Arguments against education vouchers don't add up

Detroit News ^ | 10/28/01 | Thomas Sowell

[Jean S]

For many years, American students have been coming in at or near the bottom in international tests of mathematics. Meanwhile, our schools have been entertaining themselves with "new math," "fuzzy math" and everything other than old-fashioned hard-work math that other countries use.

[toenail]

Alliance for the Separation of School and State

[stylin19a]

The math is lousy ...the 4 grand has to be in addition to the 8 grand, not instead of.

In my opinion, voucher use will always be minimal. Everything boils down to family economics. And most can't afford to pay the difference between whatever the voucher is and the cost for private school.

If the use is minimal, the cost to administer the program will be prohibitive and be in excess of the amount distributed per student.

plus my school district gets most of it's teacher salary & teacher retirement money from my property taxes. There has been no studies nor is there any indication that my taxes will go down, if students leave the school district via vouchers.

The teachers layed-off because of reduced public school enrollment, could/would be hired by the private schools because of increased enrollment there...more teachers = more money needed to send a kid to private school.

plus, where does the voucher money come from in the first place ? additional taxes ? oh....

this is just another gubment boondoggle
why conservatives like this plan is beyond me

might as well home school.....

[Still Thinking]

This has always been a sore spot for me; why should vouchers be for even $1 less than the amount given to the public school per pupil. And since it is in fact less, at least for now, why are the governments who sign the checks not clamoring for vouchers? Remember, the public schools get paid on a per pupil-day basis, so every $4,000 voucher student is one less $8,000 public school student.

[Still Thinking]

There is already a given dollar amount in the system for each enrolled student. Even if the voucher amount were dollar-for-dollar the same as what goes to the public school, there would be no need to find new funds, and, in fact, as the posted article states, the vouchers are usually for far less than the current expenditure, so we should actually be able to expect a rebate.

[RussP]

Sowell is on the money again.

[kylaka]

A fool and his money are soon parted.

[Maelstrom]

There is one argument that hasn't been repeated loudly enough, nor often enough.

Vouchers create a new vector for government involvement in private and parochial schools that have succeeded, primarily due to the lack of government involvement.

[speekinout]

Vouchers create a new vector for government involvement in private and parochial schools that have succeeded, primarily due to the lack of government involvement.

Not true. These are vouchers that go to the parents to be used in any way they wish. That is not the same as giving money directly to the schools. Look at the GI Bill for educating vets as a parallel; that money went to the vets to use as they saw fit. They used the money at religious schools, technical schools, private schools, public schools - the schools had to answer to the vets, not to the gov't.

[ikanakattara]

Here's one big fat argument against vouchers for private religious schools - Islamic private schools full of students and teachers ready to go to 'jihad' against the United States. Do you want YOUR tax dollars paying for teaching the Koran - parts of which claims as religious principles that Jews and Christians should be subordinated to the total Islamic society under Islamic law? I don't.

[RussP]

I don't think that's much worse than having the government schools indoctrinate kids to hate America and free enterprise.

[RussP]

Don't tell me ... I'll bet you went to a public school yourself.

So let me get this straight. The government is currently paying $8,000 annually to educate each student. With vouchers, $4,000 goes to the parents, and the kid goes to a private school. Now your telling that the government school still needs the $8,000 they were getting for that student - even though the student no longer attends that school?

That's quite a scam.

[stylin19a]

actually, I went to a parochial catholic school k-12 !

again, I believe voucher use will be minimal

The voucher can also be used to go to another public school, so the 8 grand aint reduced, it's just redirected

Plus, my local high school charges MORE for out of district students. They get approx 9 grand per student, but they charge out of district students 13,000.
also, the government doesn't foot the whole bill, MY property taxes pay for a good portion.
MY property tax bill for the year 2000 is $2590.26.
The grade school district gets: 1048.41
The high school district gets: 703.13
The college district gets: 67.69
plus an additional 43.49 goes to pensions for these districts for a total of 1875.53 which is approx. 72% of MY tax bill.
So who is really footing the bill ? Will vouchers reduce my property taxes ?

let me go to the absurd here...if EVERYONE leaves my district with vouchers, will my taxes be reduced to $725.46 ??? I don't think so

Will the federal money saved by having no school district here be returned to the taxpayers ???? nah, it will be redirected to wherever the kids went.

vouchers are being touted by the same party that at one time, wanted to dissolve the Dept. of HEW
...TOO FUNNY !

[RussP]

If it were up to me, I'd seriously consider abolishing the public school system completely and letting parents "buy" education for their children just like they now buy food and shelter for them. No vouchers necessary. Some kids might not get a good education, but they would be fewer than those who are NOW not getting ANY education. However, I am some kind of "extremist," and my ideas have no chance in the current policitally correct climate. Vouchers are the next best thing, if done properly. You might be interested in an article I wrote on it at my website.

[Maelstrom]

I hope that's the way the lawsuits play out...

However, Trust you me: There *will* be lawsuits to force private schools to submit to the state because of vouchers.

[speekinout]

I would far rather have the risk of schools who promote a jihad and are optional than I would the current situation where students are forced into a Liberal/Socialist doctrine, and the parents have no choice.
Granted, wealthy parents always have a choice, but there are many parents who can't afford to pay both taxes and tuition.
Why shouldn't all parents have a choice about how heir children are educated?

[speekinout]

However, Trust you me: There *will* be lawsuits to force private schools to submit to the state because of vouchers.

Probably so. But the precedent says that they won't win. And anything is better than letting our children remain uneducated. We are already in trouble because Americans are deficient in education, and it is getting worse.

[Maelstrom]

Homeschool.

Push for *privatizing* public schools across the board...stop pussy footing around with what amounts to Medicare for education.

[speekinout]

Push for *privatizing* public schools

And how is that different than supporting private schools?