Gloria Romero. (Photo: publicpolicy.pepperdine.edu)
Former Senate Leader Gloria Romero Joins Fix California Initiative for School Choice Funding
‘We cannot waste anymore years waiting for Sacramento to act’
By Katy Grimes, November 12, 2021 7:42 pm
California’s public schools were once the envy of the nation. Today, California’s public schools not only rank at the bottom of the entire country, the state spends approximately $22,000 per year for each child in the public school system to accomplish this.
California has approximately 6.6 Million K-12 Students: 6 million attending public schools, 471,000 attending private schools, and 84,000 attending homeschool, according to the Legislative Analyst’s Office. The state has 942 school districts operating 8,600 individual schools and enrolling approximately 5.3 million students.
In California, state and local government and big teacher’s unions are preventing students from receiving a quality education, for many reasons, but especially by forcing children to attend the public school closest to them, even when it is totally failing. There is no school competition for kids who can’t afford to opt-out of the shoddy school they are forced to attend, Fix California explains.
To address this, Fix California the sponsor of Fix California Education, is sponsoring a ballot initiative proposing Education Savings Accounts for California students, which follow the students’ choice of schools: private school or homeschool.
Ric Grenell, founder of Fix California, who served as Ambassador to Germany and Acting Director of National Intelligence, announced Friday that former California State Senate Majority Leader Gloria Romero has endorsed Fix California’s Education Savings Accounts Act of 2022.
“As a proud Democrat who has dedicated my life to fighting against an entrenched education bureaucracy so that all California children can have all the opportunities afforded to our ruling class, I proudly join with Ric and Fix California to give parents control over their children’s destiny,” Romero said. “Parents matter; and when given not only the choice, but the resources, they will provide the best education opportunities for their children. However, it is clear that current legislative leaders cannot possibly reform our schools and our school boards are intimidated by controlling interests who care more about their bottom line than our children’s future. If through this proposal, public schools can rise to the challenge with a little more competition, then everyone will benefit. I hope that voters will put aside petty, partisan games and join us in providing a model for a world class educational system and sign the petition to get the Education Savings Accounts Act of 2022 on the ballot next year. We cannot waste anymore years waiting for Sacramento to act.”
Bi-partisan and non-partisan support is imperative for any school choice, education savings account initiative to succeed. Romero’s endorsement is substantial, as a long-time school choice advocate.
“The ESA reforms how schools are funded by cutting the government and politicians out of the middle and puts the tax money that’s guaranteed to education into a savings account available for any student who opts into the program,” Grenell and Romero explain in an op ed at RealClearEducation Friday. “Each year approximately $13,000 will be deposited into the student’s account and may be spent on any accredited school. Students will no longer be trapped by arbitrary geographic or socioeconomic boundaries.”
Parents are tired of their children trapped in government schools force-feeding them political indoctrination: Critical Race Theory, re-written American history, dumbed-down mathematics, watered-down science, and quasi-academic subjects.
“Parents have also watched anti-science decisions that forced school closures due to COVID-19, setting back an entire generation and harming the mental health and physical development of our children,” Grenell and Romero say.
“If there were ever a time to push transformative change, it’s right now. And if there were ever an issue that unites people across political, economic, and ethnic lines, it’s the education of our children.”
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Where is the list of locations that a person can sign the petition?
Hi Art, the committee is just starting to get organized on collecting signatures. Where are you located? Can you please email me at cd.lugo@hotmail.com and I’ll help you.
thanks!
Celina
Public employee union thugs (particularly teachers unions) will spend billions of dollars to defeat this initiative and the mindless sheep who helped keep Newsom in office will help the thugs achieve their objective.
If you think the Teachers’ Unions and politicians are going to allow this ballot initiative to pass, you’ve got another think coming. There is NO WAY they will relinquish the power and money. And the corrupt California voting system will guarantee their success.
It’s too late peons. Too too late.
The basic California knowledge/experience base has left or is finishing packing.
There is a red wave for trailers/pods/trucks at rental yards.
Reserve yours soon.
Bravo! It’s a refreshing and bipartisan move to restore California’s education system!
You can read more about the initiative and ballot measure at “Fix California”
There is nothing wrong with the schools. The only problem is republicans who want to tear down the public school system.
L(&$@?!^ +)&%<o=*+ #r.<]-&/[_ %u(m@
CA kids are paying the price for stupidity. Kids are graduating without the ability to read, write and do basic math which might be why CA is at the bottom in education despite the $22K investment.
THE SCHOOL CHOICE CHOICE: “BOLD COLORS” or “PALE PASTEL”
Thanks to the political selfishness, or worse, of Ric Grenell, there are two School Choice initiatives out for signature. The “Educational Freedom Act” sponsored by the California School Choice Foundation [https://www.CaliforniaSchoolChoice.org/] is, in Ronald Reagan’s words, the “bold colors” version of School Choice. When it is enacted in 2022, it will be the strongest, broadest most comprehensive School Choice law in America. Grenell’s “Educational Savings Account Act” is, again in Ronald Reagan’s words, the “pale pastel” version.
