Posted on 10/09/2007 8:33:14 AM PDT by vadum
No one says, “As goes Utah, so goes the nation,” but what happens over the next month in the Beehive State may well affect the prospects for education reform nationwide. Last February, Utah’s Republican Gov. John Huntsman signed into law an education voucher bill that promised to help the parents of Utah’s 512,000 public school students send their children to the school of their choice—public or private. The Parent Choice in Education Act was subsequently challenged and a referendum has put the issue before the state’s voters on November 6. A majority vote is needed to uphold school choice.
It’s estimated that the average voucher ($500 to $3,000 per child, depending on family income) will be less than one third of Utah’s per pupil expenditure in the public schools ($7,100). But when Utah parents use a voucher for private schooling, the state’s public school systems will still get to keep, for another five years, most of the state money that would otherwise go for the child’s public school education. Talk about having your cake and eating it, too. Still, as more Utah children are educated for less than one third the cost of public education, it could save state taxpayers more than $1 billion over 13 years.
Naturally, the teacher unions and other liberal interest groups are out in full force to repeal the measure by defeating the referendum. The NEA has funneled $1.5 million to Utah...and state and local NEA unions from Colorado and Wyoming to Ohio and Maine have contributed thousands more. A consortium called Utahans for Public Schools has added the political muscle of the Utah PTA, the ACLU and the local NAACP chapter to attack school choice. Radio and TV ads have been airing across the state for months......
(also referenced at http://www.capitalresearch.org/news/news.html?id=532)
(Excerpt) Read more at humanevents.com ...
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I am not surprised. I doubt vouchers will win.
The reason is that many suburban and especially rural government schools are heavily Mormon. The teachers are Mormon, the kids are mostly Mormon, and the principals. The children are essentially attending a government funded school that still upholds traditional Mormon family values.
The problem is that these families are blind to the fundamental evil of government schooling. By supporting government schools in Utah they are indirectly supporting the evil NEA and government schooling everywhere.
And,,,,being products of government schools themselves they are too stupid economically to see the future economic savings of vouchers to the state budgets and their personal property tax bill.
A full out frontal assault against the NEA is not a good strategy for eliminating and closing down government schooling. The better way would have been to expand the Rachel Carson vouchers for those with disabilities, and gradually making eligible the more minor disabilities. Hey! Half the children in the state are already likely “diagnosed” as having reading, math, learning, and behavior disabilities. Increasing the number of allowed charters is a good option, and eliminating the requirement of state certified government teachers for these charters.
Also,,,homeschooling continues to grow in Utah for all the reasons that homeschooling is growing everywhere.
Eventually, there would be enough of a voter demand to fully move to an entirely charter based, voucher funded system of schooling for all the children in Utah.
If any school takes state money, doesn’t that set a trap for the state to put requirements and restrictions on them when they so decide to do so?
I’m well aware of the costs of parochial education. I’ve been subsidizing my wife for over 20 years. She makes less than 40k a year and has >20 years experience and a masters.
I guess it depends upon the educator's level of commitment, and that of their families and others who support them.
[Without subsidy, I pay $10,800/year at the high school, and $6,650 at the K-8 school.]
Supply and demand. The market charges what the market will bear.
[such a large influx of students,]
Like the influx that occured when forced bussing was implemented back in the 70's and parochial schools were booming?
That set the socialists back 20 years.
And keep the unions OUT, then we're talking real solution.
I think it is a matter of priorities. I admire your family for making a financial sacrifice to do something meaningful for your community. My wife also gets paid less, although I believe it is 79% of public school pay. Even at outrageously high tuition, the Catholic schools here have long waiting lists.
What if vouchers create such a demand for parochial schools that many more schools are needed to meet the demand? What if teachers at lower salaries are hard to find, and the demand for teachers requires these new schools to pay more for teachers? Does the amount of the vouchers go up? Do we require the families to make up the additional amount in tuition? Do we provide only limited parochial schools, and force the rest to stick with public schools?
Like I said, I am not necessarily against this vouchers idea. I am just skeptical that it can provide a solution to our major education problems.
They won't be able to manipulate an educated person with their racist propaganda.
[Do we provide only limited parochial schools, and force the rest to stick with public schools?]
Economics 101. Supply and Demand.
100% correct and I would further stipulate that is why private schools enjoy more success than the typical public school. The private school has the right to refuse service. The public school does not have that luxury. Kid with massive disabilities? Educated at the public expense. Kid with CP? Educated at the public expense. Non verbal autistic? Public school.
No child under these scenarios, which are way too common and heartbreaking, can be educated for 3k a year. Maybe 3k a week in some instances. I've seen postings that show that some massively disabled children can run close to 1/2 million a year to educate. 3k a year is a drop in the bucket.
“Bottom line - public teachers and their unions care about POWER, MONEY and BENEFITS first - and educating children last...”
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Here in the Pittsburgh area, the unions don’t care about educating the children PERIOD. You might find a handful of dedicated teachers, but they are a rarity.
"I also made it quite clear that Socialism means equality of income or nothing, and that under Socialism you would not be allowed to be poor. You would be forcibly fed, clothed, lodged, taught, and employed whether you liked it or not. If it were discovered that you had not character and industry enough to be worth all this trouble, you might possibly be executed in a kindly manner; but whilst you were permitted to live you would have to live well."
-George Bernard Shaw[49]
My question about vouchers comes from this angle - how will vouchers help the disabled and will private schools be forced to admit the disabled and educate them under IDEA?
"I also made it quite clear that Socialism means equality of income or nothing, and that under Socialism you would not be allowed to be poor. You would be forcibly fed, clothed, lodged, taught, and employed whether you liked it or not. If it were discovered that you had not character and industry enough to be worth all this trouble, you might possibly be executed in a kindly manner; but whilst you were permitted to live you would have to live well."
-George Bernard Shaw[49]
I just interpret it, I don't have to agree with it
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