re: Would you support School Choice in your state?

You have a more optimistic outlook on it than me.

quote:

---

But if you live in a rural area and there aren't private schools available then wouldn't this will just reduce the available funds for public schools? Or reduce the amount available to kids whose parents can't afford private school tuition even with a voucher in the larger cities?

---

Ideally you might have to drive further to get to your school, but it would be a better public school.

It is cheaper for the state to pay someone $8k (which is what the amount roughly is in Florida) to send their kid to private school vs have them in public for like $12-15k per year at cost to the state.

Yes the rich who pay for $50k per year privates do get a discount, but I'd imagine that amount is far less than the savings of $4-7k per student who would have been in public but are now in a private school. A lot of families who otherwise wouldn't have chosen private now are. Competition to get into certain districts goes down.

Florida actually recently dropped the income cap on its program, which I sort of disagree with. I think if you start getting over $200-250k per year you shouldn't be eligible, but the state says the savings are so great that its irrelevant overall.

quote:

---

If public schools needing money was what was keeping them so piss poor at education then we'd have the best public education in the world as we pay way more than most other countries do.

---

What are the best countries in the world at education doing differently?

ETA: I asked Grok to help

quote:

---

Common Themes and Differences from the USA
Centralization vs. Decentralization: Singapore, Japan, and South Korea have centralized systems ensuring consistent standards, while Finland and Canada balance local control with national guidelines. The USA’s fragmented, state-driven system leads to variability in quality and outcomes.

Teacher Quality: Top countries treat teaching as a prestigious, selective profession with rigorous training and high pay. The USA struggles with teacher retention, lower relative pay, and inconsistent qualifications.

Equity: Finland, Japan, and Canada prioritize equitable funding and access, reducing achievement gaps. The USA’s reliance on local taxes exacerbates disparities, particularly for low-income students.

Assessment Philosophy: Singapore, Japan, and South Korea use high-stakes exams to drive performance, while Finland minimizes testing to foster creativity. The USA’s heavy testing culture often narrows the curriculum.

Cultural Emphasis: Top countries embed education in cultural values (e.g., South Korea’s competitiveness, Finland’s equity). The USA’s focus on individualism and extracurriculars can dilute academic rigor.

---

quote:

---

Money is not the problem with our public school system.

---

Not in directly funding the system yes, but teachers here are vastly underpaid in the USA in relation to the best countries in the world. Paying teachers more is culturally placing an emphasis on education

ETA: I should add Grok added this

quote:

---

Critical Perspective
While these countries outperform the USA on PISA (e.g., Singapore: 575 math, USA: 465 math), their systems aren’t flawless. High-stakes testing in Singapore, Japan, and South Korea can create stress and inequality, while Finland’s low-pressure model may not suit all contexts. The USA’s diversity and scale make direct adoption challenging, but its per-pupil spending ($16,080, above OECD average) suggests resources aren’t the sole issue—systemic coherence and teacher support are critical gaps.

---

The subject and the description is not consistent.

In Texas, we already have school choice. One can choose to send their children to private or public schools or home school. Your choice. The way it has been spun is maddening.

Now, vouchers - pay for private schools from public funds is horrific. Private schools don't have the same accountability as public schools and private can pick and choose who they let in. Public has to take everyone.

I was reading the House and Senate bills - neither address the requirement of private schools taking public funds being required to monitor or report the same way.

Simply not fair. And yes, it supplements the wealthy who already are sending their children to private schools.

quote:

---

If public schools needing money was what was keeping them so piss poor at education then we'd have the best public education in the world as we pay way more than most other countries do.

What public schools need is competition. School choice achieves that.

---

Private schools do not exist as a means of "bettering the public education system". That is not their role.

Private schools are an escape from public education for those who can pay the tuition. To involve state money in private education destroys the enrollment of public schools and the validity of private schools.

Yes, it is unfair to good students in failing public schools...and that's ok. Not all problems are fixable. When the parents of said children can pay the private school's tuition, congratulations! You have played the game we call America.

quote:

---

The USA’s fragmented, state-driven system leads to variability in quality and outcomes.

---

So getting rid of the DOE will exacerbate this

Did we not learn our lesson from the college tuition increases thanks to the government backed student loans? An influx of government cash is just going to lead to private schools raising their tuition. Voucher students will end up paying a discounted rate thanks to the amount their voucher covers while the parents who don’t qualify for the voucher program get stuck with paying higher tuition rates.

In the school voucher system based upon financial qualification (lower class and lower middle class get the voucher)

Public School parents - pay their tax money for their "free" public school

Voucher Parents - pay their tax money for the "free" public school with some being rerouted for their voucher money

Non-qualifying Private School Parents - pay for the "free" public education, a portion of the private education of the Voucher-qualifying parents, AND their own children's private education.



We used to call this socialism.

We need tax credits for private school parents!

quote:

---

What public schools need is competition. School choice achieves that.

---

They have competition. Its called moving to another county, parish, or school district. When your public school sucks, there tends to be an outflow of residents moving to areas with better school districts. The school can either fix the problem or watch their funding shrink as enrollment goes down and the local government’s tax base moves elsewhere. Jefferson Parish has closed schools in recent years while St Tammany schools are bursting at the seams from so many families with young kids moving across the lake for better public schools