Tim Kearns wrote Thursday that “schools ought to be designed to educate, not to drive their competitors into the ground.” Yet when one looks at Cleveland, where the Supreme Court suit was filed, the simple fact is the school was not educating.

The inner-city schools are some of the worst-rated public schools in the nation. This issue is not about becoming the best schools. Rather, the issue is about educating children who are able to read and write instead of a generation of illiterate adults.

Additionally, Kearns wrote “Private schools lose some of their authority if they become governmentally-funded”

States currently license private schools and regulate them with health and safety guidelines.

Voucher supporter Bob Freedman explains further, “The requirements for a school to participate in the program … [is] the private schools have to agree to take the students provided through the program … not to discriminate on the basis of religion, gender or ethnicity, and finally, not to teach hatred of any group.”

These seem to be reasonable ideas, so where does the excessive regulation come into play? Yes, schools will have to meet some guidelines, but this need not be undesirable.

Parents pay their taxes and ought to have a say in where their child is educated. Public schools already get a voucher from the state depending on how many students they are educating. When a parent moves their child to another district, the district receives the money allocated to the previous school. Parents should not have to move in order to decide where their tax dollars are spent.

If one looks at the numbers, it is interesting to see that the 4,500 children enrolled in the Cleveland voucher program each receive $2,250. When compared to the average $9,000 Cleveland public schools receive for each child, it appears the public schools have a considerable amount left over to address Kearns’ “plumbing and heat” problem. If this voucher allows 4,500 students to opt out of failing schools, parents are simply exercising their right to make decisions about their children’s education.

Religion adds another dimension to vouchers. With the recent ruling on the Pledge, parents continue asking, “Where is God in our school systems?” Children are required by law to attend school, yet parents have little recourse when an aspect of life they find very important is forbidden to be taught.

Vouchers aren’t right for every district, but let each district decide what is best.

It is the Democrats who should stop thinking with their pairs and let their gelatin set up in the fridge.

Chris Hansen

Sophomore

Materials Engineering