School Vouchers 1
School Vouchers: The Cure for America’s Educational Crisis?
Greg Nigro
Poverty Studies 101
May, 2010
School Vouchers: An Introduction
In early 1983, the National Commission on Excellence in Education put America’s educational crisis in perspective. In a statement that shocked the foundations of the Department of Education, the commission concluded that “The educational foundations of our society are presently being eroded by a rising tide of mediocrity that threatens our very future as a nation and a people” (Van Heemst, 2004, p.1). As a result, the Department of Education promised for rapid improvement, emphasizing the importance of America’s schools and the necessity for good education.
Today, over twenty-five years later, the American school system is still in trouble. As schools continue to fail, the U.S. population has continued its cry for reform. According to a recent Wall Street Journal survey, fifty-eight percent of Americans agree that fundamental changes are needed in the public education system, while only one percent argue that no change is necessary (p. 2). With this in mind, educators and politicians alike have looked for different ways to reform the system and provide America’s children with a better chance for quality education.
While many different alternatives and proposals have been presented over the course of the past twenty-five years, the topic of School Vouchers has largely been considered today’s most controversial, yet popular, option. From a broad perspective, a School Voucher is a publically funded certificate that parents can apply to a private school tuition. In many respects, the emergence of this tuition tax credit option for private schooling has become the nation’s most heated educational debate (Welner, 2008, p 4).
Within this paper, one will present an in-depth analysis of the School Voucher debate. After making a firm connection between the structural causes of poverty and their connection to education in general, one will then introduce the concept of vouchers and present the debate from a pro and con perspective. Ultimately, one hopes to come to a conclusion on whether School Vouchers are a positive alternative to today’s failing education system.
Poverty and Education: Making a Connection
After the infamous Brown v. Board of Education case of 1954, the Supreme Court stated, “In these days, it is doubtful that any child may reasonably be expected to succeed in life if he is denied the opportunity of an education” (Van Heemst, 2004, p. 3). When reflecting upon the causes of poverty in today’s society, one can easily see the validity behind such a statement. The connections between a good education and a prosperous lifestyle are very apparent, and ultimately prove the necessity for adequate schooling.
From a typical education perspective, the benefits of proper schooling and adequate teaching are obvious. With a well-rounded curriculum, students are exposed to the fundamental skills necessary to live a prosperous lifestyle. Subjects such as math and writing allow students to develop analytical and verbal abilities that are imperative for the workforce. With such knowledge, students develop the math skills and vocabulary needed to be functional in a working environment. Other courses, such as geography, theatre, civics, and economics provide an outlet for students to develop a passion for certain subjects.
Beyond the skills acquired from specific courses, the benefit of learning how to learn is a critical aspect of a proper education. Students learn the work-ethic and study skills that are required to be successful in life. In training the mind to accurately absorb information, students with a proper education will be capable of doing so in a working environment. They will understand the benefits of hard work and the strategies needed to accurately lean information. Such skills are applicable in many aspects of life, from on-job training to financial management (Lewis, 1994).
From the developmental perspective, the benefits of proper schooling have been described as endless. Within the American educational system, public schooling is guaranteed through the completion of high school (excluding behavioral and/or criminal issues). As a result, the average American child is guaranteed outside exposure from their home life. When taking into account the negative aspects that come with poverty, this different environment is often considered critical for development. For those who lack a positive home situation, the school can truly allow for an escape and the possibility of beneficial social growth.
In researching the numerous social benefits of education for the developing child, Nevzer Stacey (1998) outlined several different benefits that can directly relate to the prevention of poverty. One such benefit is the concept of good health. In many respects, a healthy lifestyle is very important in the prevention of poverty. With a healthy lifestyle, comes the benefits of good nutrition, exercise, and the resulting energy needed for a successful and prosperous lifestyle. According to Stacey’s study (1998), he found that the number of completed school years is the most valuable predictor of good health.
Another social benefit of a proper education is the development of positive relationships. In a proper setting, the school provides an atmosphere for budding friendships and possible role models. As students become involved in a scholastic social setting, they are exposed to individuals who have been deemed successful in areas such as athletics, academics, community service organizations, and student government. With this exposure, students are provided the opportunity to relate to such individuals in an attempt to become involved with such activities. Recent studies have shown that students, who actively take part in these activities, develop positive relationships and bonds that reduce the necessity for criminal activity. This is especially true in regards to gang violence (Stacey, 1998). School organizations and sports teams often provide the sense of camaraderie that students are looking for and can offset the allure for gang membership. Along with a reduction in criminal activity, the benefits of education in terms of money management are also apparent. Aside from the obvious aspects of mathematical and economic studies in the classroom, many students who are blessed with a good educational experience are exposed to topics such a budget management and financial organization within their club and organization activities.
With these benefits in mind, the educational and social aspects of a proper education are greatly influential in the prevention of poverty. In many respects though, many agree that it is the psychological sense of accomplishment that truly inspire educated students to live a prosperous and fulfilling life. David Van Heemst recently stated that with a positive and successful educational experience, students feel as though they have truly accomplished something that is valued by society. As a result, they deserve the right to be prosperous. This sense of accomplishment ultimately leads to empowerment and the resulting fight for a prosperous lifestyle (Van Heemst, 2004, p.x).
In understanding the educational and social benefits of proper schooling, the true connection between income and education can be further depicted through recent statistical analysis. According to recent statistics by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (2009), the 2008 unemployment rate for those without a high-school diploma was 9%, while the unemployment rate for those with a high-school diploma was 5.7%. Median weekly earnings for those with high-school diplomas verse those without high-school diplomas also show this correlation. In 2008, the median weekly income for high-school drop-outs was four-hundred and fifty-three dollars, while those who finished high-school received a median weekly salary of six hundred and eighteen dollars. Such a correlation was also obtained by the U.S. Census Bureau (2003), which stated that individuals who have obtained high-school degrees are expected to make over ten thousand dollars a year more than those without high-school degrees.
