Network Schools – Wayne Gerseny to https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2022/04/03/magazine/thomas-piketty-interview u w B l.html?h I’ll smid=url-share the Is for

An article by New Hampshire Bulletin writer Ethan DeWitt that appeared in our local newspaper recounted the action taken by the NH State Board of Education on a set of “Interim Rules” drafted by the NH Department of Education. The article matter-of-factly reported that the unanimous adoption of the rules “passed with little discussion” and NO public input and the distribution of the funds will be managed by “New Hampshire Children’s Scholarship Fund, which is part of a national network based in New York, is one of two organizations that oversee the state’s existing scholarship fund, which allows businesses to receive tax credits for donating to a fund that provides scholarships for low-income students to attend private schools.” 

The most appalling element of the law dictating the rules, though, is this: 

The statute provides qualifying parents at least $3,700 a year, and more if the student qualifies for additional state aid. The money is available to lower-income parents who have withdrawn their children from public schools or whose children never attended public schools to begin with….

Thursday’s rules sought to clarify areas the statute left vague, including how the accounts must be run and how they must be held accountable.

The rules allow a nonprofit scholarship organization that contracts with the state to choose the educational providers to which parents may send their money — from private schools to religious schools to online education, tutoring, classroom materials and books, and laptops.

And the rules dictate exactly how much information the organizations must report to the Department of Education, and what measures the organization must take to root out abuse of the program, either from families or education providers.

Sorry to be skeptical or cynical… but… I can’t help but wonder what role the “national network” that currently helps administer NH’s funds played in the development of the rules Mr. Edelblut. Generating rules to govern the distribution of millions of dollars with no public input is a daunting task.