Why Support School Vouchers?
Ask Yourself These Questions.

In 1997, Mayor Schundler became the first Jersey City Mayor, of any party, to be elected to two full terms in 30 years. He is probably best known nationally as a leader in the fight for public and private school choice. An amended version of charter school legislation, which he authored, has recently become law in New Jersey.

Imagine that your local, governmentally-managed school is dangerous, or educationally dysfunctional. Would you want to be able to enroll your child elsewhere, or do you think that you should be forced to send your child to that dysfunctional school?

Most parents believe that they should be free to enroll their child in a privately-managed school if the governmentally-managed school in their local neighborhood is dangerous or educationally dysfunctional. Note, for instance, that President Clinton enrolled Chelsea in a privately-managed school.

Should the right to exercise school choice be limited to those of financial means, or should poor parents also be empowered to search out the best school available for each of their children?

There are some people (usually people with the financial means to be able to make a choice for their own children), who believe that only those who can pay themselves for privately-managed schools should be able to exercise school choice. President Clinton is one such person. He thought it was proper that he was able to make a choice to send Chelsea to a private school, but he has never believed that poor people should be empowered to make that same choice. Yet it should come as no surprise that poor people disagree with the President. All national polls show that a significant majority of low-income Americans support governmentally-funded school vouchers.

What should be the goal of governmental education policy, ensuring that every child receives a great education, or maximizing the market share of governmentally-managed schools?

If what we care about is the education of children, not the market share of government monopolies, then we should tear down the wall that keeps community, business, and religious groups from being able to compete to create better schools.

Is what is best for one child always what is best for another child?

Some people oppose school vouchers because they believe that enrolling all children in a "Common School" will guarantee that all children have the same educational opportunity. But putting all children into a "Common School" does not guarantee equal educational opportunity, because not all children thrive in the same educational environment, or in response to the same pedagogical approach. The goal of equal opportunity would best be served by allowing an array of educational providers to create an array of different schools, and then allowing parents to review the available options and enroll their child in the program that is best tailored to their child's particular needs.

Why are the most racially, economically, and ethnically integrated urban schools those which maintain rigorous educational and behavioral standards?

Some people say that school vouchers would exacerbate racial, economic, and ethnic segregation. But the truth is that the most popularly chosen schools in our cities (as evidenced by having the longest waiting lists) are those most racially, economically, and ethnically integrated. This is true in our cities for both governmentally-managed schools and privately-managed schools. What makes these schools popular -- and results in people of all races, classes, and ethnicities running to them -- is the fact that they also typically have the most rigorous educational and behavioral standards.

Should religious groups be permitted to force your children to learn their values? Should non-religious groups be permitted to force your children to learn their values?

The answer to both of these questions should be "no." But currently, religious parents who cannot afford either to home school their children, or to pay for private school tuition, are mandated by law to send their children to schools which teach many non-religious values with which these parents disagree.

What percentage of residents in your community attend school board budget hearings? What percentage of residents in your community inspect a car before purchasing it?

Some opponents of school choice say it will never work because parents do not care about their children. As evidence, they point to the fact that very few parents attend School Board meetings. But when you ask parents why they don't attend School Board meetings, they do not believe they will be listened to, yet these same parents, almost universally, do visit the car lot before they buy a new car. They don't just send money and take whatever the dealer has available. The reason they go to the lot is because they know they have a choice, and that their inspecting the available vehicles will ensure they get a good car. It is the same way with education. Districts which have instituted different varieties of school choice have experienced a significant increase in parental involvement in education.

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Hudson County, New Jersey is a place of many firsts - including genocide and slavery.
Political corruption is a tradition here.
First in a series by Anthony Olszewski – Click HERE to find out more.

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