Vouchers and School Choice are Bad

949 Words2 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Inequality in education in america

School Choice and Vouchers are Bad

I have spent considerable time reading the literature on the topic of school choice and tuition vouchers. I was initially in favor of the idea simply because it seems to be common sense. After just a little reading, I am now an advid supporter. After all, our entire standard of living is based on the idea of choice. The more choices we have, and the means to pursue those choices, the higher the standard of living we enjoy. In our lives, simply stated, choice means everything. When it comes to public schooling is there a choice? David Kirkpatrick, in his book, Choice In Schooling, argues that choice already exists de facto in our system and it is not regulated. It is because of this lack of regulation such inequality exists.

Let us not kid ourselves, education may profess to be about equity and equal opportunity, but this has never been the case in America or any other country. Education is about power. Power is a tool guarded by those who have it. Those with the means in this society already have exercised their choice and have built their own schools based on choice and in turn new opportunities. The masses have then been left to the confines of a limited system. Make no mistake, in a capitalist society, this is by design.

I remember reading the America at Risk report on Education in America, there was one line in there that summed up the educational system in this country and the lack of effort to change it. "If this current educational system was instituted in America by a foreign nation, it would be cause for a social revolution and a formal declaration of war." Yet it is accepted by those in power and justified for its existence through laws and coercion of the masses.

Why then do schools stay relatively unchanged? The article, A School for Choice, by Debra Viadero, outlines some "red flags" that are meant to caution for school choice. In my opinion, taken together, these make a weak argument at best to counter the need for choice. The concern of parents being good consumers is a good example of a ridiculous red flags. I suppose it is better to have no choice than to have any choice? Given time, parents will become savvy to the market and make good consumer decisions.

Show More
Related

  • It's Educational System In I Can T Read By Russell Baker

    1237 Words  | 3 Pages

    America has not changed it’s educational system in over two hundred years. For this reason, our students and population are falling further and further behind. Our society has done nothing but move forward, so why hasn’t our learning? Everybody has a story, opinion, or response to education. We need to invest in refining our tools to succeed, to create a better sense of self, and a stronger, more well-rounded nation. The American educational system is hurting students by passing them without merit and relying on standardized tests; however, many are now running back to these hollowed halls to ensure better futures.

    Read More

  • Should Vouchers Be Allowed In Schools Essay

    603 Words  | 2 Pages

    Most private schools in America right now are run by religious organizations. There has been a lot of controversy over this issue mainly because of the importance of an education in a modern society. School choice initiatives are based on the premise that allowing parents to choose what schools their children attend is not only the right thing to do, but is also an important way for improving education. Instead of a one-size-fits-all model, School choice programs offer parents various

    Read More

  • The Death And Life Of The Great American School System By Diane Ravitch

    1088 Words  | 3 Pages

    She realized that choice and accountability were not the answer, but that curriculum and instruction were more viable solutions to America’s educational dilemma. Ravitch suggests that to abandon public schools is to abandon the institution that supports our concepts of democracy and citizenship and to the promise of American life (Ravitch, 2011, p. 12-14). The idea of school choice is rooted in Milton Friedman’s essay concerning the government’s role in education. Friedman asserted that society should support and contribute to the maximum freedom of the individual or the family. He maintained that the government should provide vouchers to help support parents financially on their children’s education, which parents could use at the school of their choosing; so long as the school met set standards. Therefore, this creation of choice would stimulate competition, which Friedman believed would increase the development and improvement of nonpublic schools, as well as, create a variety of school options (Ravitch, 2011, p. 115). As a result of the choice movement, the public received three versions of school choice: voucher schools, private schools, and charter schools. Each of these schools receives public funding, but do not operate as traditional public schools, and are not managed by a government agency (Ravitch, 2011, p. 121). Charter schools became the most popular choice of this new

    Read More

  • Arguments for and against Vouchers and Charter Schools

    335 Words  | 1 Pages

    School Choice: Followed the ruling on compulsory education. Parents have a right to choose whether their children go to a private, parochial or public school, or they may choose to home-school. Parents must accept any responsibility for their choice.

    Read More

  • Discrimination Against Women in Othello

    3073 Words  | 7 Pages

    Mowat, Barbara A. and Paul Werstine, ed. Introduction. Shakespeare: Othello. New York: Washington Square Press, 1993.

