[atmavatar]

The Republican dream for education has been to introduce vouchers so the wealthy can get a big break off their private schooling costs while simultaneously draining tax dollars out of the public education system. Ultimately, it will either force the public school system to start charging fees or close shop in favor of private alternatives, and the vouchers will inevitably fall short of the total cost presented to parents, ensuring the poor lose access to education entirely.

[ohnoitsahuman]

Public schools are so good that nobody would use their vouchers for private school.

Right?

[dkh]

That’s why you make public schools better instead of drain more money from them to give a limited number of people lifeboats. It doesn’t matter if individuals acting in their own interest would choose to use them. Of course they’d use the vouchers for their own kids even if that meant a little less money available for public schools.

The fact that people would use the vouchers is not proof that the vouchers are a good idea or that public schools are not. It is simply the very predictable outcome of pretty much any time you give individuals the choice to act in their own self-interest over the needs of the population as a whole.

Many/most people if given the choice would also opt to skip jury duty, or to not pay taxes, or to cut to the front of busy lines. This is not evidence that those things are bad. It is evidence that you can’t give them the choice

[foogazi]

Private schools already exist, why does private enterprise need the government’s help ?

Besides people already pay for public schools all the time by moving to an area with “good schools”. So the answer is to adequately fund public schools.

It’s a distributive effect of the social safety net

[kelipso]

Currently, your property tax (well, the property tax of everyone in your administrative district) pays for your local public schools. Consider this as school tuition.

But this disincentives people from sending their kids to private schools since they would then be paying tuition twice, once via property tax to the local public school and second to the private school.

One solution is school vouchers where you use the property tax money for the private school tuition. Makes the public schools compete fairly with the private schools and allows not so well off folks to send their kids to private schools if they want.

Should I as a parent be forced to send my kids to a shitty school because of where I am residing and my lack of wealth?

[foogazi]

> But this disincentives people from sending their kids to private schools since they would then be paying tuition twice, once via property tax to the local public school and second to the private school.

Why does the funding-type of the schools matter?

Does a public police force disincentivize people from hiring private security body-guards?

I’m not a criminal I don’t need police to be following me around, checking my speed on the highway

Do I need a private security voucher ?

[kelipso]

> Does a public police force disincentivize people from hiring private security body-guards?

Yes of course, but you are asking if you need private security for everyone using vouchers. We as a society have decided that having police is better for society instead of private security vouchers due to various reasons.

However, this question for schools remain open.

(Also, did I say the funding type of the schools matter? That’s a different discussion.)

The question remains open because different schools provide different types and quality of education (good schools, bad schools, religious schools, schools focused on science or arts, schools with different teaching methods, schools with gang violence, etc). Therefore, parents should be able to choose the schools they send their kids to despite their circumstances, and we as a society should enable them that choice.

My statement was about incentives for parents. If you want to enable parents the choices, one way to improve the incentives is school vouchers.

[foogazi]

> Therefore, parents should be able to choose the schools they send their kids to despite their circumstances, and we as a society should enable them that choice.

I don't think you clearly explained why they can't already choose.

People vote with their wallets and their feet all the time.

At what price should "we as a society" enable parents to send their kids to any school they want ?