Educational Vouchers Paper

This is the essay I scored 100% with.  2 perfect papers in a row for Education class.  WOOT!

Educational Vouchers

            I was intrigued to learn the varied methods of applying educational vouchers, and also surprised at all of the reasons that vouchers are desired by different groups of proponents of a voucher program.  Educational vouchers, simply put, allow the freedom of choice for students and their parents to find schools that can give the students the best chance at success in life.  That would be the collective goal.  I believe that educational vouchers are likely inevitable in many places, especially where schools are failing children.  I would hope the threat of vouchers being a necessary alternative would be enough for schools to improve, and to scrutinize their practices, and find more efficient ways to get the best out of their teachers and students.

            In "A Comprehensive Framework for Evaluating Educational Vouchers" there is a great deal said about the freedom of choice of parents on where to send their children for school.  On the other side, the potential educators and schools that would be developed should large scale voucher programs be approved, are going to be concerned with making education a profitable venture.  Supreme court rulings, and lower court rulings have already established some of the legality in regard to religious schools, and also in the case of those students who's families have income well below the poverty line.  These are just a handful of issues facing further approval of more voucher programs.

            In Florida vouchers are already handed to families in poverty who's children are failing in school.  It would seem that this would give great hope to children who otherwise may fall through the cracks.  In addition, Charter schools are already implemented in most districts of cities with large populations.  Charter schools are specialty schools who have been approved, and have a primary focus such as Art, Music, Science, or Business.  While charter schools are a different form of a voucher program, it is a likely model for what a competitive school environment may look like.

            The article also addresses what the "elements of a comprehensive framework" must consider to be successful.  Four main elements will take into consideration what a voucher program on a national basis will look like.  They are; freedom of choice, productive efficiency, equity, and social cohesion.  In addition, the article mentions three very important criteria to consider in a voucher program, they are; finance, regulation, and support services.

            It seems to me that the hardest of the three criteria to enforce would be regulation, especially since shutting down a school, especially a large school, for not meeting standards, could throw hundreds of families into turmoil with displaced students.  Actually any one of the elements of a voucher program, or any one of the criteria, can greatly affect the lives of a great many families.  These problems are outlined, and talk about the difficulty in a plan that takes everything into consideration equally.  Trading off the importance of one or another of these items in a comprehensive plan could make it inequitable, or cause it to collapse completely.

            A final framework for vouchers will be efficient, and effective.  The program would have to prevent going backwards in relation to "tracking" or social inequity.  Vouchers would have to give a real freedom of choice, and shun anything that resembles preference based on income, race, and location.  The program would have to support all students, and help transport them, consider disabilities, and also maintain technical support, and information systems that would allow a school and district to function efficiently.  Also a plan needs to be in place to reverse damage done if in fact programs or schools fail in these programs.

            While the article did enlighten me on many issues I was unaware of concerning vouchers, it seems to me that the entire affair seems sterile.  Especially when taking into consideration the intense failure, fear, and disadvantage being caused by the current system when it comes to academically failing school districts, the dangers in violent schools, and the social inequities that exist in inner city schools and environments.

            When two schools are 15 minutes away from each other, and one school has a dropout rate near 50%, and the other school has a Graduation rate of 95%, the system is clearly not working.  I think it would be common sense to come up with anything that would work better for a school that is only graduating half of its high school students.  If you make a program that requires parents to help make a decision on their child's education, it gives them ownership of that choice.  There is truth to the scenario where one teen is given a car, and the other is forced to earn and purchase their own.  The one who worked for their car will take better care of it and have more pride in it.  I think that this lesson can be applied to education.  Allowing parents to make choices and take an interest in their child's school and education, empowers them to keep making choices, to have more of an interest in the education of their child.  If the teen/child is also a part of the making of that choice, and understands what is happening, even they will take more pride in what they do while at school, and will want to succeed.

            I believe a voucher program may also change the way public school districts operate.  Many administrations are top-heavy as far as administration.  With only so much money to go around, I think it would spur a school district to action to do a better job for their students and teachers.

            School choice across the board could open some schools to more equitable practices as far as enrollment of minorities and children who need more services.  Requiring that a certain basic amount of services be required for exceptional learners, it can improve the current parochial and private schools to do a better job when it comes to those enrolled.

            Standardized testing is only one measurement that should be used to measure success.  While it would create another department for most states or school districts, it seems the best way to regulate a school is to have regulators spend time at different schools for days or weeks at a time to evaluate classrooms, do financial audits, and make sure that schools are complying with regulations and goals.  Probation may be called for on schools that receive funding and vouchers that are not performing.  Schools that consistently do not meet requirements need to have parents notified that the school will be closed, and that they need to make new choices that will ensure their children's success.

            I think that too many times, schools, and districts only react to problems in a school district.  Vouchers could, in actuality, create a proactive approach to education that has been missing in this country for decades.  Good schools should be rewarded with recognition.  Incentives for schools to perform well can be made much more significant with a voucher program.  With funding for large projects like stadiums, upgraded equipment and learning tools, and scholarships, much of the money wasted currently by Administrations throughout the country.  Choices can extend to a more healthy school lunch that does not include processed foods, which would eliminate the lucrative food contracts with schools across the country that encourage poor farming practices.

            The possibilities with the current educational system are endless, but there is no motivation.  Given adequate motivation through action on vouchers, it's amazing what schools could do.  The children are the most important part of the equation, and we must think of them first.  Students are the priority, and they should be in the forefront of the minds of everyone involved when any decision is made.  Only with the children and their future in mind, can you get the best out of each teacher, each administrator, and each parent.