I don’t know… I’m not willing to do a comprehensive review of the over 50 voucher programs in place. Very likely not, but I couldn’t say for sure.
I might use the word disguised rather than designed. The real intention is to get kids in schools with other wealthier kids since on average they will behave/ perform better and parents hope that gives their own kids an advantage.
I’m sure there are some real religious intentions mixed in there, but that’s not what is supporting these programs broadly enough to exist.
Usually far more tax breaks are given to those that already had their kids in private schools in these voucher programs rather than “get kids in”.
1 Like
Considering the plethora of donations, expenses, and fees with varying levels of utility and optionality at both public and private schools in the US, I can see private schools making an end-run around the “voucher as tuition in full” requirement.
2 Likes
So add a requirement that the student have been previously enrolled at a public school.
Yes, I realize that would not be politically palatable.
So kids have to attend a crappy school for a year before they can go to a decent one?
1 Like
Yeah, I’d look to see what restrictions Sweden has in place and how that’s working in practice. I can see maybe having “pay to play” fees for sports & extracurriculars, and certainly reasonable charges for cafeteria food, but probably don’t allow any other fees or other expectation of payment for books or registration or anything else.
(Charges for failure to return a book / tablet, damage beyond normal wear & tear, or late fees for library books the students checked out are fine provided that they are reasonable and in line with what a public school would charge.)
Nobody’s doing this. Government checks are way too popular.
I didn’t specify how long the lookback period would be. And yeah, that would be one way to do it. I’m not too concerned, though, because the target market is kids whose families would never be able to afford private school otherwise. I don’t think too many families would do what you suggest.
ETA: I realize some exception would need to be made for the youngest grades.
Does the private school need to provide transportation for the students just like the public school? I assume no, but then that is a segregation tool at work - rich parents can afford to get their kids over to the private school and out of ther public one.
1 Like
That was a hypothetical question about your post, not asking about Sweden.
Most public schools provide transportation WAY above and beyond what is required. For example in the state I grew up in it’s only required for K-8 students who live more than two miles from their assigned neighborhood school and as required in a special ed student’s IEP. Well… most districts provide it for K-12 and with way less than a 2 mile radius.
Still, if your parents choose a school that’s not your assigned neighborhood school then transportation is not required nor is it typically provided.
They do provide bussing for students attending the nearest to them parochial school… I think that’s voluntary but I’m not positive. I thought they do it because they get funding per pupil to provide bussing and it’s more cost effective when you have a transportation program anyway to take the funding for the parochial school kids and provide the transportation. Like they come out ahead by doing so.
Should schools taking vouchers be required to provide transportation? I dunno… certainly not above what’s required for public schools. Maybe treat it like a lot of parochial schools and the public school provides the transportation within certain distance parameters (and the cost of doing so is not part of the voucher… that piece still goes to the public school).
Sure, I think my district provides anything outside of a 1 mile radius, or possibly closer if the route is not safe to walk. But the point is that I think in most cases, the expectation is that kids can get to the local public school on their own, either by bus or by walking.
In an extreme example, a bunch of rich kids live on a single street in a crap neighborhood with a crap public school, but their parents can all afford to transport their kids 10 miles away and use a voucher. The rest of the poor families can only send their kids to the local public school. The voucher does not fully replace the full service of the public school so you perpetuate a a broken system that locks in the have-nots.
Just pointing out the limitation of a “the private school can’t top up with more tuition”
Yup. Until you fix the crappy school, it will continue to be a crappy school.
So let’s get started on the remedy…which is not “ignore the crappy school, maybe it will just go away”
2 Likes
How do you plan to do that?
Crappy schools are crappy due mainly to poverty and very poor parenting. Less so teachers.
You can improve the teachers and facilities, but that won’t move the needle much. You will also spend a lot of $$$ for very little gain.
I seems you’ve answered your own question.
But the people in the poorer areas keep voting in people that don’t want to help them.
How do you fix that?
Sweet dreams are made of these.
Who am I to disagree.
Some of them want to use you.
Some of them want to be abused.
Similar article to the one above on NC, this time featuring Mississippi