F.A.C.E. to FACE   F.A.C.E. BULLETIN 7/08/05   Dear Friends,   A favorable op-ed piece coming out of the Florida media (State court should study the facts on competition- Naples Daily News) http://www.naplesnews.com/npdn/pe_editorals/article/0,2071,NPDN_14961_39002   A board member of the Friedman Foundation discusses school vouchers on Kudlow & Co.   (Gov. Bush touts Christian-based program for schools) in a special to The Palm Beach Post   There was a brief story on Milton Friedman in USA Today with a photo from the Florida rally. http://www.usatoday.com/news/education/2005-06-22-vouchers-usat_x.htm     Thank you for Stepping Up For Students,   Michael A. Benjamin Executive Director, F.A.C.E. Florida Alliance for Choices in Education   Naples Daily News                                 Editorial: School vouchers   State court should study the facts on competition   By The Naples Daily News July 3, 2005   Hard questions by the Florida Supreme Court do not auger well for the state's school voucher program. That should concern everyone who cares about quality education, competition and parental choice.   Justices zeroed in on the constitutional provision calling for "support and maintenance of free public schools." Justice Charles Wells said he had "difficulty" with Opportunity Scholarships "coming dollar for dollar" out of government schools.   There are two problems with this line of attack. First, public education is not "free" (as Wells notes). Florida's taxpayers shelled out about $6,516 per pupil in 2003-04, according to the National Education Association.   Second, vouchers are not a dollar-for-dollar proposition.   Opportunity Scholarships to private campuses are pegged at $4,300 - $2,216 less than the public schools would have received for that now-departed pupil. Thus, the state comes out ahead on the deal.   Meantime, evidence continues to mount that school choice and competition help public schools. The latest in a series of Harvard studies this spring reported that Florida's vouchers have been more effective than the threat of federal No Child Left Behind Act sanctions in improving test scores.   Similarly, a Manhattan Institute study found that schools in danger of getting a second "F" achieved test-score gains more than twice as other schools.   Under the state's A+ program, students can opt for private-school vouchers if their public schools receive an "F" twice in four years. Seventy-eight campuses statewide were designating as failing this year, with 15 of them flunking twice.   These students deserve a chance and a choice. If the Supreme Court slams the door shut, it will hold thousands of children captive in demonstrably failing schools.   That move also would effectively strangle Florida's prekindergarten program in the cradle. This voter-approved initiative, set to begin this fall, relies heavily on private providers (i.e., vouchers).   Merely throwing more money at public schools does not work. If it did, public schools would be demonstrably better than they were 30 years ago, when per-pupil spending was less than half what it is today (in constant, inflation-adjusted dollars).   Milton Friedman, a Nobel laureate in economics and a leading advocate of school choice, envisions a day when universal voucher programs will open "a competitive private educational market serving parents who are free to choose the school they believe best for each child."   Standing on the other side are, in Friedman's words, "union leaders and educational administrators who oppose any change that would in any way reduce their control of the educational system."   Put that way, the court's choice should be easy.   Copyright 2005, Naples Daily News. All Rights Reserved. Friedman Foundation Board Member Discusses School Vouchers on Kudlow & Co. Newly-elected Friedman Foundation board member Patrick Byrne, Chairman and President of Overstock.com, appeared on CNBC's television program Kudlow & Co. last Friday, July 1, 2005 to discuss the importance of school choice for corporate America. Below is a transcript and a link to watch the interview. Watch the Interview (.wmv, 5 mb) MICHELLE CARUSO-CABRERA, host: Earlier this week, John Walton, son of Wal-Mart founder Sam Walton, died in a plane crash. One of the causes he was most devoted to, charter schools, which are part of a growing free markets movement aimed at education and meant to give parents a choice of where they send their children to school. Joining us now, a businessman who's also very dedicated to this issue, Patrick Byrne. He's chairman, president and CEO of Overstock.com. Nice to have you here on this Friday. PATRICK BYRNE (Overstock.com Chairman and President): Michelle, great to be back. I like you a lot better than that Kudlow guy. CARUSO-CABRERA: Oh, come on. Larry's great. BYRNE: Just kidding. CARUSO-CABRERA: All right. Just this week you joined the board of another foundation dedicated to school choice, the Milton & Rose Friedman Foundation, named, of course, after Nobel Prize-winning economist Milton Friedman. They are proponents of school vouchers. You're a very business guy--busy guy. Why is a businessman so committed to bringing what is essentially a free market approach to public schools? BYRNE: Well, I--where