The Case for Vouchers Part 1; Competition and White Flight

We are using several posts over the next week or two to respond to Give2Attain’s post where he supports “competition” but opposes a voucher system.

First, we want to compliment Give2Attain for his thoughtful post and we enjoy our general discussions with him.  His blog and links are very good and helpful.  Unlike most people who oppose vouchers, Give doesn’t demagogue the issue and points out the good that would come from a voucher system and the reasons for his skepticism .  We want to take issue with the reasons for his opposition in a series of several posts (this is too long for one post).  Here we are going to speak about competition and so-called “white flight.”

Here is a passage from Give’s post;

Now Open Enrollment, Intradistrict Transfer, Charter Schools, Private Schools, Families Moving, etc already promote white/affluent flight and people deserting their communities instead of fighting for them… Do we really want to make it easier and promote it? Do we want to promote separation. instead of community building through our schools?

Now why do we assume that if a family that is white CHOOSES to go to a charter school or another district (Hopkins, Osseo, Wayzata etc.) that race is the reason?  Why are they always accused of “abandoning their “community?”  If a family leaves Minneapolis and comes to Robbinsdale how come they aren’t accused of “abandoning their community?”  Does the Choice Is Your Program promote “flight?”  We would suggest that there are plenty of reasons why families have left the district over the years such as school closings, poor management of Stan Mack, poor communication, poor performance, program cuts, more school options, etc.  Also we think schools should concentrate on reading, writing, math, and science not promoting the left wing agenda of so-called tolerance, diversity, and community building (whatever that is).

In addition, what about families who choose to go Sacred Heart, or St. Raphael’s or the FAIR school (All in Crystal and Robbinsdale)?  I don’t think anyone can accuse them of “abandoning their community.”  And the tuition at St. Raphael’s is $3120 compared to almost $11,000 we spend per kid in the public school so which is the better deal?  How about kids who are home schooled?  Isn’t a parent one on one with their kid (talk about class size reductions) an ideal setting (at least most of the time)?  The funny thing is that a home schooled kid costs us taxpayers nothing while in the public schools we can’t spend enough!  It must be poverty!

Of course, going to a religious school, home schooling, and charters, aren’t always an option for everyone but that by itself is unfair.  Some kids get opportunity but others don’t’?  We think vouchers can help level the playing field.  If everyone has a voucher to use as they wish, we think that will encourage people to look at their options.  Maybe if people have a voucher, private schools will pop up in our area.  Who knows?

Give2Attain seems to approve of charter schools, open enrollment, and intra-district transfers yet he opposes a voucher system.  So in other words, competition is OK as long as the “public” provides it.  If competition is a good thing, why then should we “limit who can compete?”  Give seems to think that the public school system can be “tweaked” or “fine-tuned” but we think we’ve spent the past 50 years trying to do just that.  Where is the evidence we’re getting anywhere?  Public school apologists just offer the same old lame brain solutions; more money, lower class size, more programs….blah, blah, blah.

Here’s the bottom line; what is more important…..where kids goes to school or whether or not kids get the opportunity to get a great education?  The fact that WHERE a kid goes to school is SO important tells us that getting a great education is secondary.  It makes no sense at all.