> From: Audrey Johnson, MPS Board Member
>> .... The basis of the recommendations centered around loosely veiled
vouchers, privitization of education and union busting.
...................... >>
Since a Minneapolis School Board member posted this, I can
assume that one reply is permitted. This may not specifically a
Minneapolis-only issue, but Mpls may very well be impacted more than
anywhere else in the state if instituted. The voucher issue is tough for me
because I think that it could actually help some troubled kids if done
properly, but negatives, especially if done poorly, are daunting.
Probably the stickiest aspect of vouchers is that they threaten good paying
union jobs. As far as I know, private schools do not have union teachers,
and all public schools do. The loss of well paid union jobs is not good, and
not to be taken lightly.
Another sticky issue with vouchers, as stated by Jack Ferman some time ago
on this list, is that it is not at all certain that the poor would be able
to take advantage of them to the same extent as the better off. If vouchers
do not fully fund the program for the poor, then they may as well not exist
at all for them. The poor can not afford to kick in the often needed extra 1
or 2 or whatever thousand dollars on top of the voucher amount, as the more
well off are able to do. In like manner, what good are tax write-offs when
you are too poor to pay taxes? Welfare for the well off.
The siphoning off of 'good students' is another sticky problem. The only
solution to this problem would be to allow vouchers only to kids that are
failing in the public school system. This would probably help some troubled
kids, and would not hurt public schools by taking away successful students.
Dave Stack
Harrison
