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Similarities and differences between private and public schools
Separation between religion and schools
Similarities and differences between private and public schools
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One of the primary reasons for parents choosing to send their child to a private school is due to the many pre-conceived notions that private schools carry regarding their overall reputations. There are three main misconceptions that will be addressed here. These misconceptions are: the misconception of parental choice in selecting a school; more qualified teachers with the most current teaching knowledge; and the myth that private schools are more successful than public schools.
Many proponents of a nationwide standardized voucher program argue that such a system will provide parents and students with the opportunity to choose the school in which the child will attend. In fact, the opposite is true. Unlike public schools that are required by law to accept every child, private schools can choose who their students will be. Private schools do not need to accept the fifth grader who is autistic or the eighth grader reading at a third grade level. These factors simplify education and therefore further resources can be placed on the “norm” as opposed to students with disabilities. Indeed, in the voucher system, there is very little parental choice instead the choice is dependent on the private institution (Myth vs. Fact, 2002).
The misconception of parental choice can also correlate to the next misconception, which is that private schools are more successful than public schools. This idea is misleading as well. To date, there is no statistical data that shows private schools are achieving at a greater level than students in public schools. The reason for this can be several fold. First, we have the issue of accountability; second, we have the issue of the liberty of private schools to pick and choose their students;...
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...ristian Schools International responded with, “No… every class is permeated with Christian religious viewpoint.” We can argue that these responses only further exemplify the need of a separation between church and state.
The separation of church and state is one of the most cherished features of our democracy. A voucher system would compel taxpayers to subsidize religious teachings with which they may disagree. Instead of relying on vouchers to “save” the American educational system, we should continue to search for solutions that will be available to every student such as: smaller classes, improved teacher training, and adequate resources. Voucher programs clearly fall short of the separation of church and state notion. Let us not undermine the great tradition of this separation, and continue to take into account the important legacy of the First Amendment.
A key reference that is to be considered in deciding whether the Establishment Clause is in violation by the Ohio Voucher Program, then look to Committee for Public Education and Religious Liberty v. Nyquist, 413 U.S. 756 (1973). The courts struck down a New York program with the same idea as the Ohio Voucher program. The New York program helped low-income parents send their children to certain primary and secondary schools which included religiously private schools, with partial reimbursement for tuition from the state. This mirrors the Ohio Vouchers program very closely because the majority of schools that participated in the program were religious institutions. They also had money being given to parents with the “choice” than direct to the schools.
It is a growing debate in an area that American society cannot afford to ignore, as the discussion on voucher schools directly affects our youth, the very foundation of our country. Many cities across the United States have proposed school voucher programs in an effort to improve the education of inner-city children that come from low-income families. However, with this proposition arises certain questions that cannot be avoided. Although proponents of school vouchers argue differently, challengers of the system expressly state that the taxpayer-funded voucher system infringes upon our First Amendment rights. Additionally, opponents suggest that the money being used for vouchers be provided to failing public schools, as used to be, and should continue to be, the American way. At the same time, voucher advocates believe that the consequences of a full-scale voucher policy for our nation’s public schools would, in fact, be beneficial. Still, both sides of the argument agree: our nation must find a way to give every student in struggling schools the best education possible. The complex disagreement lies in the steps that must be taken in order to achieve this goal. Should the government adopt a taxpayer-funded voucher system or otherwise explore alternate routes that could more effectively ensure the success of the American educational system?
Recent trends toward privatizing schools and relieving them of state requirements wrongly imply that schools should mirror the desires of parents and ignore the public's interest in having citizens educated for democracy.
When looking at a brief overview of voucher systems it is important to realize that No Child Left Behind is the policy that really sparked the implementation of school accountability and therefore the idea of school choice. Politicians wanted to improve America’s education system so they began mandating standardized tests at public schools and designating letter “grades” to overall school performance (Garnet, 2005). The implementation of school voucher systems became a way to scare failing schools into improving because it allowed parents the opportunity to transfer their children to private schools, which would mean that the public schools would lose students and more importantly funding (West, 2005). Although this seems like a great idea it is statistically flawed in many aspects including the reach of students tha...
The American people have a decline of confidence in the educational institutions in America. This has lead to theories behind how to improve the public schools' situation. The most recent argument has been over school vouchers, which allow students to use a determined sum of taxpayers' money to help in the tuition costs of private schools. This use of public funds for private education should not be allowed because it would discriminate against students who would be going to private schools for economic, political and social reasons. It will segregate the classes even more than they are today because in order for a voucher to be helpful to a family, they must have a substantial amount of money to begin with, resulting in a stratified society. Primarily however, school vouchers are a violation of the national constitution and most state constitutions.
There is a great deal of ongoing debate surrounding the issue of religion in public schools. When you consider the rights of all Americans under the Constitution’s First Amendment, it is outrageous for the United States of America to have “freedom of religion”, and then place excessive limitations on students and teachers in public schools. There are a growing number of people opposed to the idea of religion being in school for a variety of reasons, from which the Government’s solution was to impose restrictions on all religions and deny others their rights in the defense of protecting the rights of a few. Teachers and students of all faiths should be able to attend a public school and freely express their beliefs without these limitations being imposed.
