Free Essays on School Vouchers

School Vouchers â€Å"Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country.† John Fitzgerald Kennedy. Throughout the thousands of political speeches given during our country’s history, there might not be a better anthem for political participation on an individual level. After letting JFK’s famous phrase sink in it is obvious that he wanted the American people to take charge of their political and social futures. Kennedy realized the importance of pro-activity on a personal or community basis, and the results that would come to the citizens of this country who partook in their own evolvement. This ability that all Americans possess is not always utilized. Many people would rather sit back and complain about the condition of their environment, their communities, and their lives. Citizens of this country constantly denigrate our elected officials, but do they get out and vote on Election Day? Are they active in their communities? What are they doing to h elp themselves and what changes could these potential efforts produce? The answers to these questions seem to lie along the same lines for most Americans- nothing. Not even 50% of Americans vote in the presidential election. This signifies a severe lack of patriotism and civic duty on the part of the American people. Most people argue that they cannot make a significant difference by simply voting and becoming active in their respective communities. They believe that nothing important or consequential happens at the local and state levels of government. But what these people do not understand is that the majority of the decisions that will most closely affect their lives are made at these intermediary levels. Does the President of the United States have the fortitude or the even the time to be concerned with a community such as Adrian, Michigan? Obviously, the answer is no. Its local politicians and state representatives handle this community and its acc... Free Essays on School Vouchers Free Essays on School Vouchers Proposals to use private school vouchers, a marketplace strategy, as a mechanism by which to improve the general quality of public education have produced a lively debate. Frequently, that debate has degenerated into a disagreement about whether public schools are as good as private schools or whether a given private school is better than a certain neighborhood public school. Other issues raised in these discussions include the appropriate use of public funds, the role of competition in improving public education, and the right of parents to choose a school for their children. Although these issues are of interest, they are not the fundamental questions which must be raised about the future of public schools in a democracy. Two Core Issues In their rush to the marketplace, the proponents of private school choice supported by public funds have chosen to ignore two core issues. First, the advocates of private school choice studiously avoid any discussion of the relationship between public schools and the common or public good in a democracy. As an example, the Governor of Wisconsin asserts that "any school that serves the public is a public school" and should therefore receive public funds through a voucher system. There is no recognition in this proposal of the distinct and unique purpose of public education in serving the public good. This rhetorical sleight-of-hand does not mean that a private school of choice becomes a public school in purpose simply by so defining it. The claim is merely a device to divert public funds for private purposes. The failure to recognize that public schools have a central responsibility in a democratic society is further evidenced by the work of John Chubb and Terry Moe, who argue that improving the efficiency and quality of public education will require the replacement of democratic governance by market mechanisms. The authors state, "The most basic cause of ineffective performance among the natio... Free Essays on School Vouchers Any country that aspires to be great must constantly reevaluate the preparedness of its youth for the challenges of the future. Today’s youth cannot hope to be tomorrow’s leaders, if they do not attain a superior education. Children require an education that develops their minds analytically, creatively, and morally. Recently we have noticed an unfortunate decline in the readiness of our youth to enter the workforce or higher education, as compared with other similar countries. To combat this, our parents and politicians have been desperately searching, for something, for anything, for the key to our educational system. It is my goal, through this paper, to make you aware of the issues, and a potential solution. This solution is the idea of school choice, or school vouchers. The main players in the solution are parents and private schools because the public school system has fallen short. Our public school system is decaying, despite the supposed best efforts of our fed eral, state, and local governments. While public schools have become a center for violence, drug use, and apathy, private schools have become the model of superior education, an education that is academically, creatively, and morally sound. Many of our private schools are religious, allowing teachers and administrators to complement and strengthen lessons taught in the home, instead of counteracting them. This is not meant to imply that only private religious schools have value, but to point out that parents and schools need to work together in the best interest of the students. The main problem with private schools is that they are out of reach to so many of today’s families. The fact that so many children are denied the opportunity to attend the school of their choice simply because they cannot afford it, is one of the predominant shortfalls of our society. Of course this is not a new issue, and it is currently at the center of a large debate. "It is impossible to... Free Essays on School Vouchers School Vouchers â€Å"Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country.† John Fitzgerald Kennedy. Throughout the thousands of political speeches given during our country’s history, there might not be a better anthem for political participation on an individual level. After letting JFK’s famous phrase sink in it is obvious that he wanted the American people to take charge of their political and social futures. Kennedy realized the importance of pro-activity on a personal or community basis, and the results that would come to the citizens of this country who partook in their own evolvement. This ability that all Americans possess is not always utilized. Many people would rather sit back and complain about the condition of their environment, their communities, and their lives. Citizens of this country constantly denigrate our elected officials, but do they get out and vote on Election Day? Are they active in their communities? What are they doing to h elp themselves and what changes could these potential efforts produce? The answers to these questions seem to lie along the same lines for most Americans- nothing. Not even 50% of Americans vote in the presidential election. This signifies a severe lack of patriotism and civic duty on the part of the American people. Most people argue that they cannot make a significant difference by simply voting and becoming active in their respective communities. They believe that nothing important or consequential happens at the local and state levels of government. But what these people do not understand is that the majority of the decisions that will most closely affect their lives are made at these intermediary levels. Does the President of the United States have the fortitude or the even the time to be concerned with a community such as Adrian, Michigan? Obviously, the answer is no. Its local politicians and state representatives handle this community and its acc... Free Essays on School Vouchers Argumentation Paper America’s public school systems are facing a series of major problems. The classrooms are crowded, violence is growing, and test scores are falling. Some people believe the ways the schools are funded are the reasons behind these problems. There have been several ideas brought to the courts to try to solve the funding problems. Open enrollment, more federal involvement, and local tax increases are a few of these suggestions. However, the most controversial issue is that of vouchers. Vouchers are certificates that the government gives to parents so that their child may go to the school of the parent’s choice (public or private). This type of school funding is also known as parental choice. This idea of parental choice in education is not a new concept. The first person that developed the idea that parents should be allowed to choose their children’s education came from Adam Smith in 1776. He explained this theory in his book The Wealth of Nations. However, the controversies surrounding parental choice are fairly new. The most discussed and argued issue surrounding vouchers is the inclusion of parochial schools. Many people who believe strongly in the First Amendment’s establishment clause, which establishes the separation of Page 2 church and state. This clause allows for the question of the constitutionality in the voucher program. This Constitutionality has been tried in a number of courts both at the state and Supreme Court levels. In the 1970’s a series of Supreme Court rulings prohibited the use of government assistance to fund religious schools. The landmark of Lemon V. Kurtzmand in 1971 set the criteria that courts use when determining whether state action violates the First Amendment when dealing with schools and religion. In 1981 Maine amended its voucher program that was already set into place. The federal district court excluded sectarian schools from the vou...