Position Paper on School Choice and the Voucher System
Education and the training of young children and adults is a cornerstone of society. Few institutions have as much influence on the next generation as the various school systems. Educators have the task of shaping, supporting, and instructing students to be prepared for the next phase of society. While these are pivotal times in the lives of students and their families, there are few options for many families when it comes to schools. Families should have the ability to determine the best school fit for their student. While there are numerous private schools that are viable options for many families, some families have no choice but to send
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The system would provide government grants to eligible families that send their students to private schools (Witte, 2017). Vouchers can eliminate the cost factor for families and allow them to choose schools based on what would be best for the students. School choice is important to the parents as well as the students. School involvement is one of the main ways that parents stay involved in the lives of the students, public policy, and participation in society (Fleming, 2014). The option to choose a school can lead to participation in other parts of society and can also be seen as a moral right by various groups. Families should be allowed, and have support from the government, to send their students to the school that is the best educational fit.
Arguments with School Choice
Educators are aware that there are many factors that can affect learning. Class size, relationship with teachers, teaching styles and methods, student interest, and school size, are just a few of these factors. Families that send their students to public schools do not have much control over these factors to help their students find the right fit. However, with a voucher system, families could explore different options in their area to determine the right fit for each student. In this discussion of school choice, there are arguments against this type of system and arguments for school choice.
Arguments
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Every student has the right to succeed in the classroom, and the factors that will influence that success will vary from student to student. Allowing families to work with a number of schools to determine the place that works for that particular student is the essence behind the right fit for each student (Witte, 2017). The voucher system allows this to happen by removing various barriers, like private school tuition for example, from the families. This opens the door to low-income families and allows them the opportunity to send students to schools where they can succeed best (Witte, 2017). Schools also need to be pushing forward as they challenge their students. This type of system gives incentives to schools to improve and give their best efforts (Doncel, Sainz, & Sanz, 2012). Witte (2017) theorizes that the voucher system can go beyond that idea and improve school efficiency at a lower cost than other educational reform programs. Previously, it was mentioned that some studies have shown that school choice does not increase academic outcomes. However, it should be noted that other sources have found the opposite to be true. Students that have the choice to enroll in schools based on their specific learning style, interests, or needs, have shown improvement and will continue to perform at a high level socially and academically (Witte,
Why would anyone wish to withhold support for a program that has the potential to revolutionize the, often, insufficient American education system? This question has undoubtedly entered the mind of proponents of education voucher systems across the country. However, despite the pressure placed on legislators everywhere, close scrutiny of the real issues should not be clouded by public fervor. It is my belief that, after a thorough examination of the merits of such programs, school vouchers would be a gross detriment to both the American education system and the nation itself.
The idea that vouchers give parents a choice of schools for their children is simply incorrect. The only people who have any real choice in the matter are the private...
The Ohio Vouchers program was created to respond to the failing of Cleveland’s public school system. With this program however, the vouchers are not supporting students to attend public school in the Cleveland school district. The surrounding school districts can accept the vouchers but have not done so since the program has started. This program is hurting the Cleveland public school system by diverting money that should be going to improve public schools but instead being put in private schools which are largely religious schools. The program continues to hurt not only the public school district but also the parents of the students who try to take advantage of the program. Parents are left with no alternative than to choose a nonpublic school and even then a religiously private school.
For instance, the funds can help the large number of students who are living in poverty by providing them access to more resources they could not reach on their own (U.S Department of Education). Additionally, test results for schools “with substantial funding and low student poverty are similar to those earned by the highest scoring countries on international tests (U.S Department of Education).” Subsequently, the extra funding for students in poverty increases their scores, so the scores are comparable to international countries. At the same time, other benefits include decreased chances of the students to be poor as adults, and increased the chances of them graduating (Max Ehrenfreund, Washington Post). The increase in test scores appeals to parents and may result in a larger number of enrollment of students from different races. In addition, some districts that had increased funding were able to directly link it to increased test scores (Turney Corey,
Public School Choice is an easy program to understand and it contains many advantages but also many disadvantages. Public School Choice is when parents can elect to send their children out of a school that has not made adequate yearly progress for two consecutive years into a school that has made progress. (McClure, 2002) If there are no available schools within the original school district, then a family can choose to send their children to another district. This only happens when the other schools in the original district are all labeled as ‘underachieving schools’ and have not made the adequate yearly progress. (McClure, 2002)
In the 1990’s the school choice movement gained momentum through John E. Chubb and Terry M. Moe’s bold assumption that “school choice would make it possible to break the iron grip of the adult interest group, unleash the positive power of competition, and achieve academic excellence” (Ravitch 118). Many advocates for school choice share a similar belief in the positive effect school choice and competition create in schools. When comparing the statistics to this notion, however, one finds an opposite conclusion than the one proposed. The school choice approach and the importance of competition in schools generates a stress on both charter schools and district schools to feature high-achieving students and dismiss
Current efforts to change schools fall into two general categories. The first embodies decentralization of administrative power to school sites, much akin to a popular movement to move many governmental social functions such as welfare to state and regional levels. The second is to create competition among school districts for students, a key tenet of the industrialized world that purports to deliver a greater range of products and services at a price the market will bear. When parents have the option of sending their children to more than one school, the term "school choice" is often applied.