    Read More

  • The Education of the Lower Class: A Perpetual Problem

    1268 Words  | 3 Pages

    ...fe of privilege. Education as well is more accessible to the privileged and becomes harder to succeed as one goes down the hierarchy of wealth. This higher education to the higher class allows them to continue to build whatever wealth they have which can be passed down to their children who will as well live a privileged life. This horrendous cycle unless stopped will simply keep the children of poor also poor. This is the United States of America, and this nation promotes an educational system which in turn promotes a class system where the rich get richer and the poor get poorer.

    Read More

  • Graduation Speech

    429 Words  | 1 Pages

    When I was in elementary school, I loved to read. I was a total nerd back then ... okay maybe I still am, but one thing has changed. Now I don't so much like reading. My favorite poet was Shel Silverstein, who wrote "Where the Sidewalk Ends." He seemed like he was a total hippie, but that's cool because I like hippies. My grandma is a recovering hippie. I like her too. Anyway, Shel Silverstein wrote about the coolest things. He wrote about magical erasers, eating whales and a boy with long hair flying away from people who were taunting him. He captured all of the things that I loved without knowing that I actually loved them. Now you may ask, how does this hippie relate to our graduation? Well, he wrote a poem entitled "Traffic Light" and this is how it goes:

    Read More

  • Graduation Speech

    1204 Words  | 3 Pages

    Good evening. Some of you out there may not realize this but those of you who attended Suntime Middle School have been with this guy for the last seven years. I would like to ask you all, not just Suntime Middle School grads and who all else, to join me in thanking Mr. Weather for his patience and dedication to the success of our education over the years. We are the Class of 2000. The first graduating class of the new millennium. The past four years have been pretty wild. We started out as a bunch of rats in a small cage, but as time went by we learned and matured and became big rats in a new small cage, but in any case, the cage door is now opening; the handlers turning us wild things loose. As we leave "Where the Wild Things Are," home to some of the best cat fights, fist fights and food fights this side of the Cascades, I have a little surprise for all of you sitting in front of me here tonight in your caps and gowns … we ain’t seen nothing yet!

    Read More

  • Vouchers, School Choice and the Public's Interest

    866 Words  | 2 Pages

    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.

    Read More

  • The Effectiveness of the Voucher System

    2376 Words  | 5 Pages

    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...

    Read More

  • Analysis Of Living In Two Worlds By Marcus Mabry

    2031 Words  | 5 Pages

    Education supports everyone getting opportunities in life and being able to choose better for themselves. As Horace Mann wrote, education is the “great equalizer for all.“ However, the United States Public School system will likely never be able to equally educate its masses of students. Public school educating all fairly is a myth.There is no one entity to blame for this failure. The failure lies with each student who has been conditioned to sit passively in an un-engaging classroom. Its failure lies in some students disrespectfully distracting their classmates and frustrating their once inspired teacher or administrator. The failure lies with administration being distracted with causes of the moment and burns out from knowing that all

    Read More

  • Public School Choice

    1855 Words  | 4 Pages

    Some of the advantages to this new public school choice option include: offers a way out of a low performing school, supports educational innovation because it supports alternatives to the traditional school day, school choice can match child and parents needs thus parents will be involved and more committed to the school and their child’s learning experience. (O’Neil, 1996) There are some restrictions when one thinks about the public school choice option. Restrictions include claims that all schools are too crowded, short windows of opportunity for parents to exercise choice, when parent can choose if they want to use school choice or not, and outright restrictions on which schools can participate in public school choice program. (Snell, 2002) Other disadvantages include: create inequalities by taking the more desirable students, fewer opportunities to learn from students of different backgrounds, and changes the focus from education for the public good to education for the private good. Education is no longer being seen as providing ‘some common experience in common se...

    Read More

  • The Public Choice

    1595 Words  | 4 Pages

    The Public Choice For some parents, deciding on a school for their children can be a difficult decision. Many parents do not spend much time thinking about it; they place their children into the local school designated by where they live. Others attended a private school themselves and found that it was a beneficial experience and therefore want the same for their kids. But which is better: private schools or public schools? While there are many advantages and disadvantages to each (nothing is going to be absolutely perfect), we are going to focus on the benefits of an education in the public school system, or in other words, schools funded by the government that are for anyone to attend.

    Read More

  • Private Schools vs. Public Schools

    1164 Words  | 3 Pages

    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.

    Read More

  • Why Private Schools Should Be Abolished

    807 Words  | 2 Pages

    Education should be equal because everyone deserves to be educated no matter of financial background. Schooling provides a lot of benefits for students and the separation elevates one student over another. Education is often viewed as the key to success and since everyone is not given the same tools to succeed something needs to be improved. Public school should be abolished because they do not allow equal opportunities for students and the education provided is not equal.

    Read More

More about Vouchers and School Choice are Bad

Open Document