[daviddennis]

It's worse than you say. Didn't you notice this?

One, small but widely publicized, pays private tuition for students who abandon public schools that have low test scores. Students from 10 Florida schools, all in low-income areas, can get vouchers next year; experience suggests that few will use them.

That one's for low-income kids, right?

And what kind of experience is he referring to? I seem to remember accounts of extremely popular voucher programs based on similar premises, so I don't buy his argument. It's an "everybody knows" type of argument; often, everybody knows just because nobody's questioned their ideas.

Cough.

D

[summer]

That one's for low-income kids, right?

Thanks for your post here, daviddennis.

Yes, that one you point out is the A+ Plan vouchers -- for any student who is in a failing public school. And, true, these schools are often in low income areas. Also, you're right -- Rothstein tosses that whole program aside rather quickly.

But the voucher program I mention for low income kids does not require the student be in a failing public school -- the student need only be in a public school and be in a low income family. The voucher can be used for private school or to move to a better public school. Rothstein should have mentioned it, because the existence of this program is resulting in the creation of new private schools.