Ogden Standard-Examiner

Vouchers spur competition and provide parents more options for schools

October 25, 2007

By Doug Gibson

http://www.standard.net/live/opinion/topofutahvoices/117002/

It will be a real shame if Utah voters reject the Legislature's school voucher plan on Nov. 6. Utah's plan is unique. It will be the first universal voucher program. Previous voucher plans have been limited to lower-income students or areas with unpopular public schools.

The voucher plan, if passed, will test Milton Friedman's 1955 essay, "The Role of Government in Education," which started the school voucher push. Friedman opined that universal vouchers would, one, provide parents opportunities to select the best school for a child and, two, promote competition between schools, thereby improving the quality of the schools.

There has been so much disinformation spread in political ads this fall that a reminder of what the voucher bill offers is needed. The plan:

* offers school scholarship vouchers of between $500 and $3,000, depending on a family's income;

* states the amount of remaining public money after the voucher deduction -- roughly between $4,000 and $6,500 -- for a private school student remains with the public school annually for at least five years;

* requires that private schools receiving voucher assistance report standards criteria that includes test results, teacher qualifications and accounting procedures. It is highly unlikely that a substandard private school could pass muster under Utah's plan;

* is likely to be approved -- based on past decision -- if it reaches the U.S. Supreme Court.

Public schools have a taxpayer-funded advantage on other schools. Teachers unions and many public educators fear that a voucher system will lessen their influence with the Legislature. They worry that long-term funding will decrease if vouchers become popular.

I'm not going to play with Oreos and try to soothe the public education system. Loss of influence and public money will occur if in five years or more vouchers have helped move many private schools to parity with public schools.

Parity increases competition, and that's a good deal for parents, students ... and all schools that embrace competition. In most Utah communities, public schools will always have an advantage. We have a strong public school system in Utah. Our family plans on keeping our children in public schools. I believe public schools in Utah will embrace competition and maintain high standards.

But not every parent is satisfied with public education. Not every student is right for the public education system. Responsible parents deserve more educational choices for their children. Vouchers are not a handout. We all pay for public education. Getting a voucher is one tool toward finding the education that is best for an individual child. Public schools may be best for most kids, but no honest person can claim it's the best fit for all children.

And it is unfair for public education to tell parents stuck with schools that do not work for their children that the only solution is to throw more public cash to public schools. Such idle promises have led to parental activism that created successful school voucher programs in many U.S. communities.

There are two compelling reasons to vote yes on Referendum One:

1) Vouchers add educational options that promote competition between schools, and 2) vouchers assist responsible parents in finding the best schools for their children.

Gov. Huntsman was right when he urged voters to study the voucher issue. Those who take the time to look closely at Referendum One will support vouchers.

Gibson is the Standard-Examiner's assistant editorial page editor. He can be reached at dgibson@standard.net.