Colorado is in the process if implementing a school voucher program. It's designed to give tuition money to low income students in poorly performing school districts so the students can have the option of attending private schools.
I have serious reservations about voucher programs in general, as I worry about the effect they will have on private schools. The Colorado program, however, is very limited in scope, with only a small percentage of students eligible for vouchers. I haven't heard a credible argument against the efficacy of the program, as it will likely benefit both the public schools and the students. One group that doesn't care for the program is the Colorado Education Association - the teachers' union. They are suing to stop the it:
Legislation establishing the plan was challenged in a lawsuit filed in May by the Colorado Education Association, the state teachers union.
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"The General Assembly cannot require a school district to fund instruction over which it has no control, and that is precisely what the General Assembly has done here," said John West, attorney for the CEA.
West has summarized CEA's agenda quite nicely. They want control. Of everything. That's what I fear with vouchers, the same people who've made such a mess of the public school system will gain control in private schools. For now it looks like they'll be content with attempting to derail the efforts of low-income families to better their lot. I hope eveyone in Colorado is noticing the political alignment here, as the CEA fights against against the poor and the needy, who are represented by lawyers from the Institute for Justice, a libertarian legal aid group.
Posted by Walter at November 14, 2003 07:44 AM