From: mes@scutum.ece.cmu.edu (Mark Edward Stahl)
Newsgroups: soc.bi,soc.motss
Subject: School Vouchers (was Re: Colorado's Amendment #2)
Date: 23 Nov 92 00:03:46 GMT
Organization: Electrical and Computer Engineering, Carnegie Mellon

In article <1992Nov22.060607.24893@magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu> 
	sconley@magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu (Stephen M Conley) writes:
>In article <1992Nov21.001717.24934@ncar.ucar.edu> 
>	era@ncar.ucar.edu (Ed Arnold) writes:
>>Fortunately, enough voters were smart enough to see through Amendment
>>#7, the issue to transfer monies to wealthy parents sending their kids
>>to private schools, and parochial schools, by issuing vouchers: that
>>amendment failed.
>
>Sorry for getting of the subject a bit, but I thought that the idea of the
>voucher system was to grant school choice privileges to everyone, thereby
>allowing anyone to send ker kids to private and parochial schools, not
>just the wealthy.  I really don't know the text of this particular proposal,
>but that was the impression I got. 

I'm not familiar with the text of the CO proposal either, but school
choice via vouchers, if implemented improperly, WILL transfer money
out of public schools and into the hands of the wealthy.

For example, supposed the government gives each parent a $1000 voucher
per child for purchasing education.  Now assume there is a private
school with tuition of $5000.  A parent who previously sent their kid
to private school will receives a $1000 discount on tuition under the
voucher plan, effectively *giving* them $1000.  Meanwhile, most
parents who could not afford $5000 tuition will not be able to afford
$4000 tuition.  The voucher would only allow a small minority of
parents who could afford the additional tuition to move into the
private school system.  The truly poor families, where the most help
is needed, would not benefit at all.

And that's not the worst of it!  Prior to the voucher system, the
state applied all education funds towards free public education.
Under the voucher system I described, the state would now be paying
for ALL students, even those in private education.  And where does all
the money come from to subsidize private education for the wealthy?
Out of the PUBLIC school budget.  The voucher system effectively
transfers money out of the public school system into the hands of
wealthy parents, thereby GUTTING public education!  Many public
schools *already* have trouble getting enough funding.  Not only do
poor families NOT benefit from a voucher system, the public education
system that they presently rely on will become WORSE!

Now since people are always looking for positive suggestions, here's
some ideas that I think might make school choice workable.  One would
be to allow vouchers within public schools only, allowing public
schools to compete amongst themselves.  This would be similar to
magnet school systems presently in place in many cities.

School choice can be extended to private schools by requiring that any
private school that accepts a voucher must do so as payment in full
for all students.  This would place people of all income brackets on
equal footing with respect to purchasing power.  Private schools that
charge tuition above the voucher would get no support.  (Effectively
the way things stand now.)  This new type of private school would be
funded wholly by the public ("publically maintained" to steal a phrase
from the British school system) but would be given complete autonomy
in how it is run.  (Perhaps even for-profit.)  Personally I think this
form of vouchers would be the best way to promote competition.

There are plenty of other possibilities.  Needs-based vouchers come to
mind, similar to the way college financial aid is given.  But I can
only imagine the headaches this would bring.

There are plenty of other possibilities.  Needs-based vouchers come to
mind, similar to the way college financial aid is given.  But I can
only imagine the headaches this would bring.  

It is my personal belief that a strong public education system is
essential to our country.  Yes, we need to improve education in the
US, but "A school voucher in every pot!" will not solve the problem.
It will only make it worse.

Mark 
mes@ece.cmu.edu
Newsgroups: soc.bi,soc.motss