If liberals are the party of choice (abortion, selective morality ect.) why won't they allow school vouchers

Question

School vouchers would allow parents to choose the school their child goes to. I already pay school taxes (though I don't have anykids), but if I did, shouldn't I have the choice where to send him/her? If the local public school is under performing, and I pay school taxes, why should I be forced to either send them there or pay more out of pocket expense for another school when I'm already paying for school via taxes?

A voucher system would allow me to send my child to a private school or religious school. But shouldn't the choice be mine? If I pay for out of my pocket for another school, isn't that double taxation for the same service?

And by allowing families to go to the better schools, the poor performing schools have to step up to compete, to become competitive for the same pool of sudents. This would only inprove existing schools public or private.

But I'm already paying! Shouldn't I have the choice to send my kid to a religious school if I want?

It was Ted Kennedy that wrote the "No child left behind act", not Bush!

chi guy- are they ment to subsidize underperfoming public schools? If I have to make car payments on a car, shouldn't I have the ability to at least choose the car?

Private school doen't equate religious school. besides govnerment isn't subsidizing it, I'M PAYING FOR IT!

Illtrix- Be sure to read ALL my commentaries here on this topic/ issue. I don't want tax payers subsidizing my kids religious school. However, You automatically assume I meant a religious school. Private doesn't mean religious. By the way, I pay almost $5,000 a year for school taxes, why would government have to subsidize my child? With that much money in a voucher, I could use it to pay for my kids private or religious school. By the way, and so what if I wanted send my kid to a religious school, isn't that my business how I raise my kid? Gov. doesn't have to subsidize, I pay more than is needed, hell Gov. could keep the left overs.

I wouldn't be taking anything from the schools, I'm still paying property taxes too. Along with everyother tax.

Answer 1

Why don't the conservatives try to make the public schools better isn't that what are Tax dollars are for?

All this complaining about Liberals doing nothing. I don't see conservatives doing anything to help the poor or childern in schools other then complain about liberals.

Edit: If you want to send your kids to a religious school then go ahead no one is stopping you. Pay the cost that everyone else is paying. If you can't afford it try to make the public school better for your kids instead of complaining.

Edit: You are now showing your ignorance, you claim to be conservative and want the government to do little for you but now that you have to pay for something your upset. A smell a closet liberal. Like I said make the public school better for your child instead of complaining.

Answer 2

First of all paying tuition with tax money is not an infringement of the establishment clause by definition. Now some will argue that it is because it's a religious school. Unfortunately, that is not what the establishment clause is about.

The First amendment to the US Constitution states:
"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; ...."

As long as the tuition vouchers are used to allow the student to goto ANY religious backed school, i.e. Jewish, Muslim or any other religion, there is not establishment of religion.

Most of you are arguing that because we elected a president that is Christian then Christianity must be the state religion? Wrong.

Now if the president or congress or the supreme court uses tax money to build a new government building and only allowing a certain religious group to use it, then that is a violation of the establishment clause.

Secular liberals will argue against vouchers for one reason, they know how to spend your money better than you do. Thus bigger government, more taxes, less freedom. The problem with most school districts is not the lack of money, but the inability to get the money to where it needs to be. Most of the time money is spent on everything but getting student educated, like overhead for administrators to over rule the teachers.

The only way to get public schools to be academically competitive is to FAIL STUDENTS THAT CAN'T PASS. Somehow it has become a right to pass and graduate from school, so there is no incentive for the student to work hard and learn. Besides if I'm in fear of failing I bet they will lower the standards, again!

Answer 3

While I would like to see vouchers come into being, I'm a realist. The teachers unions know that vouchers like merit pay initiatives kill them. Then performance is expected and failure would mean a pink slip.

That being said, I follow a tried and true way to ensure that my daughters get the education that I expect for the property taxes I put in: I got involved as a parent and demanded the changes I felt were needed. When I wanted changes in my district, I was at the teacher's door. When it wasn't taken care of I was in the Principal's office. When he couldn't get the job done, I was at the district office, with other angry parents demanding change loudly. I'm sure there are board members who still scan the audience to see if I have shown up. Eventually, when nothing could be done, I made the district give up the tax money they get for my three kids and give it to the neighboring district in the form of an interdistrict transfer. That makes about $27,000 that left the district in State and federal money for my 3 girls per year.

I was contacted about leaving the district recently and asked if we would consider coming back. Our loud protest led to people leaving for neighboring districts, home schooling and all sorts of alternatives. The district is currently hemorraging at the financial loss. The Principal and assistant who didn't listen to us parents are "Not with the district anymore." From what I hear, it's becoming a pretty good district now. Maybe if my girls decide they want to try it again, we'll move back. Unlikely but it could happen.

