Why I am opposed to vouchers.

I have had several queries asking about my position on vouchers or asking why I oppose them. Here is my response.

1. The main reason I oppose universal vouchers in Utah is financial. It will cost Utah money and we don't have any to spare.

* Before I ran for school board, I was in support of vouchers because I believed that they would save Utah taxpayers money and that they would put more dollars into public ed. That argument is basically the "Oreo cookie" analogy that was given during the voucher debates. I have learned that education funding isn't quite as simple as Oreo cookies and that the truth about vouchers is that they will cost Utah a great deal of money.

* Utah currently has 19,000 private school students that Utah is paying NOTHING for. In order for vouchers to save us any money, we would need to have OVER 19,000 additional students leave public schools.

* The Oreo cookie analogy used an average per pupil cost. But the truth is, that some students cost much more to educate and some cost less. That's what "average" is. As a general rule, the students who leave to attend private schools with a voucher are the "below average" ($$) to educate. The most expensive students are left behind to educate with less money.

2. Another reason I oppose universal vouchers is that I don't believe that taxpayers should subsidize wealthy parents to send their children to private schools. I have friends who send their children to expensive private schools and they agreed with me on this issue.

* I believe that parents already have educational "choice" for their children: public schools, private schools, charter schools, home school. Proponents for universal vouchers say that the parents who choose private school are "paying twice" because they pay taxes for public schools. EVERYONE pays taxes, including old people, businesses and childless couples.

* Here is a dangerous assumption: that the taxes we individually pay should serve us personally. If we each have a right to "use" what we pay in taxes for our personal use, then we have lost the whole idea of cities, counties, states or country. We collectively pay taxes to serve the common good: roads, sewers, electricity, police, parks, libraries, schools, etc. To say that those who send their children to private schools should get some of ‘their' tax dollars back is like suggesting that those of us who don't use the libraries, roads, buses, postal services, or parks should not have to pay for them. If I choose to use a private security company for my protection, can I have a rebate on my taxes please? Can I have a tax credit for sending my kids to a private university? Ridiculous. Our forebears understood the common good that comes from an educated society. They recognized that the best way to improve the circumstances of the poor is to educate them. Public schools do that.

3. There is not a single other state in the nation who has passed universal vouchers. The largest voucher programs are in two of the lowest performing districts in the nation. (Milwaukee and Washington DC)

* I have spent the past six years studying vouchers. I have a huge file about vouchers in other states and the effect they are having both economically and educationally. The conclusion: vouchers are NOT working. Why should the state who is dead last in per pupil funding be the national experiment?

* There are some interesting studies from the Utah Foundation that talk about education funding in Utah. The last one is entitled "How Much Can $3,702 Buy?" That's how far below average Utah is in comparison with 10 other states with similar demographics. I believe we need to make a greater effort in Utah to adequately fund our student's education and vouchers are not the way.

One last concern I have about vouchers. There are some who believe that ALL education should be privatized and vouchers is the way to do that. I believe that shifting the burden of education to families not only will burden families, but could lead to a great division in our society based on the opportunities for education that some will have and others will not. Education based on the ability to pay. Public education is a great unifying force in our country, giving opportunity to every child to seek the American dream. Our forebears recognized the value of an educated populace and decided it was a "common good" worth funding. I agree.