From: john@msus1.msus.edu
Newsgroups: alt.rush-limbaugh,alt.fan.dan-quayle
Subject: Re: Public Education (Was: Re: Family Leave)
Date: 8 Oct 92 09:45:46 -0600
Distribution: usa
Organization: Minnesota State University System

In article <1992Oct2.200537.4824@anasazi.com>, best@anasazi.com (Mike Best) writes:

>>Have you actually READ Bush's "America 2000" proposal?  
> 
> Since you've called me out on the floor... no I have not read this 
> proposal but I was not responding to it.  I was responding to your 
> claim that school vouchers/choice would be devastating to inner
> city schools.  We seem to have gotten off on the wrong foot because
> I thought I was talking about the voucher system and you were talking
> about the larger proposal by Bush.  
> 
> I just do not agree that under the voucher system that we as a society
> would allow certain areas to fester - we are not that callous.  I believe
> that vouchers would add the element of accountability to an institution
> which (IMO) could use it.  Whenever one speaks of accountability by use
> of vouchers or even in the evaluation of a teacher's abilities one becomes
> a target of attack for merely suggesting it.  Perhaps those in control
> fear the loss of control.
> 
>>If so, please show me where the policy does ANYTHING WHATSOEVER to keep
>>inner-city schools from sinking, as you claim.  
> 
> If it includes vouchers then explain to me why inner city schools are
> adversely effected.  I am going to try to find a book my brother told
> me of called "Reinventing Government" which describes a program used
> in Harlem NY similar to the voucher system and which was highly 
> successful.  I am afraid that I will need to order the book though.
> 
>>If you haven't read it, then perhaps you should before you act as its
>>advocate on the net.  
> 

If I understand the voucher system correctly, people with children in the
public school system would be given a voucher which they would give to the
public school they decide to send their child to.  That school, in turn, would
receive funding in proportion to the number of vouchers it collects.  It seems
to me that a popular school could become over crowded which could lower the
quality of education provided to students.  The popular school would then
either have to expand its facilities or turn away students.  A city has only so
much money with which build new schools; what will happen to the abandonded
schools?  Does Bush's proposal deal in any way with this scenerio?  Do public
schools get some minimum amount of funding regardless of the number of vouchers
collected?

Also, under what conditions should the voucher system be implemented?  In less
densly populated areas the voucher system would be silly at its best.  Who gets
the vouchers?  Will the voucher system, do you think, encourage schools to
engage in marketing efforts?    Will kids wind up in the school with the most
charisma?  Will football games turn into bloody gladatorial matches?  (oops,
I'm sorry; they already are)  How far away from their homes should students be
alowed to attend school?  Are private schools elegible to receive public
dollars under the voucher proposal?

I'm not for or against the voucher system.  I'm just curious as to whether or
not Bush's plan will be an effective implementation of the voucher system.

...
go ahead,

hit me!


john