Prop. 38 Essay, Research Paper

?School Vouchers?

School vouchers are the educational topic of the millennium. In California, if Prop. 38 were passed it would grant K-12 students a $4,000-a-year voucher to receive private schooling. This proposition has some ups and some downs in my viewpoint and in this paper I will tell you about school vouchers, I will also tell you about the opponents and the supporters of the bill, the candidates for President stance on the issue and finally my thoughts about school vouchers.

?? Proposition 38, the initiative that would grant a $4,000-a-year voucher to K-12 students to attend a private school??(Saunders A-24). The vouchers have been tested in a few cities including Dayton, Ohio, Washington D.C. and New York. Some bad news for supporters of Prop. 38 were that ?? students offered the vouchers ? 47 percent in Washington, 46 percent in Dayton and 24 percent in New York- did not use them?(Zernike 2).

?Its poor kids who lack options? and public schools know a captive society when they see it. They can under educate the kids with little negative effect?(Saunders A-24). Most Supporters of Prop. 38 want to do things for the better of Americas Children. They say that this bill will better education for all students not just the ones who get into private school. This they say is true because the vouchers will bring up competition among schools and force them to better their acts. ?? for most Americans public education is the only option?(So You Wanna Know? 1). They say that this will finally give all children a chance to go private school or at least get into the private school atmosphere.

A fact brought up by an opponent of the proposition was ?? there was no significant test score difference between students who attended private school and the students who attended public school?(Zernike 1). The foes also state, ?School vouchers are the fools gold of educational reform?(Wickham 29A). They are trying to get across their point that school vouchers are not the way to go.

In the 2000 Election, there are two major candidates, Al Gore and George W. Bush. Al Gore seems to want to get a higher level of education for America?s kids and he also knows how much a good education is worth in this country. George W. Bush also wants the betterment of America?s education. Both Candidates take education into high regard. This election will better the education quality of America by a long shot.

I?m kind of unsure whether or not I?d vote for Prop. 38. This bill would be good if all the kids were guaranteed a spot in a private school or to be in the private school atmosphere, but thy are not. This is why it makes me unsure whether or not I?d vote for the bill. If there was a guarantee in vote YES without a doubt.

In conclusion, I have told you about school vouchers. Like I said school vouchers would be more likely to get passed if they had a guarantee. I guess it would not hurt to try something new because its darn sure that what were doing now is not working as well as it is supposed to. I guess its save for me to say VOTE YES ON 38.

? Bush, George W. ?The Battle Over School Choice PBS Interview?, Frontline.10/02/2000

? Gore, Al. ?The Battle Over School Choice PBS Interview?, Frontline.10/02/2000

? Saunders, Debra J. ?A Lifeline For Poor Kids In Bad Schools? San Francisco Chronicle. 20 September 2000, A-24

? ?So You Wanna Know About School Vouchers?, soyouwanna.com, 14 September 2000: 1-4

Http://www.soyouwanna.com/site/pros_cons/vouchersFULL.html

? Stockton Teachers Association 30 August 2000

? Wickham, Dewayne. ?Vouchers Help Too few Students? USA Today. 4 September 2000: 29-A