The California School Choice Foundation drafted the Educational Freedom Act understanding that after it is enacted, the #DemParty and the teacher unions will do everything possible to sabotage it [just as Grenell is doing with his “Johnnie come lately,” competing School Choice initiative].
Here are the principal and principle differences:
FIRST YEAR FUNDING:
The Educational Freedom Act: $14,000
Educational Savings Account Act: $13,000
Therefore, under Grenell’s Educational Savings Account Act, California children will always be behind the funding curve compared to the Educational Freedom Act.
CAP ON THE EDUCATIONAL SAVINGS ACCOUNTS
The Educational Freedom Act:
No cap on amount accumulated for college or vocational training.
Grenell’s Educational Savings Account Act:
A $60,000 cap. If children save more than $60,000, amounts above $60,000 revert to the government.
$60,000 does not go very far in most colleges. Therefore, under Grenell’s Educational Savings Account Act, California children will always be behind the funding curve for college compared to the Educational Freedom Act.
ELIGIBILITY and PHASE IN:
The Educational Freedom Act:
All California children are eligible from day one.
Grenell’s Educational Savings Account Act:
A four year phase in based on income.
Therefore, Grenell’s Educational Savings Account Act will trap and keep millions of California children in the (educationally) failing but (indoctrinationally) effective Government Run Schools for four more years.
HOMESCHOOLING FAMILIES
The Educational Freedom Act:
All California children are eligible without discrimination. All Homeschoolers are eligible, including private school affidavit (PSA) homeschooling children.
The Educational Savings Account Act:
PSA homeschooling children are excluded.
PROTECTING CHILDREN AND FAMILIES IN PRIVATE AND HOMESCHOOL FROM THE GOVERNMENT AND TEACHER UNIONS
The Educational Freedom Act:
Specifically prohibits government mandates regarding curriculum, teacher credentialing requirements, disciplinary policies, and admission policies. Specifically protects faith based curriculum. Children may not be suspended except for ineligibility or specific parent/student prohibited acts.
Grenell’s Educational Savings Account Act:
Silent.
Therefore, Grenell’s Educational Savings Account Act allows the #DemParty and teacher unions to turn private schools and home schools into (educationally) failing but (indoctrinationally) effective Government Run Schools. Grenell’s Educational Savings Account Act also allows the #DemParty and teacher unions to find new ways to deny School Choice to California children.
MEMBERSHIP ON THE EDUCATIONAL SAVINGS ACCOUNT TRUST BOARD
The Educational Freedom Act:
Requires representatives of charter schools, private schools, religious schools and homeschooling families. The state Supt of Public Instruction is a nonvoting member.
Grenell’s Educational Savings Account Act:
Includes representatives of private and religious schools, but not charter schools and homeschooling families. Makes the Supt. of Public Instruction a nonvoting member.
Therefore, Grenell’s Educational Savings Account Act excludes representatives of millions of California children. But, Grenell’s Educational Savings Account Act gives vote to the Supt. of Public Instruction, [who will always be a front man or woman for the teacher unions and a sworn enemy of School Choice].
PROTECTING THE FUNDING
The Educational Savings Account Act:
Requires the state to fund the Educational Savings Account trust on August 1 and December 31 in equal amounts. Requires nine equal monthly payments to private schools between August 15 and May 15.
Grenell’s Educational Savings Account Act:
Allows the state to fund the Educational Savings Account trust with three or more unequal payments, without specified dates. Allows an equal monthly payments to private schools without specified dates.
Therefore, Grenell’s Educational Savings Account Act allows the #DemParty and teacher unions to hinder, interfere with, and the sabotage School Choice by manipulating payment of the required funds to the Educational Savings Account trust and from the trust to private schools. Again, Grenell’s Educational Savings Account Act fails to protect California children.
THEREFORE, all Californians and Americans who support School Choice should support the California School Choice Foundation’s Educational Freedom Act. It truly is “for the children.” There is no better time to enact School Choice than now. Join the cause to save our children and our country at https://www.CaliforniaSchoolChoice.org/
Under Grenell’s watered down, “pale pastel” School Choice initiative, the State Supt. of Public Instruction, [who will always be a front man or woman for the teacher unions and a sworn enemy of School Choice], is a voting member of the Educational Savings Account trust.
If you have the chance, tell Ric Grenell not to be a School Choice saboteur, and if he choose to be a School Choice saboteur, remember that when he runs for office.
Homeschooling is exploding in California because of government run schools curriculum, masking and vaccine mandates. The Fix California School Choice initiative blatantly discriminates against homeschoolers. Private School Affidavits homeschoolers are excluded from the program. The remaining homeschoolers that affiliate with a private school can only accumulate $60,000 in their account for college. So if a homeschooler educates for $3000/yr and accumulates $10,000/yr in the ESA, then by 6th grade they can no longer accumulate anymore funds and have to send it back to the state. What a cheat !
Comrades
Get over it. Public schools, school boards, unions, student achievement are a disaster. Just vote for choice and the whole mess collapses…..there is no future for public schools.