Voucher backers have ulterior motives

Capital Times ^ | 8/01/03 | Dave Zweifel

[DPB101]

For those who believe vouchers are a left wing plot to take over private schools...

[raybbr]

...the privatization of all public education.

I went to twelve years of private school. I'm all for it!!!!

[Huber]

...a network of Religious Right groups, free-market economists, ultraconservative columnists and others "who are using vouchers as a vehicle to achieve an ultimate goal of privatizing" the education system.

So exactly what's the problem?

[mhking]

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[Fzob]

"Soon, most government schools will be converted into private schools or simply close their doors," Bast predicts.

Soon???? Sounds like a scare tactic to me. Maybe in thirty or forty years most will be privatized. Or maybe private schools will be effectively legislated out of existence in the future. One thing for sure is that we can hardly do worse than we do now.

[Fester Chugabrew]

Privatizing education an "ulterior motive?" I would hope it's right up there on the front burner for all to see.

[TalBlack]

A most laughable story! Take the truth and tell it in tone of breathless fear and act like it's a bad thing! The article forgets to point out that ANYONE, including psychotic self deluded leftists will be able to construct their own school, not just Jerry Falwell and his evil minions. It forgets to point out that the public schools are pretty much SHATTERING FAILURES in their mission EXCEPT to the degree that they are leftwing indoctrination camps. And the article forgeta to remember that John Cardinal O'Connorof New York , who ALREADY was running a HUGE private school system, PUBLICLY asked for any students Who were a burden to the system. Who doubts that America is FILLED with denominations who would fell the same impulse of mission as the late Cardinal? As I said: A LAUGHABLE article by self deluded Lefties!

[DPB101]

Or maybe private schools will be effectively legislated out of existence in the future.

They could do it with so many regulations nobody could afford to run one. Or trial lawyers could bankrupt them. In the 1920s, the Klu Klux Klan pushed the passage of a law in Oregon which effectively banned private schools. The Supreme Court knocked it down (but the Klansmen didn't stop. They went on to found Barry Lynn's group--Americans United for Separation of Church and State).

[DPB101]

As I said: A LAUGHABLE article by self deluded Lefties!

It is. Unfortunately, Norman Lear and PFAW have almost unlimited funds. PFAW is the point group working with Charles Schumer to block the Bush judicial nominees.

[ItsOurTimeNow]

Nope...no media bias here...none whatsoever.

Where is this "Vast Right Wing Controlled Media" I keep hearing about?

[Harmless Teddy Bear]

Some would argue that the report is describing a conspiracy that doesn't really exist.

And some would argue that you are in serious need of therapy.

They would be right.

I have always publicly stated that I thought that once parents got a hold of vouchers that the public school system as we know it would begin to die. Can there be such a thing as a "public conspiracy"?

[DPB101]

To the left, parents deciding anything is a conspiracy.

[Leeann]

I live in a rural area where we are lucky to have any schools, and my kids are grown - but I don't understand the voucher thing. My friend goes to a Catholic church in a city and is so tired to being asked to constantly up her contributions to the church to finance the Church School. If more kids are put into the private church school system, will the congregation be able to keep up with the expenses?
Listening to my friend, she has really had it with paying for the school connected to her church. She is looking for a Catholic church that doesn't fund a school. Like I say - I have no experiences to have an opinion. I certainly can't imagine our little country churches paying to start a school.

[DPB101]

Been involved with school choice for a while and your questions are new to me. Worth asking certainly. Anyone know some Catholics to flag?

[quebecois]

I believe that the government school system is a disgrace because it is essentially a socialist system (the schools are owned and operated by the government and the teachers are govt employees). Since this model has led to disaster wherever it has been implemented, I think that we should privatize our education system.

Where is the "ulterior" motive? Its pretty much out in the open, Mr. Zweifel.

The real question is: "how could any intelligent person analyze our current public school system and not believe that it needs to be totally discarded?"

If anyone has ulterior motives, it is those who insist that america's kids continue to attend schools which are flawed in theory and failing badly in practice. Why, Mr. Zweifel, do you want to continue with proven failure?????

[fieldmarshaldj]

"People for the American Way Foundation"

They misspelled Soviet.

[Tokhtamish]

Telling urban black parents, "Take this voucher and your child can use it to go to any school." is a lie.

Private education flatly does not want her child. Any private school that accepted any appreciable number of inner city "voucher kids" (say, above 10%) would undergo a massive white flight of its customer base. Consequently, a private school would make sure the percentage of "voucher kids" never got above 5%.

So the notion that vouchers can make any appreciable dent in the inner city public school system is false.

[usslsm51]

Whooopee. You think the public schools don't send kids home begging for money? Magazine sales, cookie, candy sales etc., are every day crap to raise money for public schools. If the mom is tired of the private school, get' em out. Then she can compain about the public schools schemes for money.

[Kuksool]

"Voucher backers have ulterior motives"

Should be changed to the NEA has ulterior motives.

[DPB101]

I believe the Catholic Church in NYC offered 1,000 scholarships to the kids having the most problems in public schools. The church wanted to put to rest the idea it "creamed" the best students from public schools. The unions killed it. The vouchers were refused by the city.

Aside from that, why not offer them and see? Why assume space will not be available?