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Politics : PRESIDENT GEORGE W. BUSH -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Kevin Rose who wrote (238671)	3/16/2002 5:35:05 PM
From: Gordon A. Langston	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 769670

Kevin Between you and me (and the millions on SI) vouchers have some limited practical value but immense psychological power. In my mind they are a club to bring reform. They are a reminder to the politicians, administration, and teachers that we are talking about not only OUR children but OUR tax money, not the State's. I see no value in defending public schools on anything less than a quality issue. Experiments in fundamental schools in Santa Ana, for instance, reveal many parents who want this reform. The schools have parents support and can maintain discipline and standards in a way that typically does not happen in other schools. These are still public schools but require some real effort by parents to get their kids in and keep them there. And the kids know it. No social promotions and no dumbing down tests. It is not economic levels but interest levels IMHO that drive this issue. I concede correlation only to a point but it is not causation. I doubt if vouchers passed that we would see a wild scramble to leave public schools. The majority WANT public schools and WANT them to be the solid institutions they used to be but they are feeling increasingly desperate.