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There is no workable model that will allow for a successful voucher program.
Here was the proposal in PA. The state funding would be given to the students as a voucher, initially the only people eligible for this would have been those in the poorest and worst performing districts in the state. They could take that voucher and use it at either a public or private school.
So far so good? You'll have to ask yourself while the teacher unions wouldn't support such a plan, are they interested in giving the student the best education or lining their pockets?
Here was the proposal in PA. The state funding would be given to the students as a voucher, initially the only people eligible for this would have been those in the poorest and worst performing districts in the state. They could take that voucher and use it at either a public or private school.
So far so good? You'll have to ask yourself while the teacher unions wouldn't support such a plan, are they interested in giving the student the best education or lining their pockets?
I don't see why they wouldn't at least give poor students a choice of going to better schools. People should have the right to choose their school especially in states that equalize school funding.
There is no workable model that will allow for a successful voucher program. The people most likely to use vouchers are people that are already going to be sending their kids to private schools. Private schools don't even have the capacity to accept many more students than they already do.
That's not a case for vouchers. The people wanting vouchers are just arguing for a tax cut on the rich. Otherwise, they would want school choice.
Wanted to rep you for this but I am out of rep bullets for you.
Quote:
Originally Posted by derosterreich
The public school system. Case made.
Whether a public school system is successful depends on the system, which varies widely. I'll put the public school systems in Westchester, NY or most of Long Island against any private school system.
sheesh. . .talk about a broad brush. You know that there are hundreds of ways a school voucher program can be assembled. . and some may be bad and some may be good
There is no workable model that will allow for a successful voucher program. The people most likely to use vouchers are people that are already going to be sending their kids to private schools. Private schools don't even have the capacity to accept many more students than they already do.
This is just as stupid post as the OP. Another broad brush. . . .
Perspective is required to define workable. I don't see any issue with rich pulling their kids out of public school, and moving those taxes/credits to a private school. I'm not sure why you would define that as "not workable". Since it definitely would work better for those in the private school
The idea that rich/poor/whomever want to send their kids to private school should be an indicator of fairness/money. I.e. even though someone is "likely" to go to private school doesn't mean its fair that they are taxed for a service that isn't acceptable and/or not used.
Plus - isn't the lack of capacity a little short sided. If there was some voucher system out there, then it would create innovators who would serve the demand (i.e. more private schools).
A voucher system could be (all depends on its definition) a monopoly fighter. The monopoly here is the United States government, and i'm normally against monopolies
Most voucher systems are just there to get government funding for a private enterprise and to avoid unionized teachers. Both are reasons to avoid voucher systems.
This is just as stupid post as the OP. Another broad brush. . . .
Perspective is required to define workable. I don't see any issue with rich pulling their kids out of public school, and moving those taxes/credits to a private school. I'm not sure why you would define that as "not workable". Since it definitely would work better for those in the private school
The idea that rich/poor/whomever want to send their kids to private school should be an indicator of fairness/money. I.e. even though someone is "likely" to go to private school doesn't mean its fair that they are taxed for a service that isn't acceptable and/or not used.
Plus - isn't the lack of capacity a little short sided. If there was some voucher system out there, then it would create innovators who would serve the demand (i.e. more private schools).
A voucher system could be (all depends on its definition) a monopoly fighter. The monopoly here is the United States government, and i'm normally against monopolies
Usage doesn't really factor into the equation. Singles, childless couples, retirees, rich, and the poor, people with large families and people with small families are all going to be taxed at the same rate. I don't want to pay for other people's kids, nor do I want to subsidize parents that chose to have kids, but I don't want uneducated kids running around either.
In time the private school system might be able to accommodate public school students, but right now they don't have the capacity. Public is not always bad. Charter schools are still in the public sector and they perform very well, sometimes better than private.
$5K will pay for most if not all of the tuition at a catholic school, that's besides the fact here in PA each student is costing almost $15K
You might get what you pay for, but if each student costs $15K - I wonder... Most of the private school tuition in Philly is between $20-$30K/year though.
It is a public service with a socialized cost structure. People without kids and people with grown kids are going to pay the same as a family with 5 kids. Access to education is codified in most state constitutions, so that aspect isn't going away.
So $5,000 is all that is stopping you from paying $20,000-$30,000/yr in tuition?
No, it wouldn't. TX of all places just voting down school vouchers because the plan wasn't workable and would simply be giving a tax cut to people that would already be going private. People were still going to have to come up with about $14K/year (IIRC that's for 1 kid) to even benefit from the program.
I don't think smart kids should even be in the same class as dumb kids.
I'm not arguing for the status quo, far from it, but offering parents a choice makes more sense than a voucher program. Just attach the money to the kid instead of attaching the kid to the school, that's what Belgium does. Where I live neighborhoods are zoned to particular schools. It doesn't even matter if a better school is closer to you; if you aren't zoned to a school then you aren't going to that school. Ever wonder why charter school perform so well?
Firstly, it is far from $20-30k for a good private school here. It is more like $10-12k/yr.
Would approximately a 50% discount on private school motivate people to send their kids there? Probably, it would for me.
I guess I didn't properly convey my thoughts on the smart/dumb/average. I think they should be segregated from each other in the classroom. The smartest push each other, while the dumbest can have ample time to review until they comprehend and move on. That was what I meant, not catering to the lowest common denominator.
As for codifying the funding. It needs fixed, just citing that its the way it is and we have to deal with it is an unacceptable approach.
A family with 5 kids should pay 5x the price/taxes of a family of 1 child should pay for tuition/funding to schools. In a private system this isn't even and argument, it is just assessed as you enroll new children which is what any normal person would agree is fair. (I'm not quite sure how any decent person argues this.)
Only in the this day and age in the USA you can pay the same as a single, parentless man/woman if you have 10 kids. That is unethical, immoral and unfair, and it needs addressed with sweeping new laws/removal laws.
As for your zoning, that is the reason the system blows. You just said a family of 5 pays as a family of 1 in your earlier post. Which I assume you support this inequity.
If this is allowed then why can't I enroll in the best district and reap the fruits of other districts with a better school system in place without the property taxes that they pay? That is the exact same logic as the family of 5 kids vs 1 is enjoying when they pay no marginal costs associated with overloading the school system 5:1 to the other family.
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