Strauss, Valerie. "Vouchers and the Future of Public Education." Web log post. Washington Post. The Washington Post, 05 June 2012. Web. 21 Nov. 2013.
The choice of school is one of the most active opponents have been the National Education Association, which is representing the public education professionals. The positions the NEA has taken on other issues have often been criticized for its members to support labor interests instead of the best students. One of the programs the NEA has been most vocal against has been school voucher, claims that voucher amount to government funding of religious based schools. On the contrary, citizens can keep a part of taxpayers' money that would have been spent on local public school funding and apply it to a school of their choosing. It is the citizen rather than the government that selects and contributes to a private school, whether it is religiously based or not. Consider families that are already sending children to private schools, they must pay the private school tuition and in addition to the tax burden for a public school they are not even attending. This double burden is unfair and amounts to a government fine for families that pursue a private education without the help of
School vouchers can be described as financial funding given to students who elect not to attend public schools. Therefore the government would not be spending money educating that student in a public school. A school voucher is the allotment of money that the government would have used for that student to attend public school. This money is then given to the family of the student to help fund the education of that student. This money cannot be used for anything other than education. There are many sides to take and many opinions to be had. It is very clear that the prospect of school vouchers is an issue to be debated. Some people feel that if they are not using the government’s form of education then they should be paid for not using it, in order to help finance other forms of education. On the other side of the issue, some people feel that school vouchers would be used in many cases to subsidize religious schools. This becomes a hot topic due to the separation of church and state. In short, does money not being used by a student belong to that student, and can it be used for a private, and sometimes religious, school. There are only two logical options to solve this dilemma of school vouchers. The first is that the government provides school vouchers to students not enrolled in the public school system. The second is that the government does not provide school vouchers to students not enrolled in the public school system. There are many stipulations that could be applied to both sides of the argument, but the bottom line remains the same. The government can either provide or not provide school vouchers. If the government should decide to provide school vouchers, there are both positive and negative aspects to that decision.
Public schools in the United States are provided by the state, and federal funding. More than 90 percent of children attend public schools. Private schools in the United States include schools in which religion is a priority. Clearly, public schools provide more education than private schools in the United States. Private schools are built were created for the administration, and parents to communicate, and a priority to involve parents in the child’s learning environment. From frequent parent-teacher meetings, social events, and family events, and fundraising initiatives, families become an important part of the child’s education. This also creates a strong bond between parent, and student. Also qualified teachers are making a difference
According to the National Center for Children in Poverty (NCCP), four out of every ten American children live in low-income families. “Parental education and employment, race/ethnicity, and other factors are associated with children experiencing economic insecurity.” (Jiang, Ekono & Skinner, 2015) Low-income families are often the proposed benefactors of one of the most contentious, controversial school reform debates in this country: school choice. Proponents of school choice advocate that it provides a quality alternative to publicly funded schools, to which students are zoned to by the location of their residence. They even predict that school choice will have a positive effect on neighboring public schools who will rise to the occasion
Private schools charge tuition, this tuition is used to fund the school, pay teachers and any other expense the school faces. (Niche) For many private schools, this cost is far less than favorable “charges at many private secondary boarding schools are now touching $50,000. Outrageous, many say.” (Asen) Many Americans are incapable of even affording private school, making it as an option not only unfavorable but also impossible. If a family can 't afford the steep tuition of private school that leaves public school as the only option. “ Public education to mean schools that were publicly supported, publicly controlled, open to all, and tuition-free.” (Cutler III 442) Public schools are funded by the Government so the quality of the school isn 't dependent on how much tuition is. When it comes down to it, Private school could supply students with beautiful atmosphere and higher paid/more motivated teachers if one is willing to pay the price, while public school is free and the government is in
In 2006 President Bush as well as other GOP members introduced a plan that would allow students attending public schools that were not receiving a quality education the chance to attend private schools as well as religious schools (Bush). Although this may seem like a wonderful opportunity and many may have jumped on board immediately if given the chance, there is one thing in particular that does not sound appropriate with this bill. If this bill allows students to attend religious schools, it seems that it could be an issue of separation of church and state. However, these vouchers are publicly funded which means that taxpayers really have no say in where their tax dollars will be going (10 Reasons Why). In other words, no matter what your religious belief is or even if you have no belief, you have no other choice but ...
Many people in today’s society believe it’s wise to send their children to private schools. In making the decision on whether to put children in public or private schools, they look to four main factors: curriculum, class size, the graduation rate, and cost. When people have to pay for something, their first thought is, “Will I be getting what I’m paying for?” With a private school education, the amount you have to pay is usually well worth it. Public schools offer diversity. Here students can find people who are just like them and can associate better. Wherever you live, you have to send your child to the closest school. There’s no choice on what public school you can send your child to, whereas for private schools you can pick to send your child there. It’s not an easy choice for parents to decide, but many factors point toward a guarantee that a good education would be achieved, which is most important.
There are many decisions for parents to choose private or public school for their kids. Every parent wants what is best for his or her child. A person's education is one of the most important aspects in determining whether or not they will become a productive member of society. Education is so important. We need to look at both public and private schools to find out if there is a difference. Private schools are a better choice than public school for many reasons. Private encourages strong quality teaching, encourages higher education learning, and inhibit the rampant of bullying.