Private School Vouchers Essay - 2547 Words

Proposals to use private school vouchers, a marketplace strategy, as a mechanism by which to improve the general quality of public education have produced a lively debate. Frequently, that debate has degenerated into a disagreement about whether public schools are as good as private schools or whether a given private school is better than a certain neighborhood public school. Other issues raised in these discussions include the appropriate use of public funds, the role of competition in improving public education, and the right of parents to choose a school for their children. Although these issues are of interest, they are not the fundamental questions which must be raised about the future of public schools in a democracy.Two Core Issues†¦show more content†¦The Thompson proposal for Wisconsins schools embraces this belief system it is a denial of the fundamental role of public education in affirming the public good.A second issue which remains unexamined in the rush to the marketplace concerns the claims offered in defense of private school choice. Choice is offered as a quot;lesson learnedquot; rather than a proposition to be examined. Advocates of private school choice have ignored its history. Despite the claims made for a market-based school restructuring strategy, the history of choice does not support the claims of its proponents.A Declaration of CrisisWillingness to abandon strong support for public schools and to turn to marketplace solutions is driven by a crisis rhetoric. This rhetoric, which suggests that public education is failing, is not only misleading, it is dangerous because it may erode public confidence in the very institutions on which our capacity for a democratic response depends.Criticism of public education has continued unabated since the publication of A Nation At Risk in 1983. Stimulated in large part by new international economic realities, by a domestic economy based on traditional production models, and by changing domestic demographics, the critics have sought solutions to these challenging problems by turning to schools and educators. The data cited by critics of public schools were accepted at face value until the late 1980s. However, sinceShow MoreRelatedNation At Risk Gave Rise To Two Major Education Reform974 Words   |  4 Pagesgave rise to two major education reform movements; accountability and school choice. Federal government started thinking about testing, and standardization, which resulted in No Child Left Behind (N CLB), and Race to the Top. McGuinn’s No Child Left Behind (NCLB), describes the politics of accountability as setting a standard for teachers, testing students to see if the schools meet the set standards, and then holding the schools and teachers accountable for not achieving those standards by creatingRead MoreBusting Unions For Fighting Reform Policies784 Words   |  4 Pagesreform programs, including voucher programs, charter schools, and merit pay programs, there is also evidence where teachers’ unions have supported new reforms. They have introduced new charter schools and have based salaries on merit pay programs. Former NEA president Bob Chase delivered a speech in 1997 claiming that the NEA was on the forefront of education reform. He stated that the NEA invested 70 million dollars on reform initiatives and sponsored six charter schools across the country (ChaseRead More School Vouchers Essay1467 Words   |  6 PagesSchool Vouchers   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  School vouchers can be described as financial funding given to students who elect not to attend public schools. Therefore the government would not be spending money educating that student in a public school. A school voucher is the allotment of money that the government would have used for that student to attend public school. This money is then given to the family of the student to help fund the education of that student. This money cannot be used for anything other thanRead More School Vouchers Essay1739 Words   |  7 Pagesthe issue of school vouchers. The two sides have remained deeply entrenched in their rival positions concerning this issue. Some wonder about the practicality of using the vouchers, while others wonder if it is defeating the purpose of the educational system. Educational vouchers can be very beneficial for both the student and even the school districts involved in the program. Many people do not realize the benefits of this program. Educat ional vouchers are something that many school districts needRead MoreCritical Analysis of Problems and Issues in Education Essay examples1547 Words   |  7 PagesThe School Voucher program was designed to give families a choice about where their children could go to school. The program offered a fixed dollar amount each year to put toward a child’s tuition. Their choices ranged from private or parochial schools, these are schools that many of these children may not experience otherwise. Charter schools were also options because they are run much like private schools. The thought behind voucher programs is that a sense of competition would be created. TheRead MoreEssay about Vouchers and School Choice - Vouchers are Not the Solution1296 Words   |  6 PagesSchool Vouchers: Not the Solution       As standardized test scores continue to plummet and our nation falls farther behind such industrial rivals as Germany, England, Australia and Japan in comparable education, parents are questioning the current system of education. After being kicked around the national agenda for decades, the school voucher issue is finally being emphasized in several state legislatures, as well as in Congress. In the website titled Vouchers: No, but...Taxpayer Help toRead MoreEducation in America1590 Words   |  7 PagesEducation in America: Failing Schools Education in America is one of the most important issues that face our nation. If the education in America is not thought of one of most serious issues we face, our nation as a whole will fall. There are many debates and they seemly extend to all walks of life. The debates range from the decline in education, school vouchers, and the no child left behind law. As a nation, the United States is ranked above others. We must search for that solutionRead More The School Voucher Debate Essay2167 Words   |  9 PagesThe School Voucher Debate In the education community, few issues stir up as much debate as the notion of providing government-funded aid, in the form of vouchers, to parents so that they may send their children to private schools. The voucher movement has been gaining momentum since Wisconsin implemented the first voucher program in 1990, but only few states have adopted such programs. Although the courts have upheld the constitutionality of vouchers, there is still a lack of consensus amongstRead More School Vouchers: Parents Need a Choice Essays4617 Words   |  19 Pagesall people. Chief Justice Clarence Thomas, in a 2002 ruling, stated reasons why school choice should be protected under the 14th Amendment. Justice Thomas wrote in defense of school choice, â€Å"Whatever the textual and historical merits of incorporating the Establishment Clause, I can accept that the Fourteenth Amendment protects religious liberty rights. But I cannot accept its use to oppose neutral programs of school choice through the incorporation of the Establishment Clause. There would be aRead MoreEssay Will School Vouchers Improve Public Schools?1082 Words   |  5 Pagesthe discussion on voucher schools directly affects our youth, the very foundation of our country. Many cities across the United States have proposed school voucher programs in an effort to improve the education of inner-city children that come from low-income families. However, with this proposition arises certain questions that cannot be avoided. Although proponents of school vouchers argue differently, challenger s of the system expressly state that the taxpayer-funded voucher system infringes upon