4 ms·

Which is why we need to fight the concept of "school vouchers" - the idea that if you don't go to public school you should get your share of the public school c

by Cerium 10y ago

Which is why we need to fight the concept of "school vouchers" - the idea that if you don't go to public school you should get your share of the public school cash to help pay for private school.

nitrogen 10y ago
It seems like a great way to guarantee corruption in the public schools if they are still paid for services not rendered.
zeveb 10y ago
Why fight it? It seems only fair that poor people get the same option to choose good schools for their children that rich people get. I honestly don't see what possible argument there is against it.
- Cerium 10y ago
  There are plenty of good public schools. If everyone deserves a good school, then we need to make all schools good, not drain everyone away from one system and into another.
  - zeveb 10y ago
    It wouldn't be draining money, since public schools would get money per-student just like private schools do (conversely, why does the local public school get to count private-school students in its catchment area?). And you're assuming that it's possible to make all public schools good, which from what I can tell is roughly impossible to do given American political realities.
- ericd 10y ago
  The idea is that public schools should be made good, the government should not be reducing the use of public schools. A good public schooling system is incredibly important for a functioning democracy, because a functioning democracy relies on a well educated citizenry.
  - wtbob 10y ago
    > A good public schooling system is incredibly important for a functioning democracy, because a functioning democracy relies on a well educated citizenry. A good schooling system is necessary, but must it be public?
    - ericd 10y ago
      It's important that it be affordable to everyone, regardless of wealth. If it's private with public funding and a profit motive, that messes things up pretty hard - see what's been happening with college tuitions and unlimited lines of public credit.
      - wtbob 10y ago
        > It's important that it be affordable to everyone, regardless of wealth. That's the whole point of giving each child's parents that child's share of public-education funds. > If it's private with public funding and a profit motive, that messes things up pretty hard - see what's been happening with college tuitions and unlimited lines of public credit. Teachers' and administrators' salaries are private profits from public funding, too. You are, of course, correct that private schools would see the voucher amount as a price floor. I think that there are bigger issues with collegiate funding, which have to do that people borrow from their futures (backed by public funds) in order to pay for near-term benefits for themselves. I'd have lived much more frugally in college had I internalised that I'd be paying those funds back.
rhino369 10y ago
Vouchers could also be said to be a mechanism for letting lower class families receive the same private school education that the rich can already buy.
- Cerium 10y ago
  They won't cover it. For example California pays about 10k per student per year on public education. Private schools in California cost 20 to 30k per student per year.
GarvielLoken 10y ago
Funnily enough this is already done in Sweden, since a long time ago. A social-democrat country, would you believe it! It is also the same for health care and elderly homes. It is going to be one of the biggest election questions next year because the social-democrat will try to go for a "profit cap" on private companies in these sectors, because they are founded with tax money. Related articles: https://www.theguardian.com/healthcare-network/2015/apr/28/swedish-council-limit-private-profit-healthcare-public https://www.theguardian.com/healthcare-network/2015/apr/28/s... http://www.economist.com/news/business/21578020-sweden-leading-world-allowing-private-companies-run-public-institutions-hospital http://www.economist.com/news/business/21578020-sweden-leadi... P.S I actually think we are unique in the world with supplying private companies with tax-money for health and school.

by Cerium 10y ago

Which is why we need to fight the concept of "school vouchers" - the idea that if you don't go to public school you should get your share of the public school cash to help pay for private school.

nitrogen 10y ago

It seems like a great way to guarantee corruption in the public schools if they are still paid for services not rendered.

zeveb 10y ago

Why fight it? It seems only fair that poor people get the same option to choose good schools for their children that rich people get. I honestly don't see what possible argument there is against it.

Cerium 10y ago
There are plenty of good public schools. If everyone deserves a good school, then we need to make all schools good, not drain everyone away from one system and into another.
- zeveb 10y ago
  It wouldn't be draining money, since public schools would get money per-student just like private schools do (conversely, why does the local public school get to count private-school students in its catchment area?). And you're assuming that it's possible to make all public schools good, which from what I can tell is roughly impossible to do given American political realities.
ericd 10y ago
The idea is that public schools should be made good, the government should not be reducing the use of public schools. A good public schooling system is incredibly important for a functioning democracy, because a functioning democracy relies on a well educated citizenry.
- wtbob 10y ago
  > A good public schooling system is incredibly important for a functioning democracy, because a functioning democracy relies on a well educated citizenry. A good schooling system is necessary, but must it be public?
  - ericd 10y ago
    It's important that it be affordable to everyone, regardless of wealth. If it's private with public funding and a profit motive, that messes things up pretty hard - see what's been happening with college tuitions and unlimited lines of public credit.
    - wtbob 10y ago
      > It's important that it be affordable to everyone, regardless of wealth. That's the whole point of giving each child's parents that child's share of public-education funds. > If it's private with public funding and a profit motive, that messes things up pretty hard - see what's been happening with college tuitions and unlimited lines of public credit. Teachers' and administrators' salaries are private profits from public funding, too. You are, of course, correct that private schools would see the voucher amount as a price floor. I think that there are bigger issues with collegiate funding, which have to do that people borrow from their futures (backed by public funds) in order to pay for near-term benefits for themselves. I'd have lived much more frugally in college had I internalised that I'd be paying those funds back.

rhino369 10y ago

Vouchers could also be said to be a mechanism for letting lower class families receive the same private school education that the rich can already buy.

Cerium 10y ago
They won't cover it. For example California pays about 10k per student per year on public education. Private schools in California cost 20 to 30k per student per year.

GarvielLoken 10y ago

Funnily enough this is already done in Sweden, since a long time ago. A social-democrat country, would you believe it! It is also the same for health care and elderly homes. It is going to be one of the biggest election questions next year because the social-democrat will try to go for a "profit cap" on private companies in these sectors, because they are founded with tax money. Related articles: https://www.theguardian.com/healthcare-network/2015/apr/28/swedish-council-limit-private-profit-healthcare-public https://www.theguardian.com/healthcare-network/2015/apr/28/s... http://www.economist.com/news/business/21578020-sweden-leading-world-allowing-private-companies-run-public-institutions-hospital http://www.economist.com/news/business/21578020-sweden-leadi... P.S I actually think we are unique in the world with supplying private companies with tax-money for health and school.