do I begin? I actually don't normally get involved with any foundations or charity work. I obviously would make--had to make an exception for Milton and Rose Friedman. To me, education is the--it's not just the number one social issue, it's the whole ball of wax. I see the political left and right fighting about all these downstream effects. If you speak like an economist for a moment, you know, goods in a market--goods trade to their marginal utility. So kids come out of high school with such different skill sets. Twenty, 30 years later, they have very different outcomes. The left and the right get all hung up on trying to equalize that. I think they're just rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic. If you want to fix our domestic social problems, you have to fix the undereducation of the poor people. CARUSO-CABRERA: Now teachers unions hate the idea of school vouchers. Those on the other side of this issue say, `Throw more money at it. Pay teachers more. Build more schools.' Why doesn't that work? BYRNE: Well, if money were all it took, DC would have the best education. DC spends $15,000 per student, that's the most of any place in the nation. They have the 51st worst results. So it isn't is matter of money. You can't solve this problem by just throwing more money down a rat hole. It's--the system is broken and until there's some competition, it's not going to reform itself. CARUSO-CABRERA: Why... BYRNE: The un... CARUSO-CABRERA: Why would school vouchers bring competition? BYRNE: Well, school vouchers, you know--and they tried this in New Zealand. And what happened was, they had tried all these different ways to reform the public school system. None of them worked. They started letting people take their money elsewhere, buy some private education with it. And as soon as about 5--or not even 10 percent of the people had defected from the government school system--as soon as 5 or 10 percent of the people defected, the government schools started reforming themselves. And they lo--they started realizing they had to compete. They had to provide a better service and it drove a treme--and in fact, less--over time, people came back from the private schools to the government schools, because they were able to reform themselves. CARUSO-CABRERA: They had gotten better. You know, it's 50 years ago that Milton Friedman said `Exchange rates should float' in his book, "Capitalism and Freedom," and people called him a crackpot--let's remind everybody. And now members of Congress, of course, are stumbling all over themselves to say China's currency should float. It was also 50 years ago that he advocated the idea of school vouchers, essentially letting parents use money from the government to pick any school they want. Why is it that one free market idea really took hold but progress in education's taken so long? BYRNE: Because education--there's an entrenched monopoly that you'd be dislodging by introducing competition. It's not really the case with currency rates. I'll remind you, Milton Friedman also proposed the all-volunteer Army, which was seen as cooky 30 years ago. But... CARUSO-CABRERA: Mm-hmm, and that's what we have now. BYRNE: That's what we have now. What we have is a monopoly, a government monopoly that does what all monopolies do. They provide an inferior product at a very high price and they collect the difference. And they never want to be dislodged from the monopoly. So, you know, right now we're spending almost $9,000 per student in America, $420 billion for 46 million students. Let's give vouchers--you know, if the government can do it for $9,000, let's give private enterprise half of that, $4,500, and see what they can do with the money. I think that you'll see, again, that 5 or 10 percent critical defection from the government schools. That will make the government schools start reforming themselves… Gov. Bush touts Christian-based program for schools By Dara Kam Special to The Palm Beach Post Wednesday, July 06, 2005 TALLAHASSEE — Just before Father's Day, Gov. Jeb Bush announced that he wanted every public school in Florida to host a Christian-based program designed to increase fathers' participation in their children's lives. The program, All Pro Dad, combines a biblical foundation with the draw of popular professional athletes to promote the belief that "the father is the head of the household" and that men should rely on God to help them be better parents and keep their marriages intact. It also encourages Bible reading. "This is a really great program," Bush said at a news conference last month, though he did not make any reference to the project's Christian foundation. "The response of this program has been a success, and I hope it expands throughout the entire state to every school in every school district." But critics say the program, which has a direct link on the Florida Department of Education Web site, clearly has Christian overtones and is part of a national effort by evangelicals who view public schools as recruiting fields. An official state Web site should not be linked to such an organization, said Barry Lynn, executive director of Americans United for Separation of Church and State. Lynn said the link violates the First Amendment, which