From the Fort Worth Star-Telegram:
Voucher plans, in which some parents have access to state money to help send their kids to a private school, didn't play a big role in the 2011 legislative session. But for several sessions before that, vouchers were a perennial favorite of some of the conservative Republicans who held the top leadership posts and a voting majority in both legislative chambers.
So, how did voucher proponents manage to lose on that issue every year? Strong lobbying from public school teachers, wise legislative maneuvering by opponents and reluctance among some Republicans to fully embrace the idea all played a role.
Now a lot of things are different, maybe different enough to see a voucher bill approved and sent to Gov. Rick Perry.
The newspaper editorializes against them, stating that they will take money away from public schools, but they note that support for the program appears to be falling into place.
We cover education policy in 2306, so this might be a fruitful topic later this semester. This is a very likely future written assignment.
- Wikipedia: School Vouchers.
- NEA opposition to school vouchers.
- ADL opposition to school vouchers.
- School Choices: Issues and Arguments.
- Time: 5 myths about vouchers.
- Pro and Con from Balanced Politics.
