CER and Education Reform In The News

VOUCHERS' ELECTION DAY LOSSES SHIFT SCHOOL FIGHT TO LEGISLATURES
By Tamara Henry
USA Today, November 13, 2000

        The election defeat of voucher initiatives in Michigan and California may not be the death knell for the idea, but the national movement to get states to use tax dollars for private school tuition has been crippled, according to both voucher advocates and opponents.

        Their assessment comes after voters soundly defeated the Michigan measure by a 2-to-1 ratio and only 30% of California voters favored a ballot initiative. Michigan's well-financed campaign proposed $3,300 in vouchers for pupils in the state's low-performing schools. Silicon Valley venture capitalist Tim Draper led California's $50 million campaign to give $4,000 to each of the state's 6 million pupils to attend private schools.

        Overall, ''advocates of public education were a big winner -- one of the biggest winners,'' says Dane Waters of the Initiative and Referendum Institute, based in Washington, D.C.

        Besides vouchers, Waters says, ''there were a large number of education-related measures on the ballot -- more than usual. Education funding did well.''

        ''As long as the economy is good, as long as there is money out there, you're going to see two things at the ballot boxes: tax cutters and people wanting to put additional money in public education,'' Waters says.

        As for vouchers, however, experts say the issue goes beyond money and involves more emotional and personal beliefs.

        Jeanne Allen, president of the pro-school-choice Center for Education Reform, says families who favor having a choice of where to send their children to school ''are growing in numbers daily.'' She says the voucher defeats mean that advocates should elect pro-voucher candidates to legislatures.

        ''I don't see a real promise for initiatives and never really have,'' Allen says. ''The reason is education remains such a personal thing for most people. In order to get motivated over issues, it has to be something that touches someone personally. An initiative doesn't have a face. It's hard to get energized about something you can't really see.''

        California and Michigan voters have twice rejected plans to publicly finance private education. In 1972, Maryland defeated a similar measure. Tax-credit plans for private schooling in Oregon, Colorado and the District of Columbia have been defeated in recent years.

        Legislatures created the voucher programs now operating in Wisconsin, Ohio and Florida.

        ''The fate of school choice remains with progressive legislators who are in areas largely where just about everything else has failed to help children. I don't think it's going away as an issue,'' Allen says.

        While Marc Egan of the National School Boards Association agrees that ''we still will see efforts made within state legislatures to pass voucher bills,'' he says politicians should heed the warning issued by the electorate.

        The voucher issue ''never has gained any momentum. Millions of dollars have been invested by some to try to pass it. They have taken out ads on television and in newspapers. When it gets right down to it, people don't buy it.''

        National Education Association president Bob Chase agrees. ''Clearly, what parents and the public want are good public schools in their neighborhoods.''

        The 2.5-million-member NEA, the nation's largest teachers union, spent $7.2 million fighting vouchers.

        ''We support direct efforts to improve rural and urban schools that are struggling,'' Chase says. ''Things would be much better for children if we concentrated on improving opportunity for all students, rather than being engaged in divisive and counterproductive battles.''

        On a related issue, however, educators were surprised by the defeat of an initiative in Washington state to authorize publicly funded but independently run charter schools.

        ''Washington state voted on charter schools two years ago, and it was soundly defeated, 2-1,'' Waters says. ''But people thought this was a more moderate approach and it would actually pass. It turned out not being the case.''

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