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Editor's note: The Daily Herald recently asked readers if Utah should offer state-funded vouchers to pay for private-school tuition. Here are the comments we received: School vouchers will take away money from public schools.
It will not provide an equal opportunity for all children to receive an education. I do not want my tax dollars to fund private businesses. Verna Johnson, Provo Tax money should follow kids As a parent and a taxpayer, I have a vested interest in education. Vouchers, if done right, are a great idea for Utah's schools. Full per-pupil funding should follow each child so parents can truly choose where and how their children are educated. Utah Education Association President Pat Rusk seems more concerned about taxpayers who don't currently have children in school than taxpaying parents who want to ensure the best education for their children. This lack of accountability to parents of school age children results in a politically expedient, and often substandard, education. Elaine Augustine, Lehi Vouchers take resources away from proven public system I am against school vouchers. In a state like Utah, we cannot afford to use our taxes to pay families to have their children educated in a private school. We don't have enough money as it is for our public schools, and the public schools system has been effective ever since our country began. Chris Roberts, Springville School vouchers put parents back in control of education Vouchers are a good idea for Utah schools. Government controls that which they fund and educating children is not part of the proper role of government. Parents, not government have responsibility to educate children. In order to properly handle the current problems of declining performance and increased enrollment we need to move control of education back into the hands of their parents where it belongs. Vouchers would be a move in that direction. Henry Todd, Provo Make private schools follow public rules if taking vouchers If private schools are allowed to use taxpayers' money, they must operate on the same principles as a public school. They cannot deny students because of academic ability, behavioral problems nor level of parental involvement. Private schools cannot set class size limits, nor total enrollment level. They must accept every child that wants to enroll, just as a public school does. Taxes cannot be used to support schools promoting religious themes, otherwise the laws need to be changed allowing seminary credit, now denied, to count toward graduation as an elective in public schools. John Pool, Alpine Vouchers a way to make schools better by competition Even though I'm studying to become a high school science teacher, I think that it would be a great idea. It fosters a healthy sense of competition which gives public schools a reason for improving. Brian D. Beadle, Orem Vouchers step toward limiting education to select group Allowing vouchers takes our community back to the Dark Ages, when education was only for the few. School vouchers put private and elitist into education and take out public. The reason we have public education is to educate the public -- the whole public. When we begin to take public money from our public schools and give it to private entities we will deserve the negative backlash that will produce. If we think that crime and lawlessness are bad now, take away the excellence of public education and see what happens. Everyone deserves to be educated , not just a few. Susan Schow, Pleasant Grove UEA's opposition evidence vouchers good for education Does Pat Rusk honestly believe that by letting parents decide where their tax dollars should go, Utah will ultimately rob choice from taxpayers? The ridiculousness of her argument shows how desperate the establishment is becoming in justifying its stranglehold on the public education system. They realize that common sense and reason are on the side of vouchers and therefore, are forced to concoct absurd rationales for their support of the status quo. Adam Dynes, administrative assistant, Parents for Choice in Education, Salt Lake City Vouchers take money away from underfunded schools Public education has been provided for many years to benefit the public good. People have always been able to send their children to private schools at their own expense, but tax money was to be used for the public good, not individual desires. If people want to send their children to private schools, they should pay for them themselves and not expect the taxpayers to help them. Tax money should be used for public schools which have been underfunded by our Legislature for decades. Taking more money away from public schools will only hurt them more. Perry Forsberg, Bountiful Public money never intended for supporting elitist schools I teach in a Title I school that is not failing. The parents in my school happen to like our school, but if they want to go somewhere else in our public school system, they have many choices. Besides, the voucher bills I've seen have never offered enough money for our parents to take advantage of private school. Few private schools will accept the types of students I see as really needing them: behavior problems, ESL, learning problems. I don't like to see public money supporting institutions that can reject anyone they like. Use public dollars to support public institutions. Mary C. Lamb, Salt Lake City
This story appeared in The Daily Herald on page A5.
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