Florida parents are taking advantage of an expanded school voucher program championed by Governor Ron DeSantis ®, according to messages from private Facebook groups obtained by Popular Information. The private Facebook messages reveal how parents are using the new

  • Flying Squid@lemmy.world
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    1 year ago

    This is according to plan.

    As the Tampa Bay Times reported, Step Up for Student’s new guide to approved expenses for recipients of PEP vouchers in the 2023-24 academic year authorizes the purchase of theme park tickets. Theme park tickets were previously a prohibited expense, but Step Up for Students’ “reconsidered after hearing from parents about the potential benefits.”

    Other approved expenses for all homeschooled students this academic year include swing sets, foosball tables, air hockey tables, skateboards, kayaks, standup paddleboards, dolls, and stuffed animals.

    Insanity. And, of course, this is homeschooling parents all doing this.

    • gowan@reddthat.com
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      1 year ago

      I can defend every single item on that list except air hockey tables when you consider physical education is part of schooling and stuffed animals can be used to communicate some concepts to young kids.

      • Flying Squid@lemmy.world
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        1 year ago

        Why does the state need to fund dolls and stuffed animals or any of those other things for homeschoolers when teachers have to buy those things out of their own pocket if they even do? And those kids don’t get to play with them after school. It’s a two-tiered system and it is absolutely unfair.

        • gowan@reddthat.com
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          1 year ago

          The teachers are not buying swing sets for their schools.

          Regardless nothing about my comment suggests teachers should oay for necessary things

          • Flying Squid@lemmy.world
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            1 year ago

            That doesn’t justify what I was talking about at all. And even in that case, the child gets to play with the swing set after school, unlike kids at public schools.

            • gowan@reddthat.com
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              1 year ago

              Most public schools have playgrounds already. There are good educational reasons for kids to have them.

              • Flying Squid@lemmy.world
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                1 year ago

                Again- kids at public schools can only play on those playgrounds at recess. These homeschoolers can play with their swingsets all the time. That is a two-tiered system.

                • gowan@reddthat.com
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                  1 year ago

                  And those kids parents can get the same money if they choose to homeschool. It isn’t a two tier system.

      • Saneless@sh.itjust.works
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        1 year ago

        So you’re for teachers actually getting money to buy things for their classrooms now instead of using their own?

        • gowan@reddthat.com
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          1 year ago

          What about my post would make you think i did not always support teachers having what they need?

          • Saneless@sh.itjust.works
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            1 year ago

            They’re not getting this voucher money, and the “parents rights” dopes would cry hard if they were buying this shit

  • Feirdro@lemmy.world
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    1 year ago

    We need to stop giving money to these white, Christian leeches on America’s entitlements.

  • FarFarAway@lemmy.world
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    1 year ago

    This is disgusting. Hopefully this whole thing fails before Texas can enact the law.

    As for teachers still being underpaid, that is the point. They are trying to gut public schools. All the teachers will need to make the switch to a private school, eventually, because that’s where the demand will be.

    The state will continue this voucher program until the majority of people have moved their children to private schools. Public schools will be left in a state of disrepair once they loose funding for every student that makes the switch.

    The private schools will gradually raise tuition so that parents are paying as much as they can afford, even with the voucher. After everyone has move thier child over, they will discontinue the voucher program.

    If the parents want their child to continue in a school that does any good, they will pay out thier ears. Everyone else will end up paying a huge chunk of thier check to send their child to whatever mediocre school is within their budget, or else they will have to go back to public school, which is now a underfunded shitshow.

    Edit: some spelling

    • Saneless@sh.itjust.works
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      1 year ago

      Take advantage of? It was a built in feature. The goal was to remove money from schools. Where it went was just a suggestion and irrelevant

  • Krauerking@lemy.lol
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    1 year ago

    $8,000 for only 20,000 families… God Florida is really managing to destroy public education for cheap huh?

    Who knew all it took was bribing people with something cool now to throw away the future of their families.

    I don’t think an average American can pass the marshmallow test anymore. No concept of future or delayed gratification

  • gmtom@lemmy.world
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    1 year ago

    I’m sure all the rightoids and “centrists” that were mad about Biden “bribing” the electorate with student loans cancellation will be just as mad about this, right?