prohibits government from establishing a state religion and at the same time prohibits government from interfering with religious practices. "This has a very clear religious message, so that's wrong and that should be stopped immediately," Lynn said from his office in Washington. "This is an overtly fundamentalist Christian worldview that's being promoted." Program popular in Tampa area The All Pro Dad program is used in about 60 locations in 20 states, including a dozen Tampa Bay-area public schools. Monthly breakfast meetings are held in school cafeterias or nearby Chick-fil-A restaurants. There are no active chapters in Palm Beach, Martin or St. Lucie counties. Last month, however, Florida K-12 public schools Chancellor Jim Warford touted the program to the state's 67 school superintendents. "I encourage you to go to http://www.allprodad.com/yourneigh borhood.asp to get a free introductory DVD about the program and how you can get fathers more involved in your schools," Warford wrote in a June 17 memo. The memo does not include information about the program's religious orientation. Department of Education officials defended the state's endorsement of the Christian-based program, but otherwise referred queries about All Pro Dad to Volunteer Florida, a Bush-appointed nonprofit agency charged with faith and community outreach. "It's appropriate for the Department of Education to endorse programs that encourage parents to be involved in their children's lives. We would support any program that would encourage that," department spokeswoman Melanie Etters said. "The fact is that a lot of the people that participate in the All Pro Dads are NFL stars and they reach out to some populations that the Department of Education wouldn't attract." Etters said the department "welcomes other programs" that would promote parental involvement in their children's lives. But Howard Simon, executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Florida, said Bush and the department's endorsement of the program is indicative of the governor's disregard for the state constitution, which prohibits spending state money, directly or indirectly, on religious programs. "It may be a wonderful program, but a program that encourages Bible reading and strengthening your relationship with God is not the kind of program that should be sponsored by the public schools, nor should it be the kind of program that is organized and facilitated by the public schools," Simon said. "From vouchers, from faith-based initiatives, to the nation's first faith-based prisons, this governor has a blind spot when it comes to the constitutional requirement on separation of church and state. He's completely uncritical. He doesn't believe that reading the Bible and strengthening your relationship with God is a faith-based message." The Florida Supreme Court is now considering whether Bush's 6-year-old Opportunity Scholarship Program is constitutional. The program gives vouchers for students at failing schools to attend private schools, including religious schools. Two lower courts have struck down the voucher program, declaring it violated the constitutional provision barring state tax dollars from being spent on religious institutions. The All Pro Dad curriculum was created by Family First, a Tampa-based nonprofit "research and educational organization," according to founder and President Mark Merrill. It is being promoted throughout the nation, in part with the help of fast-food chain Chick-fil-A, whose founder, S. Truett Cathy, is a Southern Baptist. Merrill was tapped by Bush, a Catholic, to serve on Volunteer Florida's 25-member board. Mulrennan Middle School in Valrico, east of Tampa, promotes All Pro Dad on its school marquee and in newsletters. The school also advertises the program on its radio and television stations, said assistant principal Matthew Diprima, who organizes the monthly meetings. "This is something the school supports, and this is something that's fostered by the school," Diprima said. He said the Mulrennan group meets at a neighborhood Chick-fil-A, which donates materials to the children who participate. The group uses the All Pro Dad Web site to choose topics for discussion. Included on the Web site are tips for fathers, including "Ten Ways to be a Better Dad" and "How to Save Your Marriage." Father called 'head coach' of family One of the marriage-saving lessons, written by All Pro Dad Director Bryan Davis, coaches men to pray with their wives. "God has joined you and your wife together. He is the Author of love and marital harmony. Deepening your relationship with Him is the key and foundation of a successful marriage. If you haven't cracked open a Bible in a while, start. Find I Corinthians 13 and give it a read. It's the perfect blueprint for your marriage," Davis advises. A video introduction by Indianapolis Colts coach Tony Dungy, All Pro Dad's national spokesman, lays the groundwork for good parenting by establishing the father as the "head coach" of the family. "That's the biblical way it's set up. Mom and Dad directing the family together, with the dad being the head of the household," Dungy instructs participants. "Now that doesn't always happen... but that's the ideal way and the