I would expect that the parents in these school districts were unaware of the new voucher program. Ohio, and other states, have had a similar response in the **first** year of their voucher programs. This was completely turned around once parents learn of the program and how to work the system .
The vouchers were for **existing** private schools.
So...If the government is running a priced-fixed monopoly do you think that this would encourage the building of private schools conveniently located where the poor live? I don't think so. And...there would be fewer private schools built that were conveniently located in poor areas.
Private schools are like boutique grocery stores ( Nature's Harvest comes to mind.) If we had compulsory government grocery stores and the government gave food away for free, yes, in some areas there would be boutique grocery stores to serve some special demands for religious food and other specialties. Most of these private grocery stores would be located where the middle and upper classes ( who have the money) could conveniently reach them.
The same is true for price-fixed government schools and private schools.
I have a suggestion. Completely lift the cap on charter schools and see what happens. While they are still considered government schools they do allow more choice for parents and could provide the structure that could eventually lead to switching to tax credits and vouchers.
Also, why do the teacher unions fight voucher so vigorously if parents aren't going to use them? The answer is that within a few years private schools do spring up that are conveniently located, respect the schedules of the people living locally in the area, and resolve the transport issue.
The waiting lists for charters schools, vouchers, and tax credits are miles long. The Milton Friedman Foundation is polling parents around the nation and finding that the percentage of parents who would choose a government school is in the single digits. Home and small business owners are disgusted with their high property taxes.
Amelia, legislators will not ignore this. This type of pressure is much greater than any group of government school employees. Will the NEA hold out somewhat longer? Yes, it will, but I fully expect to live to see the government school citadel fall.
There is only one thing that would stop this onward movement to privatization of universal K-12 schooling. That is if the Democrats corrupt the ballot box and stuff the judiciary with their minions.
This is one reason that D.C. was a great area to try this experiment. It's a relatively small area, there were already a number of private schools, and there's a great public transportation system as well.
For a couple of years the voucher system seemed to be helping the struggling parochial schools remain viable, but recently the Diocese announced that it is giving 7 schools to the district to be transformed into secular charter schools.
I have a suggestion. Completely lift the cap on charter schools and see what happens. While they are still considered government schools they do allow more choice for parents and could provide the structure that could eventually lead to switching to tax credits and vouchers.
Eleanor Holmes Norton was quite opposed to the voucher program, because she said the District was having a lot of success with charter schools, the parents liked them, and she felt that putting money into the voucher program would take money away from the burgeoning successes of the charter schools.
Also, why do the teacher unions fight voucher so vigorously if parents aren't going to use them?
I can't really speak for the unions, since I don't belong to one and they aren't too powerful in my state...I'd suspect that part might be because of the perceived job threat, and part might be because some children have parents who will not be willing or able to navigate researching & applying to private schools. Also, if you'll notice, many of the private schools in D.C. wouldn't accept children with learning or physical disabilities.
The waiting lists for charters schools, vouchers, and tax credits are miles long.
Source?
The Milton Friedman Foundation is polling parents around the nation and finding that the percentage of parents who would choose a government school is in the single digits.
No offense, but I suspect those polls are about as unbiased as the NEA polls showing that most parents are satisfied with their local public schools.
Home and small business owners are disgusted with their high property taxes.
More so in some places than others, and a larger percentage goes for educational expenses in some places than others, but it is an election year...
Will the NEA hold out somewhat longer? Yes, it will, but I fully expect to live to see the government school citadel fall.
I expect to see the NEA fall before I would expect to see the abolition of public schools.