@ AZ’s ultimate school choice experiment

[Jalapeñomel]

Jul 30, 2023 14:39:12 GMT -5 lilac05 said:

Jul 30, 2023 13:35:53 GMT -5 Poeticxpassion said:

Starting this school year, Colorado will give free breakfast and lunch to all students regardless of income. It was on the ballot last year. People lost their minds about feeding kids who didn’t really “need” it. 

Minnesota does the same. Iowa prefers to give free money to people for private school (including wealthy people already paying for it) instead of feeding students. Priorities!

I believe California and Maine also do free lunch for kids. We’re working on it in NY, but heaven forbid a rich kid get a free lunch so all poorer kids can eat. /s

[macmars45]

Jul 30, 2023 14:14:45 GMT -5 momof2 said:

Jul 30, 2023 12:09:56 GMT -5 macmars45 said:

Just yesterday a mom with a DS with cerebral palsy was telling me AZ is one of the best states to live in if you have a special needs kid. I was flabbergasted because I just read these articles here. No thank you. 

Also my niece and nibling just finished their 13 years of public school in AZ and it was not the best experience.

She isn’t talking about the school system. She is talking about the Medicaid services you can get for kids with disabilities. Arizona has been ranked #1 for Medicaid services for five years in a row by — wait for it — the major CP organization in the US. You will find articles raving about Arizona in publications like Disability Scoop, etc.

In a southern state, my kid has been legally entitled to non-income based Medicaid for 13 years. She will turn 18 before she ever gets off the waitlist. At which point, she will qualify on her own due to no income. These Medicaid waivers for disabled kids are essentially unfunded mandates in many states.

She mentioned the Medicaid services AND the schools.

[formerlyak]

Jul 30, 2023 14:42:37 GMT -5 Jalapeñomel said:

Jul 30, 2023 14:39:12 GMT -5 lilac05 said:

Minnesota does the same. Iowa prefers to give free money to people for private school (including wealthy people already paying for it) instead of feeding students. Priorities!

I believe California and Maine also do free lunch for kids. We’re working on it in NY, but heaven forbid a rich kid get a free lunch so all poorer kids can eat. /s

Yep. Every student can get free lunch here in CA. If you qualify for free or reduced lunch based on income, you are asked to still fill out the form because schools still get additional funding based on the number of students who qualify.

[Michelle]

Jul 27, 2023 11:52:30 GMT -5 nsl said:

Jul 24, 2023 15:14:24 GMT -5 Michelle said:

Yours sounds like a lovely plan.

I'm just thinking of all the FLDS in NE Arizona who will profit off of this and continue to subjugate their followers to their abusive, insular practices. Also thinking of all the FLDS in southern Utah who may move to AZ for this extra income per kid. Wow.

The ones in Utah won't need to because our state legislature passed almost exactly the same bill last session. Worse, the vouchers are worth over twice the weighted PPU given to districts, so budgets for the upcoming year are going to be in even worse shape for schools where more than a few families choose to use them.

What a freakin' nightmare.

[Gato]

Jul 30, 2023 14:42:37 GMT -5 Jalapeñomel said:

Jul 30, 2023 14:39:12 GMT -5 lilac05 said:

Minnesota does the same. Iowa prefers to give free money to people for private school (including wealthy people already paying for it) instead of feeding students. Priorities!

I believe California and Maine also do free lunch for kids. We’re working on it in NY, but heaven forbid a rich kid get a free lunch so all poorer kids can eat. /s

Yes, Maine does. Y’all, Maine is a poor state. Our state GDP is one of the lowest in the nation. If we can do it, any state can!