Here’s a good example of an agenda-driven, press release-inspired “news” story:
The Houston school district could lose up to $900 million over the first two years under various private school voucher bills being considered by the Texas Legislature[…]
This sounds frightening — ’til you read the rest of the paragraph, and the subsequent paragraphs:
[…]according to an organization that opposes the proposals.
“Texas lawmakers need to solve school finance problems, not create new ones with vouchers,” said Carolyn Boyle, coordinator of the Coalition for Public Schools.
The group released its report on vouchers’ potential impact on Houston and other urban school districts Monday, the day before a House committee debates the volatile issue.
Zzzzzzzz. Yawn. Oh sorry, I thought this was going to be some “news.” Instead it’s a nice piece for the Coalition for Public Schools to add to its website, to show how important its “study” was. “Look, we’re in the Houston Chronicle!”
And who makes up the Coalition for Public Schools:
Coalition for Public Schools Executive Committee
Co-Chairs
Brock Gregg, Director of Governmental Relations, Association of Texas Professional Educators
Craig Tounget, Executive Director, Texas Congress of Parents and Teachers (PTA)
Executive Committee Members
Harley Eckhart, Associate Executive Director, Texas Elementary Principals and Supervisors Association
Richard Kouri, Director of Governmental Relations, Texas State Teachers Association
John O’Sullivan, Secretary-Treasurer, Texas Federation of Teachers
Amy Beneski, Associate Executive Director, Governmental Relations, Texas Association of School Administrators
Lindsay Gustafson, Staff Attorney/Governmental Affairs, Texas Classroom Teachers Association
M. J. Nicchio, Assistant Director, Governmental Relations Division, Texas Association of School Boards
Cindy Kirby, Texas Association of Secondary School Principals
Kathy Miller, Executive Director, Texas Freedom Network (self-described as a “counter the radical right”)
Deece Eckstein, Texas Director, People for the American Way
The usual group of naysayers and Chicken Littles.
Is there anything from the other side?
The sponsor of one voucher bill, Rep. Linda Harper-Brown, R-Irving, disputed the coalition’s numbers. She said her bill would apply to fewer than one-half of 1 percent of the state’s 4 million public school students.
“Vouchers will not take any money away from the public schools,” said Harper-Brown. “It’s strictly a scare tactic.”
Is the study a scare tactic? Yep:
Boyle said the projections on potential loss of school district funding were based on the maximum number of eligible students using the vouchers. She said the numbers are conservative because they don’t include students currently enrolled in private school or home-school students who could qualify for funding.
The truth is out there, but it’s best to hide it, when pushing an agenda.
And for a nice touch toward the end:
Voucher proponents, however, have powerful allies. Gov. Rick Perry, Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst and House Speaker Tom Craddick all support a pilot program to allow students in low-performing schools to use taxpayer-funded vouchers to attend private schools.
Oooooo, powerful allies support allowing students stuck in low-performing schools to attend private schools to get a better education. Scandalous!
UPDATE: I missed this Dallas Morning News story on KHOU-11’s website. It’s hysterical, too (not “hahaha” hysterical):
“These three voucher bills are a mean assault on our urban school districts,” said Carolyn Boyle, a spokeswoman for the Coalition for Public Schools.
[snip]
Staley Gray, a PTA leader from Austin, said state money would be handed over to “unproven private schools” with no requirement for public accountability.
[snip]
Virtually all public education groups in Texas are lobbying against the voucher proposals.
Gee, what a surprise! We wouldn’t want the monopoly of power currently enjoyed by “public education groups” to be messed with, now would we? It’s interesting that these “public education groups” never seem to worry about the poor education children are receiving at some public schools.
And check this out, at the end:
A Hispanic group will stage a rally in support of school vouchers today, with Mr. Perry, Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst and House Speaker Tom Craddick expected to attend.
The Chronicle‘s story failed to mention that.
