Utah Voucher Information
If anyone is looking for last minute information on vouchers, several posts and comments can be found below. Also, I'll refer you to this blog I just discovered and the analysis there.
My summation is that vouchers surely wouldn't hurt public education and surely would improve the lives of some children who need something different.
My summation is that vouchers surely wouldn't hurt public education and surely would improve the lives of some children who need something different.
posted by steve u. at 11/05/2007
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10 Comments:
What about Utah taxpayers Steve?
I think it's pretty clear that this program will subsidize plenty of private school students who really don't need it, while not coming close to helping most of those who really do. In fact, according to the projections by the LFA, that's primarily what it will end up doing.
Wouldn't we all be better served by a program that did the most good for the least amount of taxpayer resources?
Thanks for the link Steve. See you at the polls.
And Don, vouchers will help plenty of people, and will help public schools too. It's a win win.
This has been my favorite voucher blog, http://accountabilityfirst.blogspot.com/ and I'm a lifelong Republican by the way.
Win win means it is good for everyone and everyone can accept an outcome. 61% of Utahns do not think vouchers are an acceptable outcome.
Vouchers are not win win, that is why we have a Referendum.
Well Cameron, we'll just have to agree to disagree on that one. I think it's pretty clear that this voucher program will primarily "help" those who don't really need it.
HB148 is a loser for Utah taxpayers, a loser for public schools and a loser for the majority of those who really need some help. The only "winners" under this bill are those who would have used private schools regardless of the voucher and a relative few poor people who truly need the help.
Steve,
I find it interesting in all the anti and pro-voucher rhetoric that not one person has hit the real nail on the head - The only true predictor of the educational success of a child is the mysteriously unaddressed "third leg of the education stool" - the parent. It doesn't matter where a child receives an education - in public, private, or homeschool -
if the parent supports the educational efforts of his child and the institution he/she attends, the child succeeds. If the parent is not intentional and involved in supporting the child's educational needs, including sending him/her to school on a daily basis, and seeing to it that the child studies and reads at home, the child will fail. It has much less to do with the building or system in which the child is educated and everything to do with the parents' involvement in and attitude toward education.
Vouchers will make an ever-widening gap between the "haves and have-nots" only wider and will create "public education slums."
Remember, let's try to be gracious in victory. There are lots of good, sincere people on the "pro" side.
Oops. Should I wait until 8:01?
Public education slums??? Please elaborate on that one.
Don, I obviously see it quite differently than you do, but I appreciate the dialogue. I agree with Rep. Urquhart that the voucher discussions have spurred a lot of interest in Utah schools, so regardless of the outcome of the referendum I hope that interest in improvement will remain.
Anon, I agree that parents can have a huge impact on a child's performance in school, however a good school and a good teacher can help a child excel even if they don't have involved parents. A good teacher can even help children that do have involved parents. Mr. Brickley was my favorite teacher, and though I was already a good student, and had "good" parents, he pushed me to excel. Environment does matter. Good teachers and good schools do matter. Referendum 1 will help to create more of them.
KUTV Reporter to Patrick Byrne: Why do you think people didn't buy this (voucher program)?
Patrick Byrne: I don't think they care about kids.
Patrick Byrne=major douchebag. With a supporter like him vouchers will go nowhere fast in Utah. What a complete jerk.
Cameron seems like a nice guy but he is just another sheep following the Holy Utah Church of the GOP knows best.
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