School "Privatization"

[FeynmanWannabe]

I think this is a really interesting topic that should have a home here. I enclosed the world "privatization" in quotes because I'm including charter schools bceause although they aren't technically private they do fall under the topic of school choice.

Does anyone have any thoughts or experience with school vouchers (anyone here from Chile? haha), charter schools, etc?

[Broken Parachute]

I don't know if it falls under what you mean but my school is a Catholic Private School. We're not strictly Catholic as far as students who come to the school though, we have kids of many races and religions in the school.

[noodledancer]

people say they want to "level the playing field" so why not have a voucher program? i think a little competition might push public schools to improve if they don't have a "monopoly" on education.

[boekebong]

people say they want to "level the playing field" so why not have a voucher program? i think a little competition might push public schools to improve if they don't have a "monopoly" on education.


I guess the argument agains that would be that it's still an issue of access. If you're wealthy enough to research schools, find transportation, test well to get in, etc., the system will work great for you. If you're at a failing school with little prospects, there's not necessarily convincing evidence that vouchers will allow you to go someplace better.

I haven't made up my mind on this one, so I'll be willing to play both sides.

[FeynmanWannabe]

people say they want to "level the playing field" so why not have a voucher program? i think a little competition might push public schools to improve if they don't have a "monopoly" on education.

The thing with vouchers, though, is that schools will inevitably raise their tuition bills. Say each student is given a voucher for $10,000 to use at the school of the their choice. Their choices are limited once, if you parallel this vision of education with a a parket system, tuition rates are raised so that the only students with the opportunity to attend these schools are those whos parents are capable of supplementing however much they receive through the voucher program. It will then be a question of access.

[noodledancer]

I guess the argument agains that would be that it's still an issue of access. If you're wealthy enough to research schools, find transportation, test well to get in, etc., the system will work great for you. If you're at a failing school with little prospects, there's not necessarily convincing evidence that vouchers will allow you to go someplace better.

I haven't made up my mind on this one, so I'll be willing to play both sides. i thought the whole point is to give access to people who otherwise wouldn't be able to afford alternatives to public schools. i dunno, i just feel like instead of trying something to improve education, we pick every potential program apart & ultimately do nothing. increasing the number of high school guidance counselors will not send more kids to college- not stranding bright kids in failing schools because their families are poor, might.

[noodledancer]

The thing with vouchers, though, is that schools will inevitably raise their tuition bills. Say each student is given a voucher for $10,000 to use at the school of the their choice. Their choices are limited once, if you parallel this vision of education with a a parket system, tuition rates are raised so that the only students with the opportunity to attend these schools are those whos parents are capable of supplementing however much they receive through the voucher program. It will then be a question of access. i guess i live in a delusional world where schools wouldn't do that. since the point is to improve access, wouldn't voucher values be determined relative to tuition rates & what families can afford? i mean, at some point even affluent parents wouldn't be willing to pay inflated tuitions.