best way, and that's the way we're going to function the best." But the group's president last week did not directly answer several questions about the Bible's role in the All Pro Dad resources. "Isn't that self-evident?" Merrill said. "A lot of the principles contained in the Old and New Testaments really are superior principles for raising children and for living." When intolerance stalks faith By Suzanne Fields Published June 27, 2005          The debate over freedom of religion has turned into a debate over freedom from religion. Religious men and women founded America and for centuries religious faith was considered by nearly everyone to be a key to good citizenship. The Founding Fathers would not allow religion to govern the state, but they appreciated the way religion governed the private lives of good citizens.     I didn't grow up with religious rituals, but my parents, who were proud of being Jewish, taught me to respect those who did. When a mischievous redheaded neighborhood boy went into the priesthood, my mother told him that he was "too good looking" to be a priest. She felt sorry for the pretty young girls he would never court. But she taught us by example to respect his choice of a "higher calling," even though it wasn't our calling.     We were particularly taught not to express anti-religious sentiments about others. (Jewish humor, after all, mostly makes fun of Jews.) Christianity was the dominant religion in America and it got a pass from public criticism. Protestants and Catholics occasionally feuded with each other in public. Not until John F. Kennedy persuaded voters that he would govern as an American without consulting the Vatican did that begin to diminish.      In the 1960s American identity was conspicuously tied up with religious faith, but as an impulse to do good rather than propagate dogma. The civil-rights movement, midwifed by the black church, was borne on the wings of the religious rhetoric of Martin LutherKing,aBaptist preacher. Rabbis and priests united behind his message. The idea prevailed that politics was separated from religion, but religion and politics nevertheless shaped American social values together, challenging licentiousness dangerous to the state and appealing to a higher ideal to make the country a better place for everyone.      That's why it's particularly alarming that slurs and innuendo are used against religious people today. No matter how Howard Dean, chairman of the Democratic National Committee, tries to wiggle out of the implications of his remark that the Republican Party is made up "white Christians," he expected his remarks to inspire Democrats to contribute money to a party willing to shun white Christians, though it's odd that any politician would knock whites and Christians, who comprise the majority of voters. Ken Mehlman, the Republican national chairman, hit him where he hurt with his remark that if the Republicans are all white Christians "a lot of folks who attended my bar mitzvah would be surprised."     Hillary Clinton, the star attraction of a fundraiser in Los Angeles, jeered that Republican leaders are "messianic" in their belief that they enjoy "a direct line to the heavens." She tried to turn it into a joke about her own channeling of Eleanor Roosevelt, but realistic Democrats were not pleased. They understand that she will have to win votes in red states as a Methodist moderate if she expects to get back to the White House in '08.     Anti-religious innuendo from politicians descends in deleterious ways to the larger society, shaping public attitudes and encouraging religious bigotry. In Knoxville, Tenn., deep in the Bible Belt, a 10-year-old boy took his Bible to school to read together with like-minded classmates at recess. The principal disbanded the group and told the boys never to bring their Bibles to school again, thus relegating what most of us call "the Good Book" to the category of weapons and drugs.      Most of us see the absurdity of the principal's decision, but the debate about vouchers in schools is subtler in its anti-religious fervor. The Florida Supreme Court heard arguments the other day over whether vouchers are constitutional if cashed at religious schools. It's an important case because Florida kids liberated from failing public schools can now take their tuition voucher to any school of their choice. This puts religious schools in the mix. Two years ago 25 percent of the parents of children with vouchers chose a religious school. Such vouchers especially help minority children. In the most recent school year 700 vouchers were awarded to minority children, 61 percent of them black and 33 percent Hispanic. Vouchers thus become the civil-rights issue of our own time.      How vouchers are used depends on a family's choice, not a bureaucrat's whim, and it's silly to argue that vouchers break down the wall between church and state. Does a state-subsidized senior who chooses a church-affiliated nursing home breach that wall? Vouchers are not about the establishing a state-based religion, but empowering parents of moderate means to educate their children as they choose -- just like parents who can afford private schools.

 

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