School Choice

“The voucher-like program, the largest of its kind in the country, helps pay tuition for nearly 100,000 students from low-income families. But there is scant evidence that these students fare better academically than their peers in public schools.” (Article Source)

I am not quite sure how I really feel about this voucher program. On one hand, I think it could be beneficial because it allows students to attend any school that they want, because money seems to be the main obstacle when thinking of sending your child to school. The default is public schools, but if a parent wishes to send their child to a private school, this would provide a way in which the student could attend this school. However, if every school, or child, is funded via the federal government, do they become like a public school?

Literally, no. Privates, charters, home schools – they are all different, and definitely different from public schools because public schools are governed by the state and/or federal government.

I have several questions about this policy. Would anyone be given this scholarship? Or would it have requirements, and would these requirements continue to hinder the students/families in the ways that the current private v. public schools do now? How would you allocate these scholarships, and it obviously wouldn’t be endless, so how do you decide who receives the funding?

These questions arise whenever governmental money comes into play. Plus, in regards to the quote, how do we measure the progress or the success of these voucher programs? Is there any way to track the progress of public school graduates?

I have more questions than answers, but I can see how this would help students decide where they want to go. Students would have more freedom and more choice when it came to their education, both at the primary level and the secondary level.