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A Coalition to Oppose the Ballot Initiative to Amend the Constitution to Allow Public Funds to be Spent for Nonpublic Education by Means of Vouchers
The League of Women Voters of Michigan (LWVMI) has had a position opposing vouchers as a distribution system for state financing of education since 1969. Because of that position LWVMI was one of the founding organizations of a ballot initiative coalition 'ALL Kids First' which opposes the ballot initiative proposed in petitions now being circulated by 'Kids First! Yes!' This proposal would amend the Michigan Constitution to allow public funds to be spent for nonpublic education by means of vouchers.
Volunteers are needed to inform the public on this issue. Professional training will be provided to ensure that we have the tools we need to speak out accurately and effectively. If you are a member of the Midland League and are interested in receiving training, send an e-mail to action@LWV-Midland.org.
Even if you choose to be inactive on this issue, please do not sign the petitions currently being circulated by Kids First! Yes!
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Q - What is a school voucher?
A - A voucher is a coupon issued to parents to transfer public tax dollars from the state treasury to private and religious schools. Vouchers are a mechanism to redirect public tax dollars from public education to private and parochial schools.
Q - Why aren't vouchers allowed in Michigan?
A - Michigan's constitution has one of the strongest bans in the country on the use of public funds for private education. Direct and indirect funding of private and parochial education are explicitly forbidden. A ballot initiative to change the state constitution is under way. (Kids First! Yes!)
Q - Why should it be unconstitutional to spend public money on private and parochial K-12 education, but OK to do so at the college level?
A - The courts are split over the constitutionality of public funding for private and parochial K-12 education. The issue may end up in the U.S. Supreme Court. Regardless of whether or not vouchers are found to be constitutional, they are simply bad public policy. Vouchers and tax credits for higher education have not increased educational opportunities and have shortchanged public colleges and universities. The voucher experience in higher education reinforces our concern that vouchers would devastate public schools.
Q - Who is behind the voucher initiative?
A - Generally, radical conservatives and parochial school supporters. In Michigan, the Mackinac Center, a Midland-based radical conservative organization, and West Michigan billionaire, Dick DeVos, owner of the Amway Corp., are fueling the Kids First! Yes! initiative to put vouchers on the November 2000 ballot.
Q - What about the general public?
A - The most recent Phi Delta Kappa/Gallup Poll showed that 71 % of Americans support improving public education, as opposed to finding alternatives (27%). Specifically, 70% of the American people choose strengthening public education over vouchers (26%). Support for vouchers tends to start off high and drop off as people learn more about vouchers.
Q - Is there any organized opposition to the voucher initiative?
A - Yes. ALL Kids First!, a coalition of more than 30 child advocacy, education, and civil rights organizations (including the MEA, the NAACP, the League of Women Voters, the ACLU and virtually all major school organizations) is fighting to oppose vouchers and save public education for all of Michigan's children.
Q - Wouldn't the vouchers be limited to just the handful of so-called failing school districts?
A - No. The proposal starts with school districts that report less than a 66% graduation rate in the 1998-99 school year, but it doesn't stop there. Any community could be forced to vote on vouchers. And all 220,000 private school students in Michigan would eventually be eligible to receive vouchers.
Q - Kids First! Yes! claims this initiative won't cost taxpayers more, and it may actually provide more money for public schools. Is that true?
A - No, Just giving the 220,000 students now in private schools a $3500 voucher would cost $772 million on top of what is already being spent on public education. Vouchers would either cause taxes to go up or public school aid to go down.
Q - So, what do we do to help students who are in struggling school districts?
A - We move immediately to reduce class size in all K-3 classrooms, improve discipline and safety, and embrace the many proven academic programs such as Success For All. Such efforts would cost less and help all kids, not just a select few.
Q - Could the private and religious schools raise tuition so that vouchers are merely additional income?
A - Yes. Private schools can raise tuition at any time.
Q - Does this proposal offer more choices to parents and children in struggling schools?
A - No. The choice remains with the religious and private non-profit or for-profit schools. They could accept or reject anyone, for any reason.
WEB SITES
The following Internet addresses (URLs) were active at the time of this posting. Some may include views that differ from the League of Women Voters.
MEA
http://www.mea.org
NEA
http://www.nea.org/lac/papers/vouchers.html
Mackinac Center
http://www.mackinac.org |