 votes (9.8%) since the beginning of January 2007. I wish there was someone in the Columbus media market that had the guts to ask Pryce why she misses so many sessions.