It strikes me that the statement,"I am in favor of vouchers", is like saying " I favor health care reform".

The devil is in the details and from what I can see, those of you who say you favor vouchers are not unanimous in your vision. So I would be curious to know if there is a consensus of any kind. Would you allow vouchers to be used for private schools? Would you abandon church/state separation and use tax funds to subsidize religiously oriented private schools? Would you anticipate spending more money to make vouchers work? Who pays for the extra transportation costs? Would schools no longer be locally controlled and voted upon? Do you think that vouchers would help inner city youth as a whole? Who pays for the extra expense of special ed. kids? The feds? the States? Property taxes? My friends in Birmingham, Al. say that the public schools are all underfunded and black, the private schools are all white. Do you believe that vouchers will change that?

Good questions.
That's exactly why I think we need to do a little experimenting with vouchers.

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After further thought, yes. However, if the school costs more than the voucher the parents would have to make up the difference. Also, the private school, because it was receiving tax money, would be subject to DOE regulations.

First, I don't think a voucher promotes any particular religion. But regardless, most religious schools don't follow DOE guidelines and hence would not qualify.

Don't know.

Mom and dad.

Nope.

I don't see how it could hurt.

Special ed kids would get larger vouchers, just like they get more funding per pupil now. Private schools would be less segregated because poor blacks would have money to attend them (in the form of a voucher). Right now they are FORCED to attend crappy schools. Vouchers offer another option. How in the world is that bad?

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I doubt it, there will always be diverse opinions on any major issue. But like everything else, it is workable.

Definitely, assuming they meet minimum federal guidelines.

Again, assuming they met minimum federal guidelines.

That depends, I already pay an insanely ridiculous $675/month in property taxes. Are we talking I now pay $700 or are we talking I now pay $1,000? That isn't a yes or no answer.

Part of property taxes, I don't expect this to increase much in many cities that already bus.

They can still be voted on by locals (and other attendees of the school). Although what exactly do you vote on? I've been in Mass 10 years and have to vote on anything in regards to school.

Absolutely, they should benefit the most. And if there are discipline problems they can go to special schools for kids with problems, just like most schools do currently.

Who pays for it now? I don't see any reason for that answer to change.

Yep, private schools are all white because the public schools stink. Let the black kids start going to private schools and that will improve the education of those kids. Like any product, if there is overcrowding than either more private schools will open or public schools will begin to improve because of increased demand for those that are the best of the pubic ones. Likely a combo of both.

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JMS gets another English lesson:

Quote:

there is no "mostly unique;" thats like saying "sometimes always," its an oxymoron - its either one or the other.

The result:

Quote:

By the mid-19th century unique had developed a wider meaning, “not typical, unusual,” and it is in this wider sense that it is compared. The comparison of so-called absolutes in senses that are not absolute is standard in all varieties of speech and writing.

Yes.

Under the voucher system, ALL schools are private schools. There are no distinctions. You get X amount of dollars from the voucher to use toward the school of your choice. Most schools available will probably charge the same or less than the voucher. If you want to send your kid to a more expensive school, you simply pay the difference.

Yes.

Because it is no longer public. Dont want your kid being taught that evil Bible stuff? Yank him out and send him to the secular school down the street.

The only reason the separation of church and state is an issue now, is because everyone is forced to use the same school. So you have to cater to the lower common denominator where offense is concerned. With private schools that is no longer an issue. You can pick whatever school you are comfortable with.

No.

I anticipate LESS, not more.

It is included in the voucher.

It works the exact same way as public school does now. Funding for education includes stuff like bus transport. An equal portion will be divided into the vouchers, along with everything else.

You now vote with your feet. Dont like the school's policies? Take your business elsewhere.

Greed will motivate the schools to do what the Parents want them to do. Greed is a more reliable form of control than beaurocracy IMO.

Yes.

They will now have choices...Parents can opt to send them to special schools that cater to their needs. If there is money to be made, the niche will be filled. There are a lot of troubled kids. Obviously, lots of companies will want to capitalize on that. Inner City kids will get the exact same funds as the Suburban kids.

Choice is good.

The same people that have always paid for it: Tax Payers.

Special Ed kids could stay in publically funded schools if they want, receiving disproportionate funding because of their needs. That is the way it already is now. Nothing will change.

Then your freinds should love the voucher program. Color is now irrelevant. All that matters is what City or County you are in. All schools are private, be they black or white.

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Although that sort of plan is fine by me (obviously), the Feds will never go for it. The Department of Education is here to stay, as are public schools. They don't like to lose any control over things or give power back once they nab it. They may (and should) allow vouchers, but they will never simply turn it over to the market.

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Allow me to elaborate on the cost issue:

Private schools would end up costing the state less. Why? Because they do not have any political power.

In many areas, the public Education System holds parents over a barrel. They can get away with gross mismanagement of funds, overpaying upper administration, ect...because they can manipulate the political process (either to a small or large degree, depending on the area) and get extra funding when they want it. To the public school system, your money is their money, and they feel entitled to it even if they cant deliver results.

By contrast, private schools must compete with each other, and have no control over the level of funding. They might be able to campaign to have voucher limits raised (more taxes) but they have to do so indirectly. They must make what use of the (finite) voucher money they can.

Why is this relevant? Because they do not have the luxury of a bottomless pit of funding that the Public Schools think they have. They wont hire Admins making a billion dollars a year, because they simply cant do that and still make a profit. Their money will HAVE to go towards teachers, because the teachers will be the main lure for more business...not the administrators. teachers will = more students. more students will = more vouchers. More vouchers will = more $$$.

The end result will be increased efficiency. Right now, the Public Schools have no real incentive to be efficient. Private schools will have no choice but to become at LEAST as efficient as the public schools if they want to stay in business. The Public School efficiency level will be the new LOW bar, not the high bar.

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That is actually what I meant.

The Public School System will be the new saftey net. It will be the default in areas where no company is willing or able to provide service. It will be the current status quo.

It is not an "either/or" situation. Both systems can function simultaneously. True the Public Schools will have less funding, but they will also have proportionally fewer students, so will not require as much funding. It evens out.

In the end it amounts to less cost for the tax payer (because the private schools will be forced to be more efficient) and more choices for the Parents. It will END dispute on things like Religion in school, free speech, ect...which in turn will result in few drains on the tax payers in the form of school lawsuits and whatnot.

I dont see a whole lot of downsides so far.

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What gives you the impression they will have a choice?

Some kids already go to private schools now. The only difference will be that under the voucher system, the government will be using taxpayer dollars to fund private education. The same rules still apply.

You can send your kid to a Catholic school right now if you want. It is perfectly legal, in spite of the fact that they teach Bible crap in the same school...this will be no different. It is still a private school. The government is simply refunding a portion of your tax dollars back to you to help pay for it.

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I thought you meant all schools would be private with voucher funding. I didn't see that happening!

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