Voucher results mixed

J Rod wrote:

Sounds to me like they should move all students out of the public school system. If the results are nearly similar and they get a voucher for 5K they are able to provide the same or better results that the public schools where the cost per pupil was $10,173.00. That would cut the cost of education in half.

You might run into a bit of a capacity problem there, J Rod. The schools that currently accept voucher students are running at about their top levels--and only educate a very small proportion of students. What guarantee is there that by ramping up to include the entire population such an outcome/cost ratio could be maintained? At at what cost of upheaval?

common sense wrote:

<quoted text>
No education is NOT like insurance and this is UNCONSTITUTIONAL.
We ALL are forced by GOVERNMENT to pay for schools whether you are a parent or not. SO parents should not have tthe option to send a child ON ALL OF OUR TAXPAYER dollars to a RELIGIOUS school it is UNCONSTITUTIONAL!!! Not only is it rip off it is by definition government PROMOTING RELIGION. Muslim schools are popping up due to this unconstitutional ****!!!
So we stand in disagreement as to the constitutionality of taxpayer dollars going to support religious schools. Pay for it yourself if you want religion do not ask me to pay you fascist!!

There is really only one opinion that counts when it comes to Constitutionality and that is the Supreme Court--which has already ruled on Ohio's voucher plan.

common sense wrote:

<quoted text>
No education is NOT like insurance and this is UNCONSTITUTIONAL.
We ALL are forced by GOVERNMENT to pay for schools whether you are a parent or not. SO parents should not have tthe option to send a child ON ALL OF OUR TAXPAYER dollars to a RELIGIOUS school it is UNCONSTITUTIONAL!!! Not only is it rip off it is by definition government PROMOTING RELIGION. Muslim schools are popping up due to this unconstitutional ****!!!
So we stand in disagreement as to the constitutionality of taxpayer dollars going to support religious schools. Pay for it yourself if you want religion do not ask me to pay you fascist!!

Funny you call me a fascist when I am a liberal agnostic and would be the first to protest if religion were brought to my child's public school. I truly feel vouchers give disadvantaged students a leg up, regardless of whether they CHOOSE a religious school or not.

Regarding the constitutionality of vouchers it comes down to being the parent's choice, not the state's that makes the difference. See the below court case which demonstrates that point:

Zelman v. Simmons-Harris, 536 U.S. 639 (2002)

The Supreme Court ruled that the Ohio program did not violate the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment to the United States Constitution, because it passed a five-part test developed by the Court in this case, titled the Private Choice Test.

Under the Private Choice Test developed by the court, for a voucher program to be constitutional it must meet all of the following criteria:

* the program must have a valid secular purpose,
* aid must go to parents and not to the schools,
* a broad class of beneficiaries must be covered,
* the program must be neutral with respect to religion, and
* there must be adequate nonreligious options.

The court ruled that the Ohio program met the five-part test in that 1) the valid secular purpose of the program was "providing educational assistance to poor children in a demonstrably failing public school system", 2) the vouchers were given to the parents, 3) the "broad class" was all students enrolled in currently failing programs, 4) parents who received vouchers were not required to enroll in a religious-based school, and 5) there were other public schools in adjoining districts, as well as non-sectarian private schools in the Cleveland area, available that would accept vouchers.

Reader wrote:

<quoted text>
There is really only one opinion that counts when it comes to Constitutionality and that is the Supreme Court--which has already ruled on Ohio's voucher plan.

The Supreme Court is not always right humans are involved. Abortion is LEGAL and supported by the constitution (privacy/property) and right to lifers say the Supreme court is wrong so go soak your head fool.
You ar not right you are in disagreement with me.

Voice of Reason wrote:

<quoted text>
Funny you call me a fascist when I am a liberal agnostic and would be the first to protest if religion were brought to my child's public school. I truly feel vouchers give disadvantaged students a leg up, regardless of whether they CHOOSE a religious school or not.
Regarding the constitutionality of vouchers it comes down to being the parent's choice, not the state's that makes the difference. See the below court case which demonstrates that point:
Zelman v. Simmons-Harris, 536 U.S. 639 (2002)
The Supreme Court ruled that the Ohio program did not violate the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment to the United States Constitution, because it passed a five-part test developed by the Court in this case, titled the Private Choice Test.
Under the Private Choice Test developed by the court, for a voucher program to be constitutional it must meet all of the following criteria:
* the program must have a valid secular purpose,
* aid must go to parents and not to the schools,
* a broad class of beneficiaries must be covered,
* the program must be neutral with respect to religion, and
* there must be adequate nonreligious options.
The court ruled that the Ohio program met the five-part test in that 1) the valid secular purpose of the program was "providing educational assistance to poor children in a demonstrably failing public school system", 2) the vouchers were given to the parents, 3) the "broad class" was all students enrolled in currently failing programs, 4) parents who received vouchers were not required to enroll in a religious-based school, and 5) there were other public schools in adjoining districts, as well as non-sectarian private schools in the Cleveland area, available that would accept vouchers.

Not funny not really...

TAXPAYER dollars of anyone's should not be spent in a "religious" school period. I do not care how you or anyone else dances around this. It is fascistic to FORCE me to pay for religious schooling for poor or rich.
I do not care how you MANIPULATE it it is unconstitutional. It is against MY rights not to participate in religion you idiot. Can I opt out? NO case closed.

Public schools are more expensive than most private schools. We can't afford them. Government should not compete with private enterprise.

I just can’t get my head around “failing schools". Mind blowing to say the least, after all this is America, one of the greatest countries in the world!!!! How long can that last if we have “failing schools”? Our children are our future wouldn’t you agree?. Forget vouchers how can we fix the problem of failing schools? Why is no one asking that question.

"Failing parent" NOT "failing schools" is the comment.

People in this country want to have sex, have the child, leave and do what they want, but the school better succeed. How stupid is that? Ask yourself. I think we will be luck ANY teachers sign up in the future with this ignorant Oprah-fied society living in a fantasy world!!

ALL you hear and read are EXCUSES for parents, and tax credits, and special treatment on the job as a protected class, bullshit!