School Vouchers: Good Or Bad Idea?

In the United States, getting an education is very important. Children spend thirteen years of their life learning English, history, math, science, and various other subjects so that they may one day be a productive college student or a working class citizen. In fact, “There are 33,619 private schools in the United States, serving 5.4 million PK-12 students. Private schools account for 25 percent of the nation’s schools and enroll 10 percent of all PK-12 students” (“Council for American Private Education”). Parents face many issues when deciding which school is right for their child. However, the factors that determine their choice of a private or public school are often the results of various essentials that closely mirror the parent’s ideology in regards to education. Parents should send their children to a private school because private schools have smaller class sizes, the curriculum is more challenging, and the school environment is much safer than public schools.

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

The Texas Republican position on education is to support the freedom of choice to pursue any means of education the parent desires, be it public, private, charter or homeschool (texasgop.org). I will work towards the implementation of a voucher system in my district to allow a greater freedom of choice to the parents. The system would be analogous to that of the voucher system used by Sweden. According to Anders Bohlmark and Mikael Lindahl, “We find that an increase in the share of independent-school students improves average performance at the end of compulsory school as well as long-run educational outcomes. We further find that the average effects stem primarily from external effects (eg,school competition)”. This system aligns with the desires of the Republican platform in maintaining

The first premise reveals that the voucher funds provided drive families in Cleveland to parochial schools; which are private schools affiliated with a specific church. The author's support against parochial schools indicates that they violate the First Amendment, demanding separation of Church and State. The counterexample provided is a technicality where the First Amendment is not violated. The unknown author states

Firstly, school vouchers can help parents and children get the education that they deserve. When choosing a place to live, money is the main factor in the kind of neighborhood that people live in. School districts might not be able to be considered when looking for a home, but that shouldn’t penalize the child. School vouchers will allow parents to get their

The Democratic Party strongly opposes the school voucher system promoted by the Republican Party. Vouchers take away federal funding from the school systems and in turn private schools will benefit by getting the highest performing students and the families with the most ability to pay for their children’s education. Instead of vouchers, we propose that federal funds be used to reduce class size, which would stimulate student participation and individualized attention.

This article provides a counterexample as to how the voucher system does not put an end to the public system. The article states that the voucher program makes the public system more competitive because they have to compete for students. The article counters its’ counterexample with the claim that public schools do not lack competitive drive, but the resources needed to stay competitive, recourse that are being given to religiously affiliated

School vouchers are a waste of public dollars in private school because “as economist Milton Friedman said”, it divides support for all student. In this essay, it will be explaining three things of why school vouchers shouldn’t continue to go on in private schools. Those three things are one that vouchers pull money meant for public schools to tuition run school instead of improving school that need it. Second, it’s the parents responsibility to pay for their child to stay in school. Third, it takes away from the schools budget to do things for the school as to pay for lunch, trips, and more.

America is the beacon of hope and prosperity partly because of the historic strength and access to education afforded to citizens. I personally do not believe in school vouchers. If a school system or school is failing why is it ok for students to simply leave? In the video it talks about schools that receive the voucher have admissions standards and even go as far to recruit some of the students within neighboring school districts. What happens to the worse performing schools when the “better school” recruits and enrolls all of the higher performing students? I think it is important for the state to support those poor performing public schools, and give every opportunity to those students.

In the research paper “When Schools Compete: The Effects of Vouchers on Florida Public School Achievement”, the analysis was that the gains being made in low performing schools are the result of the school vouchers’ competitive pressure (Greene and Winters 14). This pressure is exactly what is needed to force all schools to improve for the benefit of the students that

     There are also disadvantages with the voucher program. The voucher program is set up to improve student performance. However, its not one hundred percent effective. According to data received from two different cities a Wisconsin program indicates that three years in private schools, voucher students showed greater gains in both reading and mathematics. In an Ohio program voucher students according to Bob Chase the president of the National Education Association, are achieving significantly lower levels than public school students in all subjects. Vouchers at a local issue can lead to many school closures or a cut down on innovative programs. For example parents who receive school vouchers can flood out struggling public schools, taking away the money in which it needs. These schools can be containing innovative programs for students who still attend it. Flooding out schools can also lead to unemployment for teachers as well. Vouchers do not guarantee that a child will attend his or her choice. School vouchers are set up to help out struggling families or families who qualify. Vouchers can be given to help out families with financial need but there are not set up to cover the total cost of a private tuition. Low-income families will still need to make up the difference. If families do find a way to complete

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