The Second of Only Two Truths About School Vouchers

For the First Truth About School Vouchers, click HERE.

The Second Truth About School Vouchers: School vouchers are about dismantling public education, by starving public schools of adequate resources.

Public schools are funded to serve all children. Children with less than average needs, children with average needs, and children with above average needs.  The way public schools are currently (and inadequately funded) requires a little economy of scale. 

When all students are essentially funded the same (and yes, I understand weighted funding), the public school can only serve ANY and every student that enrolls because its funding resources are pooled (and yes, I understand dedicated funding).  The surplus from students requiring fewer resources are shared with students requiring more resources.

However, when school vouchers are introduced, this delicate funding balance (and it is delicate because public schools are woefully underfunded) is upended.

Why is this the case?  Ignore the flowery falsehoods spread by anti-public school politicians, school vouchers are not used to educate students requiring extra resources (poor, LEP, Special Education, etc.). School vouchers are used to educate the easy to teach.  Because private schools are not required to teach ANY student that shows up at their doors. Private schools are allowed to EXCLUDE and SAY NO for any reason, at their sole discretion.

The math is brutally simple. Subtract the funding of students not requiring extra resources and there is no surplus to use with needier students.  Which means that the public school now has to cut required services for the students that need them the most. 

Which then makes public schools seemingly less effective, thus “validating” the need for more school vouchers.

School vouchers represent an orchestrated doom loop that victimizes a public trust for elitist and anti-democratic gain.

Shameful.

Think. Work. Achieve.

Your turn...

• Call Jo at (832) 477-LEAD to order your campus set of “The Fundamental 5: The Formula for Quality Instruction.” Individual copies available on Amazon.com!  http://tinyurl.com/Fundamental5 
• Upcoming Conference Presentations: The National Principals Conference; The Fundamental 5 National Summit (Keynote) 
• Now at the Apple App Store: Fun 5 Timer (Fundamental 5 Delivery Tool); PowerWalks 
• Follow Sean Cain and LYS on www.Twitter.com/LYSNation  and like Lead Your School on Facebook

The First of Only Two Truths About Vouchers

The First Truth About Vouchers: They are really about tax breaks and subsidies for the affluent. 

Who attends private schools now? Overwhelmingly, the children of the upper middle class and the affluent.  Solely, due to their own personal choice, these people pay both private school tuition and public school taxes.  If their public school taxes are diverted back to them as a voucher that can be used to reduce the cost of private school tuition, that is the same as giving these upper middle class and affluent families a tax subsidy.

Meaning that the only choice that a school voucher represents is the political choice to disguise a tax cut for those who need it the least. 

For the Second Truth About Vouchers, click HERE.

Think. Work. Achieve.

Your turn...

• Call Jo at (832) 477-LEAD to order your campus set of “The Fundamental 5: The Formula for Quality Instruction.” Individual copies available on Amazon.com!  http://tinyurl.com/Fundamental5 
• Upcoming Conference Presentations: Virginia Middle and High School Principals Conference; The National Principals Conference; The Fundamental 5 National Summit (Keynote) 
• Now at the Apple App Store: Fun 5 Timer (Fundamental 5 Delivery Tool); PowerWalks CLC (Networked Formative Observation Tool) 
• Follow Sean Cain and LYS on www.Twitter.com/LYSNation  and like Lead Your School on Facebook

Vouchers - The Lie of My Money Follows My Child

“All vouchers really do is let my money follow my child.  It finally gives me a choice.”

Such a compelling and seductive lie.  Especially, if you ignore the facts.

Fact One: The typical single family’s school taxes are less than the typical voucher.  Which means that it is not YOUR money following your child. It is OUR money.  And the more school age children in the house, the less of your money is educating your children. It is a bucket load of OUR money that doing the job.

Fact Two: School choice already exists.  People select their home based on schools and school districts.  Within public school districts, schools other than the neighborhood schools can be selected. And other public school districts outside the district of residence will accept children.  So a lot of public supported, public school choice exists.  But even then, if the parent is not happy with the smorgasbord of public school choice, additional options exist. The public just isn’t going to pay for non-public selections.

Fact Three: If the parent gets to choose where the family’s tax dollars go, what about the taxpaying adult without children. Can she choose where her tax dollars go?

And here is where it gets personal.  I don’t have school aged children in my household.  Right now, my wife and I happily and willingly choose to let OUR school tax dollars support the local public schools and the children of our neighbors and fellow citizens.  Change that equation, send OUR public school tax dollars to private schools that openly SEGREGATE and EXCLUDE (as is their right) and I am no longer a happy and willing taxpayer.  And that becomes a problem for my neighbors, fellow citizens and elected officials.     

Think. Work. Achieve.

Your turn...

• Call Jo at (832) 477-LEAD to order your campus set of “The Fundamental 5: The Formula for Quality Instruction.” Individual copies available on Amazon.com!  http://tinyurl.com/Fundamental5 
• Upcoming Conference Presentations: Virginia Middle and High School Principals Conference; The National Principals Conference; The Fundamental 5 National Summit (Keynote) 
• Now at the Apple App Store: Fun 5 Timer (Fundamental 5 Delivery Tool); PowerWalks CLC (Networked Formative Observation Tool) 
• Follow Sean Cain and LYS on www.Twitter.com/LYSNation  and like Lead Your School on Facebook