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Vouchers and School Choice Meet the Needs of Parents Essay

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School Choice Meets the Needs of Parents



Parents are requesting the ability to choose a school for their children as a means towards legitimate objectives. "The parents are saying that they are not going to tolerate their children being miseducated any more, and that they are the ones who ultimately responsible for what happens for their children". (Milwaukee Parental Choice program). "Parents are using the scholarships to meet a number of needs, including high academic standards; safety; discipline; and moral environment".(Following The Teachers' Lead).



The bad situation at many of the public schools encourages parents to look for other public or private schooling for their children. "Dire condition of too many …show more content…

(Contact on School Choice). 60% of Chicagoans favor letting parents send their to the school of their choice. Over 70% of the blacks in Chicago favor school choice.(Chicago Tribune, January 1,1994). 67% of Hispanic and 76% of black parents favor school choice-1992 Gallup Survey. "Throughout the country, dozens of public and private sector programs are expanding the choices available to families, and in so doing, are having a positive effect on the quality of education all children receive".(What is working around the country).



The available follow-up for the Choice experience, indicates success. "Evaluation of the first two years experience show high level of parents satisfaction, increased involvement and improved students' discipline and attendance. The earliest evidence of choice working came from New York East Harlem school district: graduation rates shot up from less than 50% to more than 90%; the district which ranked last of New York city's 32 district, climbed to 10th in basic skill testing. In Minnesota and during the program first year 1987, over 2000 dropouts returned to school through the new choice plan".(Contacts on school choice). "We have less teenage pregnancy, less truancy, less absenteeism; we maintain virtually all our students regardless of the handicapping conditions, and thus refer fewer students to expensive,

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