The Kids Are Not Alright
What to know: Middle schoolers’ scores in math and reading are plummeting, a new report shows.
The TPPF take: Parent empowerment would help those students.
“Having been brought up in the progressive environment of our leftist colleges, the education establishment can’t help itself from focusing on ideology instead of academics,” says TPPF’s Mandy Drogin. “And, with many parents unable to afford or not lucky enough to get into an alternative education option, students are stuck in schools with administrators that are too busy pushing a social agenda to worry about basic learning. How do we fix this? Choice.”
For more on parent empowerment and choice, click here.
Basically Illegal
What to know: Some Texas cities, and Harris County, are toying with the idea of providing a universal basic income (UBI) to some of their citizens.
The TPPF take: A UBI program has little effect on poverty—and is unconstitutional, in any case.
“The Texas Constitution in Article III, Section 52 prohibits the Legislature from authorizing political subdivisions to lend their credit or to grant public money—unless that money is used for a public purpose,” says TPPF’s Robert Henneke. “A public purpose isn’t achieved simply because the city says so. In fact, programs like the UBI work against proven tactics in combatting poverty.”
For more on UBI, click here.
Gainful Employment
What to know: The Biden administration will soon issue a “gainful employment” rule, which it says will help ensure that college graduates can find jobs and earn enough to repay their student loans.
The TPPF take: There are some big problems with the gainful employment rule.
“For example, the regulations completely ignore the actual amount of debt for low-cost (read: community college) programs,” says TPPF’s Andrew Gillen. “Debt used to cover room and board is simply ignored. This is a get-out-of-jail-free card for community colleges, which tend to have low tuition.”
For more on the gainful employment rule, click here.