I'm interested in hearing what you feel about vouchers...public funding, but without strings as to where it is used. Could it not provide even more competition among private schools? (I'm thinking of it as the SOLE means of funding schools--i.e., no public schools, per se.)
I am of at least two minds about vouchers :-). As an improvement over the current situation, especially for children in the worst public schools, I support vouchers. Anything that gives parents another option for their children is positive, just for that.
However, as long as there is a "public school" system, I don't think vouchers are the solution. The problem is that, although you say, "no strings attached," it's very hard to have government money without strings. The experience of colleges in this matter is very instructive, as is the experience of "virtual schools" - public school at home - in various states. Once they give out the money, they begin making demands.
In a situation where there was no government school system, with its vested interest in expanding its funding and number of employees, a voucher program might be more conducive to genuine freedom in education. Still, philosophically, I favor private pay or private charity. Americans are generous people, and when they are allowed to spend their own money, they will do it both more productively and more charitably than the government does.
The charters in our area are doing great, except it is very hard to get into them. We're on the wait list for one of them. We don't think we'll get in so we're going private.
The thing with the charter we're on the wait list for is that it was created by it's school district. The school district was having declining enrollment and some other issues. Instead of closing schools, they turned one of them into a charter. It did great, and attracted kids from outside of the neighborhood. The district was so happy, that they have turned several other schools into charters. All of them are doing great!
It is such a contrast to my district. My district actively opposes any charters that are proposed. When facing declining enrollment, they just up and close schools (my daughters included). It is such a horrible school district!