Vouchers, a question
Luz Shosie and Ned Vare
The following came privately, so I'm omitting the sender info for privacy.
Yes, the state employees will always seek control.
Let's go back to about 1946 when the federal government gave vouchers to
WWII soldiers that they could use at ANY educational institution in the
country. The government did not certify institutions in order for the
vouchers to be used -- at least not back then. The vouchers eventually had
adverse effects on many colleges (they got used to being on the gov't dole
and so the money never stopped and certain controls have been applied to the
schools' activities), but originally, nobody had to worry about how they
used their voucher -- it was good anywhere, including religious colleges, to
which virtually no one objected.
The catch was that the vouchers were given to individual citizens to use as
they chose, and so not a penny was spent by the gov't directly to favor
religion. The vouchers were educational in intent.
The same is true with the voucher programs that were in June declared legal
by the Supreme Court. They are not given to schools, but to parents so that
they can choose any school they want for their children. In no way, so far,
can the school system seek to control the private schools that accept those
vouchers...the state does not control private schools at all, without their
consent -- as I understand it.
The fact that most of the vouchers in Cleveland are used at religious
schools is not relevant to the situation, mostly because those are the only
private schools available. Word has come recently, that since this federal
decision, many groups are working to open new schools and make more choices
available to the children who are trapped in the public schools of
Cleveland, and Milwaukee, and now other locations.
The only people who are accountable are the receiving schools, and they are
accountable only to the parents who decide where the voucher goes once it's
in their hands. The schools need to meet the parents' requirements, not
anyone else's, in order to get the vouchers.
Ned Vare
How is it that little children are so intelligent and men so stupid? It must
be education that does it. -- Alexandre Dumas
>What about the fact that if the State provides Vouchers then it willThis was my (Ned's post, in part)
>expect accountability through various means such as Standardized testing
>which in turn determines what is taught?
>> That's what vouchers are proving. Those who believe that parents wouldNed answers:
>> not educate their kids or find decent schools for them, are believing
>> a state schoolers' (usually racist) lie. Sure, there are exceptions,
>> and the schools use them to throw their net over all of us.
Yes, the state employees will always seek control.
Let's go back to about 1946 when the federal government gave vouchers to
WWII soldiers that they could use at ANY educational institution in the
country. The government did not certify institutions in order for the
vouchers to be used -- at least not back then. The vouchers eventually had
adverse effects on many colleges (they got used to being on the gov't dole
and so the money never stopped and certain controls have been applied to the
schools' activities), but originally, nobody had to worry about how they
used their voucher -- it was good anywhere, including religious colleges, to
which virtually no one objected.
The catch was that the vouchers were given to individual citizens to use as
they chose, and so not a penny was spent by the gov't directly to favor
religion. The vouchers were educational in intent.
The same is true with the voucher programs that were in June declared legal
by the Supreme Court. They are not given to schools, but to parents so that
they can choose any school they want for their children. In no way, so far,
can the school system seek to control the private schools that accept those
vouchers...the state does not control private schools at all, without their
consent -- as I understand it.
The fact that most of the vouchers in Cleveland are used at religious
schools is not relevant to the situation, mostly because those are the only
private schools available. Word has come recently, that since this federal
decision, many groups are working to open new schools and make more choices
available to the children who are trapped in the public schools of
Cleveland, and Milwaukee, and now other locations.
The only people who are accountable are the receiving schools, and they are
accountable only to the parents who decide where the voucher goes once it's
in their hands. The schools need to meet the parents' requirements, not
anyone else's, in order to get the vouchers.
Ned Vare
How is it that little children are so intelligent and men so stupid? It must
be education that does it. -- Alexandre Dumas