"Thing is that voucher programs rarely work." Which is different from public schools in what way? If they rarely work, that would be a great improvement over public schools and money would be saved.
The Comprehensive Longitudinal Evaluation of the Milwaukee Parental Choice Program, released by the University of Arkansas School Choice Demonstration Project on March 24 of 2009, showed that voucher students in Milwaukee are getting an education at least on par with children in Milwaukees public schools for HALF the cost. That's before adding in school safety and discipline concerns, parent satisfaction, and student happiness. "At best they are a supplement for upper middle class and middle class students to get into private education that they would not afford otherwise." I am not opposed to starting only in low economic zones such as inner cities and working outward. Inner cities need vouchers much more than the suburbs and want them more than the suburbs. One study noted that: Support for vouchers is highest among African Americans and Hispanics. Within these two groups, supporters outnumber opponents by as much as five to one. "it does nothing to help the kid if they get a $5000 voucher when then the annual tuition is over 10,000. " You miss the point. If vouchers were implemented correctly, more schools would open, meaning more choices, meaning lower tuition at some schools. "(That's one of the reasons why the voucher system failed so miserably in the DC region), only the rich or relatively well off could afford it. I do not see why we ought to subsidize the rich. We do too much of that already." Which DC voucher program are you talking about? The one where students performed better academically than non voucher students . The one where the students had higher reading scores? The one were the parents were much happier and satisfied with the school? The one that was for a $7500 voucher which is significantly cheaper than the DC per pupil cost of public schools? The one were Obama's department of education hid a report showing how much success it was having? Even if you argue that achievement isn't higher, it certainly isn't worse and it's cheaper and the parents and students are happier. "Moreover there isn't really any improved performance based on the 'magic' of private schools. " Sure. Just keep saying that. Again. A flat line in performance with safer children, happier parents, and decreased costs is still a dramatic improvement. "The data has been very consistent, Based on the NORC datasets, when taking into account parental involvement, there are no differences between public and private schools. Recently even some studies of DC area students have even shown that the so called 'failed' DC school system outperformed many private and charter schools." If you torture the numbers long enough, they'll say anything you want them to say. Bottom line, if vouchers produce results no worse than public schools for half the cost, it is an improvement. J - Experience hath shewn, that even under the best forms those entrusted with power have, in time, and by slow operations, perverted it into tyranny - Thomas Jefferson on governme ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~| Order the Adobe Coldfusion Anthology now! http://www.amazon.com/Adobe-Coldfusion-Anthology-Michael-Dinowitz/dp/1430272155/?tag=houseoffusion Archive: http://www.houseoffusion.com/groups/cf-community/message.cfm/messageid:324800 Subscription: http://www.houseoffusion.com/groups/cf-community/subscribe.cfm Unsubscribe: http://www.houseoffusion.com/groups/cf-community/unsubscribe.cfm
