In essence, the issue boils down to keeping schools safe for Darwinian debate. In the final round of debate, Green and Bolick exchange singeing e-mail flames. As usual, Mr. Bolick defends vouchers with a discussion of policy, not law. This is because he would rather debate this issue from a policy perspective that relies on exaggerated claims about the problems with public education. The truth is that public schools are doing a better job of educating our children than ever before.
Test scores are up, as is parental satisfaction.
While performance among minority students is still at unacceptably low levels, significant strides have been made. Studies have shown that smaller class size is the most effective tool for improving student performance. Public schools are making strides but they need the financial and moral the support of legislators and citizens, not criticism from every corner. We must concentrate on reform measures that improve education for all children, not on unproven schemes like vouchers. As to Mr. Bolick's legal analysis, he blurs several important distinctions between recent Supreme Court holdings and vouchers.