The architect of Proposition 38 is Silicon Valley multimillionaire Tim Draper, briefly a member of the state Board of Education during the Wilson administration. The campaign will not disclose its other supporters, but its Web site links to conservative organizations like the Heritage Foundation. Vouchers have never been tried on a scale as large as that proposed in California. In some states, voucher plans were thrown out in court. In the few places where voucher programs operate, results have been mixed.
Supporters say studies show that parents are happy with the program.
Opponents say that many private schools have been badly mismanaged because they could avoid state regulation. University of Wisconsin professor John Witte, the foremost expert on the Milwaukee voucher program, has found that it has not had much impact on students' educational progress. Witte is a cautious supporter of the Milwaukee experiment, but only because its vouchers are specifically for low-income families.