So, use the options you have in the system and you can make it work.

Answer 4

They are only for choice when it suits them. You are right it is your money and furthermore property tax should be gotten rid of entirely. This is the most evil tax I can think of. You own your home, not the government but they hold the tax over your head and if you don't pay they steal your home from you. The skweels strong arm the parents into voting for higher property taxes otherwise they cut off the buses/after school activitys etc and parents go along with it and then when their kids graduate they move to a place with less taxes, sticking the people who stay with the bill.

Answer 5

I have done extensive research on school vouchers for my thesis, and many, but not all, of the concerns being voiced against them are made out of ignorance to the programs. Since the majority of my research focused on the vouchers in Cleveland, Ohio, I will use facts from that program

1) The maximum voucher amount per pupils is LESS than half of what the public school receive per pupil, so please do not try to use the argument that vouchers take away from the public schools. Yes they do lose some funding, but no where near as much as they would if the student moved out of the district.

2) For those who state that it violates the separation of church and state, obviously the US Supreme Court does not share those views because the ruled in favor of the program. You see,
(a) The voucher money does not go directly to the schools, the parents are given a check to spend on the educational option of their choice.
(b) The participating schools are not limited to religious schools, however they are the among the few that will accept such a meager amount in exchange for educating children. Unlike Cleveland's public schools which are overrun by a corrupt union.

3) Cleveland's voucher program is open to all regardless of financial level. Yes, the lower incomes do have a better chance of receiving one, but the program itself is a lottery.

4) Cleveland's schools have been on the academic emergency list for over five years yet they spend more money per pupil than the "Blue Ribbon" schools in the surrounding suburbs.

Voucher programs are a viable alternative in the districts where the public school are failing miserably. This should not even be a political issue, it is about the welfare of the children of America. Not everyone has the means nor opportunity to leave a failing school system. Vouchers only level the playing field.

Answer 6

If only it were true. Unfortunately, it's not. Some private schools are very good..those with large endowments. These schools can cover much of their overhead from these endowment and therefore keep tuition affordable, even for those parents that are already well off. The fly in the ointment here is most private schools don't have large endowment so the tuition payments don't allow for more than the minimum of equipment and instruction. The fact is, there is no profit in 'lower education' unless a lot is left out..particularly in marginal private schools. Not every kid is accepted...teachers without credentials...no school bus service....no physical education....no fully equipt labs....and physical infastructure that often borders on third world. Not to mention that these marginal private schools go out of business on a regular basis.I wish there was more room to explain all of this.....too bad....it's a question that needs a lot of depth to answer.

Answer 7

I agree with school vouchers in the metaphorical sense.

If you're going to have a voucher system, you have to have everyone on it. A lot of the voucher bills that get shot down by Dems are 'partial voucher systems', where poor kids get vouchers to go to the wealthier districts and private schools. They're just another way to funnel money to the wealthy.

If everyone is on a voucher system, the same amount of money is attached to every child and the parents choose the school. That system works very well in very liberal countries like France and The Netherlands.

Privates and Publics actually compete to get your kid to go there. The end result is a better education for your kid.

Unions would not have to be eliminated, but they'd be forced to be competitive. If there's something a Union hates more than honest competition, I don't know what it is. That's why they're against the voucher system.

Answer 8

I see your question and you have a valid point, I don't think you should be double taxed for the same services, However if you are paying taxes for a school that is less than average you should contact you local goverment on makng improvements to the school you pay taxes for. Because if city officials let citizens choose on what taxes they wanted to pay and whaat taxes they didn't want to pay then they wouldn't get much funding for expenditures. But as for the private/religious school thing you would just have to be double taxed, because well it is a private school. Talk to your city officials, if that doesn't help start a petition. Good luck.

Answer 9

We already paid for the public schools.
If you want your child to get an education, the public school is right there.

Our public tax dollars should not be funding some religious fundie school due to that would be an act of establishment of religion.

In case you didn't notice the first amendment frowns on the government doing things that establish religion.

Edit - I don't even have kids and I have to pay.

The overhead cost of a public school is going to be the same whether you put your kid in a private or public school.

We already paid for the public school why should we pay twice?

You are talking about scholastic welfare.

Answer 10

Some people fear that vouchers will be used so their kids don't have to go to school with the "wrong" kind of people. A new version of discrimination, so to speak.

I disagree with vouchers for this reason: there is no reason any school should be an under-performer. If you give a school a proper budget with skilled teachers then the students will improve.

You don't need fancy buildings to teach people. Instead, just make sure the buildings are weatherproofed and clean, then give the students factually-correct books and computers for CBT (computer-based teaching) courses.