I was reading the City Paper (free weekly paper in Philadelphia) and they had an article about the NAACP's lack of support of the school voucher program. From what I understand, the voucher program provides grants for children (from mostly low-income households) to attend private, parochial or charter schools. The parents would decide which school that child would attend. The article reports that many African-American families strongly support the voucher program because it would give them the choice in where their child is being educated. According to the article, the NAACP doesnt support the program because it would take resources away from those children (who would be left in the public school system) who could not participate in the voucher program.

What is your opinion on this subject? Would you support a school voucher program?


"And Still I Rise"-Maya Angelou

Member Services Director-SBU

Going halfway like is proposed now will only make the split between private and public schools even wider. The way I see it, this country needs to make a serious choice if it wants to reform the schools.

1)Make a concerted effort to rejuvinate teh public school system, prefferably by allocating some of that defense budget to teacher salaries and renovations.

2)Privatize the school system. Let private companies and individuals run the whole thing. Use the current education budget to provide full vouchers and partial scholarships to those that can't afford it. Everyone knows that private school education is better than the vast majority of public schools, so why not give that opportunity to everyone? And once schools are run for profit, they will be run much more efficiently. No more run down classrooms and underpaid/underqualified/overworked teachers. This also gives parents a choice as to what kind of education their childs recieves. It gives alternatives to the state-run system (which everyone knows teaches one point of view and not much else). Of course there would be some basic standardization and accredidation process (similar to how it's done for colleges and universities), which would make sure that students are prepared for life after school.

As you can probably gather, I'm for the second option.
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-Let's not assume that private is better b/c from the kids I work with, ain't a hellava lot of difference.
-I think that difference with many children comes in with parental (or some other adult) intervention. Does the parent play an active role in the child's education?
-The private system is just as jacked up but we don't have to go that far to compare, let's compare public schools in different neighborhoods. let's look at a public school in the innercity or urban area vs. school in affluent areas. The latter is better. Or magnet schools vs. general study schools.
-B/c I am anti- Brown vs. Board of Education I see vouchers as another slap in the face and means to band-aid the public school problem.
-There was never a "desegregation" plan implemented by the government to desegregate school. Furtheremore, the court deciding that seperate could never be equal it was an insult implying that Black people couldn't educate our own kids and that we needed to be in the presence of a white child to attain quality education. That is some bullshit!!!!!!!
-Let's deal with the problems and revolutionize Public Schools and stop putting these bandages on them. Vouchers are a joke as well charter schools. It's not ha ha funny but it is still a joke because it ain't reinventing the system just a means to quiet those that complain and bitch and once again we've taken the bait.
-Question do you think private agencies would be more dedicated to our children or would it be some type of marketing ploy?
-Sorry of the typos or grammatical errors
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Parents need to be hipped as to understanding that it is their tax dollars and their choice as to what schools they can send their children to. Public education is available at more than just the neighborhood school. Magnet schools are just as accessible. Think about how hard it will be to get a child into a private or parochial school once a voucher system is in place. All parents would then want to send their children to such a school. Hemnce bringing about intense and prolly more controversial topics and problems in the education system than it is now.



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Why? Let's take the state where I live--NY. In the city the per pupil spending by the city is approximately $6,700--this does not include the "extras" that the school district will receive--per child--if a majority of the kids in the school qualify for: school b'fast/lunch (more $)or if the child is designated as spec. ed (more $), and theres more extras. What's the problem with vouchers? You best believe the city offering the voucher isn't giving the parent a voucher for $6,700 (or greater). In NYC many parents have quickly taken their children out of private/parochial schools and placed them back in public schools b/c the city has given parents vouchers for like $3,500. That means if a child's private school tuition is $7,000 per year, and the parent has a $3,500 voucher--do the math, the parent foots the rest of the bill. From the school district's perspective, they've gotten a child out of their school system, and they've only given a PORTION of the dollars that they receive from the parent. For them its a win-win situation. For parents--its completely a losing situation.

Because well I live in Baltimore and I think the voucher would be a very good decision because in alot I mean the vast majority of these schools aren't teaching shit but what we could learn out on the strip. But at the same time I think Public schools can be waaaaaaaaayyyyyy much better than what they are. I will admit the elemantry schools here are very good here. But when u step into middle school and High school it just seem like we are livin off material that my mom took back in school and that was 18 years ago or more. I mean if public schools started to get better curriculum lesson plans to teach the students, then public schools would be the first choice for everyone. But don't run from the problem and take the first offer. Fight for a change and don't give up. But if you do that and u feel as though a voucher is necessary than more power to it.

Everywhere. colourboy

If there is money available to provide vouchers for certain kids to go to school then that means that there is a source of capital that can be used to improve the state of the public school system. Vouchers don't solve the problem. The problem is a lack of funding and a lack of support for the public school system. That is what needs to be addressed. Why allow a few kids a chance for a better education and leave the majority of them with nothing??

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I am a parent of a 5 year old son. He will start kindergarten this fall. We live across the street from the public school he would have attended. Let me tell you why he's not going there.
1. During the day you can here the PA system on the block, the principal sounds very ghetto.
2. The children he plays with on the block attend the school they are older than my son, yet he knows his abc's , numbers, colors, how to write, add ,subtract and read the don't. These children range from age 6 - 8 they should know as much as he does and then some. My son would be bored and unmotivated, because he would be ahead of all the other children.
3. The school district of Philadelphia has a $30,000,000.00 deficit to deal with. Art and music
programs will be cut.
4. The book situation is horrible. Most of the text books are outdated.
5. Bad ass little kids. Last month a 7 y.o was dropped from a third floor window and shattered both of his legs.
6. I can go on, but I think this enough for me.

okay say you have 45 seats in pub school okay, and 25 in private okay... well what happens when you try to put 45 people in 25 seats. it doesn't happen. the key is to vastly improve the places that are jacked up. my 2cents.

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Vouchers or not, the problem with the public school system is half-assedness. Period.

I like the idea of vouchers if it is intended to serve the least among us. In Cali, we're voting on a bill in November (Draper Voucher Initiative) that proposes that all kids be entitled to $4,000 a year to pursue the education of their choice. Problem is that rich, poor and middle class alike get that money. I know middle class and upper class folks hate the idea of their tax dollars going to support the poor, but if they really want a country where "liberty and justice for all" prevails, then the only option is to do everything possible to educate ALL of the populace. I guess I'm in favor of tiered socialism for public education (if that s something that can be said).



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I agree...NO: the voucher program is simply a quick fix, the flaws tremendously out-weigh the positive aspects. Giving up on public schools is just an easy escape from responsibility and improvement. Plus i dont think Tom Ridge is going for it (he sends his kids to catholic schools instead of the neighborhood public schools, by the way)

That was one of Tom Ridge's campaign platforms. He is for vouchers.

okay...thanks for the correct facts (i guess it would make sense...he sends his kids to catholic school)

Ive seen the results of kids who go through the public school system good and bad. To me its about the parental involvement in the child's education. Im a product of the public school system and my mom was VERY involved with my education. Many parents today that complain about the public school system dont even check their children's homework! Its about personal responsibility and being involved. You cant complain if you havent done anything to try to fix the problem.

On the other hand, I feel that maybe the voucher program can give low-income families an option that they never had. The lure of private, parochial and charter schools is strong with their small pupil to teacher ratio, flexibility and academic standards. The vouchers maybe good for some children and not for others, but I think dialouge needs to be had on the subject.


"And Still I Rise"-Maya Angelou

Member Services Director-SBU