School Choice, Not Vouchers

Most people will agree that public schools are in desperate need of help and students are paying the price. However, supporters and opponents of school vouchers disagree about how to solve the problems hurting the schools and stifling the education of children. Supporters of a voucher system claim that it will empower parents by enabling them to choose what schools their children attend. This choice to parents would come in the form of a voucher for a predetermined sum. The voucher amount represents tax dollars already being collected from citizens and used for education. Parents would receive the voucher and present it to the school of their choice. From there, since the State determines and pays a specific dollar amount per student to each school, it would give these tax dollars to the school of the parent’s choice. Although school vouchers seem like a fast acting plan, they are not a constitutional way to assist parochial and other private schools; they would publicize priv...