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03 January 2005: The Anti-Robin Hood (1 of 4)
Last month, The Sutherland Institute, a conservative Salt Lake City think tank, proposed new legislation that would provide parents of kindergarten aged children a $500 tax credit for keeping their students out of public schools until first grade.
As I am under the impression that most of my readers are teachers, or well informed about education in this country, the primary argument against this kind of system is obvious: The kids who need it the most will be deprived of their head start. For a summary of this and other arguments, read the Salt Lake Tribune article of December 16, 2004 here: a.
But, what does Paul Mero, president of The Sutherland Institute say in defense of their proposal? He, like other conservatives, argues that Head Start and similar early education programs are not working in the long run. Read his editorial on the topic here: .
He says the incentive will increase available funds for the students who do go to kindergarten. He says that most Utah families will continue to send their students to kindergarten because most Utah moms work outside the home. He says, "impoverished parents typically would not earn enough to take the tax credit."
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