I basically agree, but would make one distinction...
That distinction being that the voucher program, unlike a parochial school under the current system, takes funds away (re-allocates) from the public general fund and could harm general public education if we resort to some hybrid system. Parents that can most afford to "pay a premium" for their child's education enroll them in parochial schools, much the same way that Ivy Leagues operate. There are a certain number of scholarships, etc... but by and large, it is a "separate but equal" solution. But I really don't wish to go there...
Where I want to go is... My fear is... Let's suppose that we moved to a true voucher system. I can't see how this will be any better than what currently exists. There will only be so many openings in the "good" schools (roughly the equivalent to the charter schools in large public systems) and there will be limited openings in the "new private/parochial" schools which will most probably take the voucher equivalent as a base tuition and then add a "premium" to that to keep out the riffraff (the poor inner city kids) and all of a sudden we have the parents of those kids sending their kids to voucher subsidized crappy inner city schools... I know I am assuming a lot of negative events which may or may not come to pass, but the previous scenerio is possible (and in my opinion, probable).
Two things stand out in my fear, one is that the only people that will benefit from the afformentioned probable scenario are the parents who currently are sending their kids to private schools (wealthy and or middle class) and the people least likely to benefit are the poor.
Two other things to keep in mind, first, that I didn't vote - but I agree with Bush's educational plan as a bandaid (not that I trust that he personally cares, per se, but I trust his wife does) for at least some accountability in the current system. Second, what I was stating above all else in my last response (probably poorly - I'm a public school grad :-0 ) is that I believe that no matter what structural form the schools take, we need to take a much harder look at the curricula. Throughout the history of American education there has been a vocational vrs liberal arts pendulum that takes about 20 years to swing each way... The end of the industrial age and now, in this transitional period, requires us, as a society, to re-evaluate what is a minimun "requirement" for a productive citizen in a democratic society...
In other words, I'm affraid that no matter which system - modified current or voucher - unless we address the curriculum problem, we may still not get the results we want.
