Was there any doubt? AEA - Democrats. Judge Price - Decmocrat

keep wasting tax payer money and tying up courts with worthless crap!

I'm sure this appalling bill will make it past the republican controlled state Supreme Court, which would be a travesty!

Appalling? Really? How is that? Everyone pays TAX for public schools whether they choose to send their child there or not.

Be easy on Hank. He's just doing what Mabry told him to do and say.

My children had good public school educations, and I want my grandchildren to have the same type of schools. I also want them to have an affordable community college to attend. This bill has consequences our legislators have not even thought about. If good schools must accept too many students from struggling schools, they will be overcrowded. Then, each little municipality will want its own small school system so they can select their out-of-district students like Hartselle does.

The taxpayers will be on the hook for more principals, superintendents, and central office staffs, and the money will come out of the pot that funds public two- and four-year public colleges and universities. Your local religious private schools will take tax dollars to teach religion to students. Do taxpayers want to fund religious schools, including faiths not in line with their own?

If there were 202 failing private schools in the state of Alabama, don't you know the AEA be raising Hell about them?

Tommie what makes a school a failing school? What's the standard?

Bubba

I can answer that Bubba. A failing school is one in which the majority of the students do not achieve a state minimum standard because a subset of the teachers in that school are incapable of getting the required information to register in the student's brain. Now some will argue that it is because the parents are not involved but the parents are not in the classroom when the material is taught. If anyone says it takes parental invovement to get the info to stick, then they are admitting that the teachers just simply cannot do an adequate job.

M. ~ "private, religious" schools have NEVER been government funded. This is simply a TAX BREAK for those who Choose to send their child to private schools. I really don't see the concern for those who use public schools, because this bill will not take away from public education.

BRANDI - While M's analogy isn't completely accurate, this bill will absolutely take money away from public education. First, the Education Trust Fund is tax based. These tax breaks (given to both individuals and corporations) will come from the Education Trust Fund leaving less money for public schools. Second, this is a back door entry for Charter Schools which DO receive both State and Federal funding without having to follow any State or Federal requirments. For example, a Charter School can accept a "special needs" child and the additional public funding associated with the child. Then, they can dismiss the child from their school but don't have to return the funding associated with that child.

Finally, the level of income required to be eligible for the full tax break will seriously limit who is eligible. In order to owe $3,500 in State tax, you have to earn approximately 4 times the State's average yearly income.

What's the state minimum standard?

Bubba

S~ oh well

Maybe they should learn to budget what they have!

The Executive Secretary of the AEA Henry C. Mabry sends his two children to Holy Cross Episcopal School in Montgomery, a private academy for grades one through six. This should explain the condition of the school system.

The Executive Secretary of the AEA Henry C. Mabry sends his two children to Holy Cross Episcopal School in Montgomery, a private academy for grades one through six. This should explain the condition of the school system.

kaptinman - How so? He could send them there for religious reasons, or segregation. Neither of which suggest that a public school education is any less worthy.....academically.Either way, I'm sure he'll appreciate the tax break if this bill passes.