Essay on Educational Finance

In 1989, Wisconsin’s more modern voucher programs, focused on poor children of all races. (Save our Schools NJ, 2014).  Regardless of the nature of the voucher program, the impact is the same- taxpayer funds being diverted from public school funding.

With the ever-increasing tuition and ever-tighten federal student aid, the number of students relying on student loan to fund a college education hits a historical peak. According to a survey conducted by an independent and nonprofit organization, two-thirds of college seniors graduated with loans in 2010, and each of them carried an average of $25,250 in debt. (Reed et. al., par. 2). My research question will focus on the profound effect of education debt on American college graduates’ lives, and my thesis statement will concentrate on the view that the education policymakers should improve financial aid programs and minimize the risks and adverse consequences of student loan borrowing.

The idea of school vouchers sounds like a wonderful idea to get children the best possible education, until the issue is analyzed more closely. In reality, this system is hurting more children than the ones that they are helping. The people and institutions that do not support the use of vouchers believe that by taking away funds from the already failing public school system, it is causing a decrease in the level of education for children in public schools. With new initiatives like the “No Child Left Behind” campaign causing and the greater demands on teachers and children there is not room for a cut in funding (Traub 13). There are also increasing amounts of standardized tests, with guidelines that teachers

This paper argues that school vouchers can have a tremendous impact on incentives and performances Depends on the type of voucher. Two types exist. The ‘voucher shock” and the “threat of vouchers.” Many people are against school vouchers. The argument is that the vouchers are a violation of constitutional rights. That spending funding and forcing schools to behave a certain way is unethical. However, many are supportive of the school voucher program. Parents feel that if a school is not up to par perhaps loosing students and perhaps closing the doors is the best choice. Many believe that children have a right to education and to decide exactly how the citizens tax dollars toward education are being spent and if the youth are educated properly.

Since the 1980s, charter schools have allowed families to exercise school choice, a practice that had begun a few decades earlier when parents preferred to control their children’s education because of religious views or racial prejudices. As dissatisfaction with the performance public schools grew during the late 20th century, parents called on government to subsidize an arrangement where children could receive adequate education outside of the traditional public school system. Thus, two major school choice devices emerged: charter schools, privately run schools that receive public funding, and tuition vouchers, which cover some or all of tuition at participating private schools.

Not all public schools provide education at an equal caliber; many districts, particularly in small towns and inner cities, lack the education to provide students with the same quality students receive elsewhere. In these cases, students are confined by invisible zoning lines to schools that do not offer the same opportunities that leave students without help. Because of this, vouchers were invented -- vouchers intend to help those students by giving them the necessary funding to attend private or charter schools. Vouchers programs promise to provide all students with the opportunity for a better education. These good intentions look extremely well on paper, when many real-life factors are not take into account. However, the truth of the matter is this: when implemented into America’s education system in real-life, voucher programs fail miserably for a multitude of reasons, starting with where the money for vouchers comes from: public education

v. Chicago. In short, state entities ought to be held to the same legal standard in which they were when schools were

The New York Times published an article on June 28, 2002 by an unknown publisher about, “The Wrong Ruling on Vouchers,” where the Supreme Court’s 5-4 ruling upheld school vouchers in Cleveland. The author argues that the Supreme Court’s decision is damaging to education in America and violates the Constitution's First Amendment.

The Lemon test refers to the case Lemon vs. Kurtzman, which took place in 1971. The case was heard with two other cases involving religion and education, with the main issue being financial support for teacher salaries that were part of parochial schools. State financial aid was being awarded to non-public schools that were teaching religion, which created unsettlement (https://www.oyez.org/cases/1970/89.) The establishment clause was intended to prevent government involvement or support of religion.

In the case of Yusef v. Wisconsin Department of Education, the court decided in majority opinion, 9-0, in favor of the Respondent. The Freeman’s Christian Academy is not in violation of neither the Establishment Clause of the 1st Amendment nor the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Title VI. Without the physical implementation of segregation amongst the students of color, their beliefs of segregation cannot be formally punished. There is a difference between advocation and employment, and because it cannot be proven that the funds received by the voucher system are used to promote the separation of people on the basis of religion and race, a rule set by the case, Lemon v. Kurtzmann, the Freeman's Christian Academy is lawful in receiving federal financial

Taxes are not made for private school, so why are vouchers making it seem that way? Kahlenburg says that “voucher opponents are right to worry that vouchers will ‘drain… resources from the public sector’” (“The Voucher Wars”), because they are taking that money and putting it towards private schools. While more money has been spent on vouchers in private schools, public schools have been facing cuts and class sizes are getting bigger. Even though tax payers pay for both public and private schools, there is a political limit on how much is payed for by the tax payers. This means that no one school will get more than the other. Parents that pay tuition are supported by tax-payers while students in the voucher system do not have to pay the tuition. This leads to an increase in government funding in private schools. In some public schools, cuts are so severe that electives such as music, art, and physical education are cut from some schools (Miner). Core subjects have increased in class size and, in some cases, there are more students that there are desks in the classroom (Miner). Private schools have also taken money from public schools being able to have smaller classes more challenging curriculum, and better training for teachers. In Indianapolis, it is questioned if Holcomb will continue to take money from Indiana public schools and support “the nation’s largest and least-restrictive voucher program”

The First Amendment to the United States Constitution states “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances” (U.S. Const. amend. I). The Establishment Clause which derives from “Congress shall pass no law respecting an establishment of religion” was added to secure that state and church would be separate. In the 1971 the landmark case Lemon v. Kurtzman was heard by the Supreme Court and questioned “Do statutes that provide state funding for non-public, non-secular schools violate the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment?”

The article “The Wrong Ruling on Vouchers” argues that continuing Cleveland’s controversial voucher program is a “bad decision on Constitutional grounds, and a bad one for American education” (Unknown 2002 NP).

Growing up as a Kansas City, MO resident, I attended schools in the Kansas City school district. I attended J.S Chick African Centered school in elementary and I could always remember having two teachers to even out the student teacher ratio, so therefore we all were able to get individualized attention. Nowadays elementary school students aren't able to have this benefit. With all of the school shutdowns in the Kansas City, MO school district our children are being effected tremendously.

Education in the United States is now declining. Although our universities are top notch, our lower education public schools are struggling more than ever to compete with the international schooling system. Some propose a voucher plan that would allow certain parents a small choice in the school their children are able to attend. This voucher would be used for tuition along with other costs at a school the parent chooses, but public schools would charge tuition and remain competitive with other schools to