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Great opinion piece on vouchers from the Wall Street Journal's Editorial Page.

The entire article is worth printing and reading, but here are a few key paragraphs:

"Utah's plan is modest, and at the same time revolutionary. It would reimburse parents sending their children to private schools between $500 and $3,000 a year based on their family income. Parents whose kids currently attend private school would not be eligible unless their income was low enough. But all new kindergartners would qualify, so that by 2020 all private school students would be eligible for vouchers.

"State Rep. Steve Urquhart, the bill's chief sponsor, says the breakthrough in winning House approval was the realization that it wouldn't harm public education. The bill stipulated that for five years after a voucher student left the public system, the district would get to keep much of the money the state had paid for his education. Given that the average district gets $3,500 from the state and the average voucher is expected to be $2,000, a typical school district would gain some $1,500 every time a student left its system.

"Mr. Urquhart was so confident of his math that he started an interactive Web site modeled after the interactive encyclopedia Wikipedia. He posted his bill on it and invited comments. Thousands of people logged on to www.politicopia.com and participated. "If anyone can show evidence (not just alarmist rhetoric) that public education does not come out financially ahead with this bill, post your arguments and data in the comment section," Mr. Urquhart challenged his readers. No one was able to effectively rebut him.

"By the time the bill came up for a floor vote, the debate was more philosophical and substantive than demagogic. "The debate was of the highest caliber that I've seen in my 13 years here," said Speaker Greg Curtis. "I find it fascinating that not a single person spread the myth that [choice] would be harmful to public education."

Later, the article addresses what turned the political tide. One factor was Rep. Urquhart's funding formula.

". . . the public also responded to the argument that no school district would be docked money if students left for private schools, and indeed that such districts would actually gain income. He said it was a necessary political concession. "It doesn't make a lot of sense, if [districts] lose a student, to be financially rewarded," he told the Deseret News. But he said it was essential to communicate that the bill was about enhancing opportunity and not taking money from public education."

You can read comments on the article here.

Kudos to the House.

2 Comments:

 Anonymous said...

Rep. Urquhart elicited hearty laughter from the gallery when he said some people are even afraid vouchers would create jihadists. England and Germany don't think it's so funny:

UK: Pupils aged five 'poisoned' at Islamic school that 'teaches hate'
According to a Muslim former teacher there. From the Daily Mail, with thanks to all who sent this in:

An Islamic school is poisoning the minds of pupils with lessons in hate, a former teacher claims.
Colin Cook, 57, says textbooks used by children as young as five at the King Fahad Academy in Acton describe Jews as "repugnant" and "apes" and Christians as "pigs".

Cook must know that this is based on the Qur'an, 2:62-65; 5:59-60; and 7:166.

Pupils have allegedly been heard saying they want to "kill Americans", praising 9/11 and idolising Osama bin Laden as their "hero".
There are fears that it could become a breeding ground for terrorists with Mr Cook warning: "The school could produce a dangerous harvest."

Its sister school of the same name in Bonn has been singled out by the German intelligence services as a meeting place for activists linked to terrorism.

Mr Cook, a Muslim convert, taught English at the school for 19 years until he was sacked in December last year.

He claims he was fired after blowing the whistle on the school for covering up cheating by children in GCSE exams and is bringing a tribunal claim for unfair dismissal, race discrimination and victimisation.

He also alleges that when he complained to school management about the content of the curriculum and questioned whether it complied with British laws, he was told: "This is not England. It is Saudi Arabia".

He said that the school was "very good" until the majority of British teachers left in 2005. He said: "Since then, there has been a move towards a pro-Saudi agenda.

"It is clearly racist and very divisive. I understand now why the pupils express anti-Western views at school. It is deeply immoral to put such ideas into the heads of young children."

From jihadwatch.org

2/06/2007 8:41 AM  

 tranformers in the sky said...

There have been such "jihad" schools in areas like Florida that have received voucher funds. It is unlikely that there would be any in Utah, but it's no secret that some Muslims are among vouchers' biggest supporters. What if a group with beliefs other than what the "majority" here in Utah DOES want to found some school and receive vouchers?

Imagine a "gay" school--oops, there's been one of those too.

2/12/2007 10:29 AM  

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