"A great victory for parents, excellence for every child." Seems there's no doubt in the president's mind that Supreme Court approval of school vouchers was just the ticket to help parents and inner city kids get access to better schools, better educations, and better lives.
But within the closely divided court and the general public, there's still opposition. Lots of it. One scholar calls it the end of America's e pluribus unum ideal, that the "one nation out of many" is heading for too much pluribus, with not enough unum.
With the court ruling, now the conversation becomes much less an academic exercise, and as politicians, parents and educators get set to engage anew, it's time to sit up straight and pay attention. School vouchers, class.
Walter C. Farrell Jr., professor of social work, public health and public policy, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Paul E. Peterson
co-author, The Education Gap: Vouchers and Urban Schools, professor of government, Harvard University
Courtney Frick, president, Ohio State PTA.
Walter C. Farrell Jr: Vouchers are offered as a panacea, a magic silver bullet for the educational ills of low income and ethnic minority children. listen
Paul E. Peterson: There is a lot of concern that money that is given to big cities public school today is money that is put down the rat hole. listen