Through analyzing these statistics, and understanding the educational and social benefits of a proper education, one can truly see the distinct link between an individual’s education and the possibility for a successful and prosperous future. With this in mind though, it is important to reiterate the fact that America’s schools are in crisis. Education standards are plummeting, and many have stated that the education system is failing the American people.
A Failing System
For well over twenty-five years now, the United States government has been criticized for its inability to provide a satisfactory and equitable educational system. David Van Heemst (2004) recently asked, “Does our educational system offer hope to impoverished children? Is education really the ticket out of poverty for twenty-first century poor children?”(3). According to recent statistics, the “mediocrity” of the American school system is not providing students with what they need. From a structural perspective, this is especially true in today’s poorer school districts.
Today, public schools are locally funded through their district’s property taxes. As a result, the poorer districts (with lower levels of income and property value) receive a lot less funding then those with higher property taxes. In understanding this, the reciprocal nature of poverty becomes very apparent. According to a 1997 report by the Department of Education, richer school districts spend an average of 36 percent more per pupil then the poorer school districts (8). As a result, the schools in poorer districts are notorious of its poor education standards. Teachers in these poorer districts are known to have lower morale and have often complained of student disrespect, students who were not involved, and a general lack of parental involvement. Poorer districts have consistently higher drop-out rates and lower test scores then the wealthier districts. This is especially true within larger cities, where dropout rates in poorer districts have been known to exceed fifty-eight percent. With this in mind, it is fair to state that the present system leaves the poor at a general disadvantage (4). The poor are structurally stuck in a trap of poor education, ultimately keeping children within the cycles of poverty.
Taking this into account, many parents have looked at the option of private schooling to escape the negative attributes of the failing public school system. After researching the average cost of American private schools though, it is easy to see how such schools are often not a financial possibility for those with lower incomes. In 1997, the average price for a private secondary education was well over four-thousand dollars a year (5). Such a price may be possible for those with higher incomes, yet most families in failing districts do not have the expendable income necessary to enroll their children in a school with such a high tuition.
School Vouchers: A Beneficial Alternative?
In understanding the failing nature of the American public education system, many proponents of education reform have proposed the possibility of School Vouchers. Within a School Voucher program, recipients of a voucher will be capable of using public money to enroll in a school of their choice. This includes remedial private schools, disciplinary schools (for the behaviorally challenged), college preparatory private schools, and religiously oriented schools. In a sense, vouchers allow parents to use public funding to supplement the cost of tuition at any school that meets state accreditation standards (Peters, 2007).
While the idea of vouchers has been a popular topic for the past decade or so, it was originally conceptualized by the famed economist Milton Friedman in the mid 1950’s. He truly believed that School Vouchers provided a great alternative to the failing public school system and did his best to push for voucher policies throughout the 1950’s and 1960’s. It was not until the 1990’s though that the push for School Vouchers took center stage in the debate for educational choice. In 1990, John Chubb and Terry Moe reintroduced the concept within their book titled Politics, Markets, and America ’s Schools. Within the book, these scholars described the current public school system to be plagued by poor organization, an overwhelming bureaucracy, and inadequate funding. In proposing reforms for these flaws, Chubb and Moe eluded to Friedman’s original concept of School Vouchers. They believed that such a program would introduce competition and choice among both private and public schools, inevitably making both sectors improve (Peters, 2007).
After Chubb and Moe’s influential book, the School Vouchers movement became a national focus. Within the following years, School Voucher programs were contemplated and discussed in local, state, and national politics. In April of 1990, Wisconsin introduced the first vouchers program within the city of Milwaukee. The program provided up to $3,209 to 1,100 low-income children within the city’s poorest districts (Maci, 1997). As the movement grew in popularity, other cities also started to adopt such programs. By the mid 1990’s, Chicago and Cleveland introduced their own programs. By 1998, the Republicans in Congress began an intense lobbying campaign for School Vouchers within their home districts and by the turn of the century, states such as Ohio and Florida introduced state-wide voucher programs (Welner, 2008).
As voucher programs continued to grow in popularity, so did their opposition. In November of 1994, the Puerto Rican Supreme Court (considered a common-wealth of the United States) struck down the proposition for vouchers through stating that they violated the constitution in terms of public funding for private educational institutions. The push for vouchers was further challenged in May of 1996, when the 10th District Court of Appeals for the State of Ohio declared that School Vouchers violated the Establishment Clause of the U.S. Constitution. The Establishment Clause, part of the First Amendment, is essentially the part of the Constitution that describes the separation of Church and State. The District Court ultimately ruled that vouchers violated this clause as a result of providing individuals public funding for religious schools. This ruling was later overturned by the Supreme Court, ultimately stating that it is up to the recipient where the money goes and that U.S. government’s role in the matter ends after the funding is awarded (Maci, 1997).
Today, the United States has around eight actively funded voucher programs. Perhaps the most well known programs are found in Florida, Cleveland, Milwaukee, and New Orleans. Because education is largely considered a state policy issue, these programs differ greatly in their funding capabilities, and participation requirements. For instance, within the Florida program, students are only eligible for vouchers if they have been in attendance at a failing school for two consecutive years. This can be compared to the Milwaukee program, which allows all families whose income is up to 175% of the poverty line to be eligible for funding. In terms of funding availability, some voucher programs, such as the Washington D.C. and New Orleans programs can fund up to around $7,000 towards a private school tuition. Other programs, such as the Florida program and the Cleveland program will only fund up to around $4,000. In most cases, a simply application process is all that is necessary to receive the funding (Welner, 2008).