The Problem of Vouchers and School Choice Essay - 1125 Words

The Problem of School Choice Is it right to force students to attend the schools prescribed for them by geography? Is it fair to deny students who live in poorer neighborhoods the chance to go to better schools with better facilities, better teachers and safer conditions? Should we allow our tax revenues to leave our school districts for greener pastures? Should we permit schools poor in both resources and performance to wither on the vine, an acceptable casualty of competition? Because of dissatisfaction with many public schools, particularly those in large urban settings, a movement to allow students to choose alternatives to their assigned schools has sprung up in various parts of the country and abroad. Proponents†¦show more content†¦As our populace ages, especially in small, old towns, more and more voters begrudge spending on schools, students and teachers. School board candidates, knowing who votes, campaign as taxpayer advocates much more often than they run as student advocates. The voters want to pay as little as possible and get acceptable results. For many of them, acceptable results means graduating most of their students with as few problems as possible. Innovation is seen as an expensive, unproven luxury that taxpayers on fixed incomes cannot afford. Buildings are maintained at the lowest possible functional level; aesthetic improvements rank very low in budget priorities. In inner city schools, a smaller proportion of the cost of educating students comes from local tax revenues; more comes from state sources. If theres one iron-clad truth its that, as much as taxpayers dislike paying taxes to support their local schools, they hate their tax dollars going to schools outside their community even more. So the impoverished schools are unlikely to receive funds to help them do the things that make schools attractive to both students and teachers: upgrade the physical plant, provide technology advances and offer amenities (seen as luxuries by taxpayers) that make people want to spend time in school. Ugly buildings get uglier, outdated curricula is perpetuated, and schools in poor neighborhoodsShow MoreRelated School Vouchers The Wrong Choice Essay1473 Words   |  6 PagesSchool Vouchers: The Wrong Choice Susie is a young girl who lives in Florida. Since kindergarten, she has attended a nearby private school. Her parents willingly pay her tuition, even though doing so forces them to cut other corners. They do not mind these sacrifices, since they know that their daughter is getting the best education they can give her. Jesse lives downtown, in the inner city. She attends the local public school and struggles through her classes. Her mother would likeRead MoreEssay about Our Nation Needs Vouchers and School Choice674 Words   |  3 PagesThe Nation Needs School Vouchers    Lets face it - public schools are failing. SAT scores have steadily declined since 1960. Results from other tests of public high school seniors conducted by independent research groups show a serious decline in the quality of public education over the last several decades. A national voucher system would be a good start at restoring competition and parental choice in education.    Accompanying the steady decline in the quality of education has beenRead 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. Educational vouchers are something that many school districts needRead 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 MoreVouchers In Texas Essay1499 Words   |  6 PagesSchool Choice and Vouchers in Texas When people think of Texas many might think of a rich and flourishing economy. With that thriving economy in mind, people may associate a great over all public school system in place. Unfortunately for Texans this not the case. In a 2016 report Texas ranks 43rd among the other states national k-12 education rankings (Fechter 2016). The determination of the ranking included 3 variables, chance for success, school finance, and K-12 achievement (Fechter 2016). TheRead More Cultural Diversity Essay1637 Words   |  7 Pagesprivate school systems. She suggested students achieve greater results in an environment in which competition and different religious and cultural backgrounds exist. (Rees 93). Although students may have a different religion, culture, race and socio-economic level, they all deserve an equally outstanding education. There is a national attempt to give parents the option of a public or a private education for their youngsters. There is also such a thing as a Voucher Sy stem. In PUBLIC SCHOOLS, PRIVATERead 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 MoreThe Chilean Ministry Of Education986 Words   |  4 Pagescontrol of local schools to municipal governments, who were now in charge of everything except for the national curriculum, including negotiating individual contracts with teachers (Schiefel 6). Furthermore, Pinochet established â€Å"a voucher-type government subsidy available for use in both private and public municipal schools, which are distributed in numbers directly proportional to the size of a schools enrollment† (â€Å"The Failings†). As a r esult, when students changed schools, so did their moneyRead MoreHow Privatization of Education May Be Possible1360 Words   |  5 Pagescritique of education funding and the notion of privatization of education. The Voucher System It seems to me that one of the best ways of privatization would be to adopt the voucher system. Louisiana just started doing that with promising results. The voucher system asserts that every individual has the right to an education of his or her choice and the government has no right to compel him to attend a certain school... The way that this can be practically implemented is by following LouisianasRead MoreAmerican Schools Are Failing For Minority Students1025 Words   |  5 PagesThe idea that American schools are failing is not a new one, but it is an idea that is extremely widespread. There are constant news reports claiming that our schools are worse than ever and Congress has passed extensive legislation such as No Child Left behind in an attempt to fix the American educational system. Some people believe that American schools are not completely failing, but only failing for minority students. Reforms like mandatory busing, vouchers, charter schools, accountability, and