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Some suggest that vouchers will hurt public schools by draining them of talent and resources

I think there is something to this...although not what the originator intended. It won't be resource drain...the fact is that voucher programs take children out of public schools so that slightly fewer resources are spread over many fewer children....less resources for the district...but more per child. That is not the problem (although the teachers union certainly sees it as one)

The problem is with the talent. It will be the good and motivated students with parents who really care that are the first to escape the system. In a class with 10 bright achievers, 15 middling students and 10 trouble makers before vouchers after vouchers will likely look like 2 bright acheivers, 12 middling students and 9 troublemakers. The already bad environment in public schools will get worse...because the ones trying to make it work will be the first to flee and the problem children (often due to lack of parental involvement) the ones most likely to stay.

Just like the flawed system of communism, once its flaws are revealed...it will spiral out of control and implode quickly. THAT is why the teachers lobby is fighting so hard against even the smallest voucher programs. They know that if they face ANY competition...they are doomed.

I know this is a long way off and merging two different good fights...but is their any chance that homeschoolers could get voucher money? Or at least tax credit for pulling their children out of the schools?

>>The problem is with the talent. It will be the good and motivated students with parents who really care that are the first to escape the system.

That's one of the lib's arguments....I'm not sure it holds up in reality.

The BEST thing of vouchers is that you are not forced to get stuck in a bad school - for whatever reason. Free market choice is always a winner.

Amazingly....if your second choice is bad (the voucher school) - you can leave there as well !!!

"THAT is why the teachers lobby is fighting so hard against even the smallest voucher programs. They know that if they face ANY competition...they are doomed."

That and they know that this struggle is an ideological contest to control every generational wave. The voucher program not only frees students to find the best way to learn, it also frees them from being strangled by political correctness. Every single issue in the culture wars now being played out in our public schools, the latest being the flag salute case, would be cured by a voucher system. This is a war arch liberals cannot afford to lose.

"I know this is a long way off and merging two different good fights...but is their any chance that homeschoolers could get voucher money? Or at least tax credit for pulling their children out of the schools?"

Speaking as one homeschooling father (assistant to the homeschooling mother) ---- There is no way I want one penny from either state or federal government. I am not now nor would I want to be beholden to the state for the education of my children.

So what is the problem? Under your scenario 12 students will be better off because they leave the public school environment for a voucher school. We should deny those 12 students the opportunity for a better education because the 23 who choose to remain in the public school won't make equal strides? I'm not aware of too many school systems with 35 students in classes anymore, but that is another issue.

The real issue is as you say money, and not the quality of education. Only a small percentage of the per student dollars make it to the classroom. Suppose the average class size in a given state is 25 students and the state spends $7,500 per student. That works out to $187,500 per classroom. How much of that $187,500 do you think goes to learning materials and supplies, building maintenance and other non-salary costs? If we assume that salaries take only 60% of the per classroom total, the public school establishment views each student "lost" as a loss in salary money of $4,500 ($7,500 x 60%). It only takes the loss of a few students before cuts in personnel become the obvious remedy, and the unions are fighting to save every member job they can. They only care about the students as each represents a source of revenue.