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November 9, 2007
More post-mortem on Utah voucher defeatEducation groups and columnists in states that have been recent hotbeds of school voucher activity are weighing in on this week's decisive defeat of vouchers by Utah voters.
In Georgia, where the state legislature narrowly created a special education voucher program earlier this year, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution's Jay Bookman provides a clinical assessment of why voters have again rejected vouchers.
"...Using taxpayer dollars to finance private education would bleed money, students and political support from public schools. Vouchers would represent an act of surrender, cutting large numbers of children adrift to fend for themselves."
In South Carolina, where Democratic and Republican lawmakers have rebuffed recent proposals to enact tuition tax credits and vouchers and where the defeated Patrick Byrne is contemplating taking his voucher crusade next, a new coalition of African-American educators and clergy this week launched Voices for Public Education, spearheaded by the South Carolina School Boards Association and aimed at opposing future voucher plans. Former South Carolina Governor and U.S. Secretary of Education Richard Riley helped launched the coalition.
Rev. Joe Darby, pastor of Morris Brown AME Church in Charleston and a member of the coalition steering committee, said in a written statement that vouchers would “turn back the progress” of those who fought for integrated public schools.
"The truth is that the overwhelming silent majority of African-American citizens and clergy in South Carolina support public education, and I look forward to mobilizing and giving voice to that silent majority. The truth is that while many public schools have a long way to go to achieve optimal results, they should be given the chance to do so through state wide equity in funding, facilities, equipment and personnel before new, dubious and unproven strategies are employed.”
BoardBuzz also wants to give a shout out to Open Forum, the cool blog of the Associated School Boards of South Dakota, which also had a few words on the Utah vote.
Posted November 9, 2007 10:52 AM | Privatization & Choice
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