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Lessons from Vermont: 132-Year-Old Voucher Program Rebuts Critics
Cato ^
| Libby Sternberg
Posted on 09/25/2001 7:03:16 PM PDT by imberedux
Lessons from Vermont: 132-Year-Old Voucher Program Rebuts Critics
| Briefing Paper No. 67 |
September 10, 2001 |
 |
Lessons from Vermont
132-Year-Old Voucher Program Rebuts Critics
by Libby Sternberg Libby Sternberg is executive director of Vermonters for Better Education in Rutland, Vermont, and a regular contributor to Vermont Public Radio.
Executive Summary For more than a century, Vermont has operated a viable and popular voucher system in 90 towns across the state. During the 1998–99 school year, the state paid tuition for 6,505 students in kindergarten through 12th grade to attend public and private schools. Families chose from a large pool of public schools and more than 83 independent schools including such well-known academies as Phillips Exeter and Holderness. As more attention is given to vouchers in mainstream discussions about education reform, critics contend that vouchers are a new, untested concept and therefore must be implemented, if at all, on an extremely limited, experimental basis. Critics also argue that vouchers will lead to the establishment of fringe schools, skim the best and brightest students from public schools, and drain public schools of revenue. Vermont's long-standing program has done none of those things. Vermont's voucher program has been running since 1869, nearly as long as the monopolistic public education model. It is worth noting that the voucher program has been a welcome part of the educational landscape for so long that the state collects no more information on voucher students than it does on students generally. And no hue and cry has been raised for more information to be compiled to justify the system's continuation. To the contrary, Vermonters generally assume that it is a parent's prerogative to select a child's school, and the burden of proof is on those who seek to take that choice away. This paper describes Vermont's voucher system and draws numerous lessons for education reformers and policymakers.
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TOPICS: Culture/Society; News/Current Events
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1
posted on
09/25/2001 7:03:16 PM PDT
by
imberedux
To: johniegrad, Easy_Shark, Catholicguy, patent, aposiopetic, salvation,antoninus
fyi
2
posted on
09/25/2001 7:04:26 PM PDT
by
imberedux
To: capecodder Lucky2 SAMWolf gdani Deep_6 Maceman thingumbob
fyi
3
posted on
09/25/2001 7:05:02 PM PDT
by
imberedux
To: imberedux, Gail Wynand
A small quibble:
"During the 1998–99 school year, the state paid tuition for 6,505 students in kindergarten through 12th grade to attend public and private schools." [emphasis added]
I think they meant to write that local government, not state government, paid for it.
That minor issue aside, the system does provide greater education options in certain towns, which tends to promote greater educational competition.
To: longshadow
If correct, even better. The closer to me (the taxpayer) the better the government.
5
posted on
09/25/2001 7:28:49 PM PDT
by
imberedux
To: imberedux
If correct, even better. The closer to me (the taxpayer) the better the government. Agreed.
To: Jhoffa_, Huck, Kevin Curry, Cultural Jihad, Dane, Roscoe, CWOJackson, LarryLied, Fred25
fyi
7
posted on
09/25/2001 8:19:41 PM PDT
by
imberedux
To: imberedux
So does Vermont lean to the right when they vote? Interesting article.
8
posted on
09/25/2001 9:18:08 PM PDT
by
Salvation
To: imberedux
Thanks for the ping...sorry a little late in coming to the thread...Had to get the little ones to sleep ya know.
Good post...isn't it interesting that the democrap/independents have this sort of system but the rest of their kind are trying to deny us?
Freegards
To: imberedux
To: imbereduxRe:
"...I missed your explanation of the 100+ years of success
that Maine and Vermont have enjoyed with choice...."
I wonder why you didn't choose Milwaukee?
Maine and Vermont are neighboring states to the one I live in.
I'm not certain regarding Maine, but many schools in Vermont
had lost accreditation in past years. Their schools had ranked
average to the rest of the country's percentiles.
It should be worth noting, that the pupil to teacher ratios; the
population density; and economic status all play an important
role as well. The low income sector is also generally less
educated and unable to provide the help to their children in
regards to education. That should bolster the argument that
all people of all classes should be working to better public
education, not withdraw from the fight.
I'm happy that our son has a great education and is doing well,
but if he was doomed to survive among uneducated or the
poorly educated, his ability to generate a decent living would
also be diminished. The end result of providing quality education
for all, is an increased earning ability for all.
That's what was intended by the implementation of our Public
Education system. If it's gone awry, it should be fixed, not abandoned.
Thanks.
22 Posted on 09/26/2001 07:09:20 PDT by Deep_6
10
posted on
09/26/2001 7:36:43 AM PDT
by
Deep_6
To: Deep_6
Maine didn't "abandon" it, Vermont "abandon" it and since you brought it up, Milwaukee "abandon" it either. Choice enhances and improves both public and private education. That is a good thing.
To: Deep_6
It should be worth noting, that the pupil to teacher ratios; the population density; and economic status all play an important role as well. The low income sector is also generally less educated and unable to provide the help to their children in regards to education. That should bolster the argument that all people of all classes should be working to better public education, not withdraw from the fight. Did you bother to read the linked pdf report?
It clearly shows evidence that the Vermont "voucher" program has increased choice and educational competition, while NOT harming existing public schools. It finds NO evidence in Vermont, where the program has been in place for more than 100 years, to back up the standard arguments against voucher systems.
To: imberedux
bump
13
posted on
09/26/2001 2:27:10 PM PDT
by
patent
To: longshadow
Did you bother to read the linked pdf report?
Self evidently not, I'd say.
To: patent
Thanks for the bump.
To: Deep_6
Your post ignores the evidence. How say you?
To: imberedux
Self evidently not, I'd say. Under the auspices of the Principle of Charity, I was giving them the benefit of the doubt.
But, as you say, it is self-evident what the answer is.
To: Deep_6
I'm not certain regarding Maine, but many schools in Vermont had lost accreditation in past years. The CATO report says this is not true.
But since it is you who is making the positive assertion (that many VT schools have lost their accreditation in past years), you have the burden of proving it. A list of the schools that lost their accreditation (and the year, if possible) would resolve this issue very quickly.
We're waiting.....
To: thingumbob
Yep. I recall a survey a while back, half of the United States Senate have their kids in private school. HALF.
To: longshadow
S/he baits us with Milwaukee where choice has been hugely popular. I wonder what "proof" of "failure" s/he has there?
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