There has been a lot of controversy over this issue mainly because of the importance of an education in a modern society. School choice initiatives are based on the premise that allowing parents to choose what schools their children attend is not only the right thing to do, but is also an important way for improving education. Instead of a one-size-fits-all model, School choice programs offer parents various options from which to pick the educational settings they believe will work best for their child. However, there is
Many people in today’s society believe it’s wise to send their children to private schools. In making the decision on whether to put children in public or private schools, they look to four main factors: curriculum, class size, the graduation rate, and cost. When people have to pay for something, their first thought is, “Will I be getting what I’m paying for?” With a private school education, the amount you have to pay is usually well worth it. Public schools offer diversity. Here students can find people who are just like them and can associate better. Wherever you live, you have to send your child to the closest school. There’s no choice on what public school you can send your child to, whereas for private schools you can pick to send your child there. It’s not an easy choice for parents to decide, but many factors point toward a guarantee that a good education would be achieved, which is most important.
Other problems include the quality of the teacher, lack of practice for standardized testing, bias grades, inconstant laws on home schooling from state to state, the overall education of a home schooled child, and the quality of the teacher. All these problems are explored, and discussed in this essay. There are many options for schools that every child has. There is the option of private school, public school, boarding school, and home school. In the case of home schooling, there are simply too many disadvantages for the child throughout the educational process.
The Public Choice For some parents, deciding on a school for their children can be a difficult decision. Many parents do not spend much time thinking about it; they place their children into the local school designated by where they live. Others attended a private school themselves and found that it was a beneficial experience and therefore want the same for their kids. But which is better: private schools or public schools? While there are many advantages and disadvantages to each (nothing is going to be absolutely perfect), we are going to focus on the benefits of an education in the public school system, or in other words, schools funded by the government that are for anyone to attend.
Many parents decide that private schools or charter schools are more appropriate for their children than public schools. Unfortunately, not only does the government fail to support these families, but they are still required to pay public school tax. The United States government must change the education system from a one size fits all model to a more tailored approach. School choice is perhaps the best response to the failure of the public education system. This program seeks to stop the back slide of American education by changing how kids go to school.
Some people argue that parents should have the choice to send their children to whatever school they want, however, if we drain public school dollars to fund private school education we create an unequal system where well off children are better educated and less fortunate children are left without resources or access to a quality education. Inequities in funding and educational resources place poor children in low-performing schools with run-down facilities and ineffective teachers (Giving Point).These inequalities in resources contributes to students getting discouraged and detached, and hurts our whole society. Public education in America was created to equalize opportunity; instead it’s neglecting poor students and limiting their life choices.Arizona’s tax
There are many decisions for parents to choose private or public school for their kids. Every parent wants what is best for his or her child. A person's education is one of the most important aspects in determining whether or not they will become a productive member of society. Education is so important. We need to look at both public and private schools to find out if there is a difference. Private schools are a better choice than public school for many reasons. Private encourages strong quality teaching, encourages higher education learning, and inhibit the rampant of bullying.
Will school choice significantly improve educational standards? This is the fundamental question in school choice policy debates. Are vouchers the solution or do they just compound the problem? Teachers unions believe school choice will destroy the public school system, a mainstay of government responsibility. Yet others argue that the failings of public education are the fundamental reason why certain groups are held back from advancing their place in society. Who is right? More importantly, whose interests will win out?