School Vouchers: A Harmful Choice Essay -- Argumentative Persuasive Ed

School Vouchers A Harmful ChoiceSince entering office in January, President George W. Bush has given discipline reform high priority on his agenda. One element of his four-point initiative involves the implementation of school vouchers. A voucher, as defined in The American heritage Dictionary, is a certificate representing a credit against future expenditures. (The American Heritage) By diverting tax dollars from public schools to private institutions through the use of vouchers, Americas public cultivation system will become less effective, students from low income families will be set further behind, and the First Amendment will be directly violated.The conservative economic expert Milton Friedman first suggested the concept of school vouchers in 1955. He laid out a plan, to return tax monies to parents of school-aged children for tuition use in a diversity of authorized public and private educational settings. (Noll 193) Now, President Bush embraces Friedmans philosophy with his four-point education initiative. In his plan, Bush advocates (1) annual testing in reading and maths in every primary grade (2) empowering schools and school districts to implement reforms and (3) federal government assistance in transition to higher standards. Most significantly, Bush says in his final point, (4) If any school consistently fails to meet minimal standards for three consecutive years, vouchers will be offered so that children can go to the school of their selection, kinda than the choice of the government. (Thomas 1) For the most part, liberal Democrats, such as Edward Kennedy of Massachusetts, agree with the first three elements of Bushs proposal but party lines are drawn over vouchers (Thomas 1). nether Bushs proposal, stu... ...homas, Cal. Bush Wont Leave Kids in Bad Schools. The Grand Rapids Press. 26 Jan 2001 A13 pp. Bell and Howell Information and Learning-Proquest. 6 Mar 2001. Vouchers. National Education Association. . 8 Mar 2001. Vouchers disregard B ushs Chance to Unite Rather Than Divide. National Education Association. 23 Jan 2001. . 8 Mar 2001.Voucher Talking Points. Rethinking Schools Online An Urban Education Journal. Fall 1998. . 8 Mar 2001.Walthers, Kevin. reflexion Yes to Vouchers Perception, Choice, and the Educational Response. Taking Sides Clashing Views on Controversial Education Issues. Ed. James Wm. Noll. Vol. 11. Guilford Dushkin/McGraw Hill, 2001. 194-201.The American Heritage Dictionary. 3rd ed. 1992.