It has long been my understanding (though I am no expert yet) that
vouchers are supposed to be all or part of the amount a public school
would get per student. If this is the case, then how would a voucher
program "divert funds" unjustly?
Let me explain: say my child goes to public school A, and I decide it's
a rotten place. The next year, I enroll him/her in public school B. Due
to the change in enrollment numbers, school B is now allocated the funds
which were, the year before, going to school A for my kid. Would this
scenario be so bad? I think that's the whole concept of vouchers in a
nutshell - except that we have to monkey around more with with the
process of moving funds between a public and private school.
Additionally, the claim that vouchers "doom poor families... with an
inordinate burden of payments," is symptomatic of the elitism which so
deeply permeates contemporary "liberal" thought. Would you tell me that
an appliance shop down the street will doom ME in such a way? Of course
not! If I can't afford a new jen-aire washing machine, I simply will not
buy it.
Poverty does not equal stupidity, nor irresponsibility, nor does it
denote bad parenting. I believe (as an inner-city resident with an
income WAY below the so-called poverty level) that vouchers would be an
incredible asset to working families (especially minorities) who
currently have mediocre choice for the means by which their children are
educated. I personally know of many in my neighborhood that agree.
Connie Sheppard
Ward 6 - Ventura Village
On Fri, 3 Nov 2000 22:03:30 -0600 [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes:
> In a message dated 11/3/00 6:11:15 PM Central Standard Time,
> [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes:
>
> << The problem with vouchers go beyond the concerns raised by Stack
> to one
> simple
> fact: they don't work to help students. >>
>
> After discussing this subject with a very interesting MPS
> Psychologist
> Thursday evening, I reviewed statistics that inevitably lead me to
> conclude
> that she was rightfully concerned with the use of vouchers as they
> do more
> harm than good. In short, my research indicates that the voucher
> program
> diverts needed funds from the very schools and students who need it
> most.
> More importantly, it further dooms poor families and their students
> with an
> inordinate burden of payments that the families cannot afford. Thank
> you Ms.
> Park Avenue for such gentle persuasion and insight into this
> problem.
> And...........a DFL'r with whom I agree. Strange bedfellows??
>
> Robert Anderson
> Minneapolis
> Independence Candidate, House 61B
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