The constitutionality of using taxpayer money to send children to parochial schools was left unclear when the Supreme Court refused to hear a case challenging the voucher program in Milwaukee. Opponents say vouchers siphon money from struggling public schools. Furthermore, they argue, there is no definitive proof that student performance has improved in districts with voucher programs. But public support for vouchers and other school-choice plans appears to be growing, especially among minorities. Zero Tolerance A series of schoolyard mass killings in recent years has prompted school officials and lawmakers to impose mandatory punishments for a multitude of misbehaviors, many of them seemingly minor.
Proponents credit tough disciplinary policies with driving school crime rates down.
But critics question their effectiveness and worry about the impact the policies are having on individual rights. And civil rights advocates say the policies are being used to kick out minority, disabled and academically challenged students who might drag down standardized test scores. The managed-care industry succeeded in holding down health costs for most of the 1990s. But it now is under unprecedented attack from critics, who charge HMOs and similar plans have seriously compromised the quality of care by excessively focusing on their bottom lines. With public frustration building, lawmakers in Congress are proposing a variety of regulatory remedies to rein in the power of health insurers to make critical care decisions.