The Answer Sheet: Vouchers


Posted at 01:02 PM ET, 05/20/2013

What's wrong with school 'choice'? Here's what.
By Valerie Strauss
The idea of giving students a choice of where to go school -- with public funds -- may sound good, but there are problems attached.

By Valerie Strauss  |  01:02 PM ET, 05/20/2013 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Tags:  School choice, Vouchers

Posted at 05:02 AM ET, 05/18/2013

Are school vouchers losing steam?
By Valerie Strauss
Vouchers have been at the center of the school choice movement for many reformers, but they may be in trouble.

By Valerie Strauss  |  05:02 AM ET, 05/18/2013 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Tags:  Charters Taking Precedent, School choice, Vouchers

Posted at 05:19 PM ET, 05/07/2013

Louisiana Supreme Court rules school voucher funding unconstitutional
By Valerie Strauss
The Supreme Court of Louisiana ruled today 6-1 that the way the state funds its school voucher program is unconstitutional.

By Valerie Strauss  |  05:19 PM ET, 05/07/2013 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Tags:  Public Money for Public Schools, School vouchers

Posted at 03:20 PM ET, 03/26/2013

School vouchers: Still a bad idea despite Indiana court ruling
By Valerie Strauss
So the Indiana Supreme Court has ruled that the state's school voucher program is constitutional. It isn't the first time a supreme court has made a questionable call but, apart from the legal argument, the decision doesn't mean that vouchers are a good educational or civic idea.

By Valerie Strauss  |  03:20 PM ET, 03/26/2013 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Tags:  Public Money for Public Schools, Vouchers

Posted at 10:02 AM ET, 03/25/2013

Rand Paul pushes federal school vouchers
By Valerie Strauss
Sen. Rand Paul is pushing for a federal voucher program that sounds similar to one advanced by Mitt Romney when he was running for president.

By Valerie Strauss  |  10:02 AM ET, 03/25/2013 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Tags:  Using Title 1 Money, Vouchers

Posted at 05:37 PM ET, 11/30/2012

Why a Louisiana judge ruled school vouchers unconstitutional
By Valerie Strauss
A Louisiana state judge sided today with opponents of Gov. Bobby Jindal's sweeping private school voucher program, ruling that is unconstitutional because it improperly diverts public state and local money intended for public schools to private institutions.

By Valerie Strauss  |  05:37 PM ET, 11/30/2012 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Tags:  Is Indiana Next?, School vouchers

Posted at 01:00 PM ET, 11/23/2012

Will Indiana's Supreme Court toss voucher program?
By Valerie Strauss
The Indiana Supreme Court may well surprise supporters of the state school voucher program which has been challenged on constitutional grounds, at least if the oral arguments in the case are truly suggestive.

By Valerie Strauss  |  01:00 PM ET, 11/23/2012 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Tags:  Educated Guess, Vouchers

Posted at 01:52 PM ET, 11/18/2012

D.C. vouchers: What you need to know
By Valerie Strauss
Hundreds of D.C. student who receive money from the congressionally created voucher program attend unaccredited schools, including one school whose curriculum is based on a Bulgarian psychotherapist's philosophy and one Nation of Islam school. There's plenty more in a Post investigation.

By Valerie Strauss  |  01:52 PM ET, 11/18/2012 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Tags:  A Post Investigation, D.C. vouchers; Voucher Programs, School choice

Posted at 12:48 AM ET, 11/07/2012

Florida rejects using public funds for religious school tuition
By Valerie Strauss
Florida voters defeated a measure that would have allowed the use of public funds for religious school tuition, effectively turning back an effort that was expected to lead to a state-wide voucher program.

By Valerie Strauss  |  12:48 AM ET, 11/07/2012 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Tags:  'No' on Vouchers, School choice, School Reform, Vouchers

Posted at 05:00 AM ET, 01/20/2011

Policing the rush to charter schools
By Valerie Strauss
What would happen if we applied some school reform policies to city police departments?

By Valerie Strauss  |  05:00 AM ET, 01/20/2011 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Charter schools, Charter schools, Charter schools, Charter schools | Tags:  charter schools, gov. mitch daniels, indiana education, indiana schools, journal gazette, schools and police, vouchers

Posted at 05:00 AM ET, 12/14/2010

Where education reform is heading: From extreme to extremum
By Valerie Strauss
If you want to understand where public education reform is heading, look south and east to Florida, where the governor-elect, Rick Scott, is talking about a new funding student formula that is more likely to destroy the public school system than accomplish anything else.

By Valerie Strauss  |  05:00 AM ET, 12/14/2010 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Charter schools, Charter schools, Charter schools | Tags:  florida schools, jeb bush, opportunity scholarships, private schools, public education system, public schools, rick scott, school choice movement, school funding formula, universal voucher program, universal vouchers, vouchers

Posted at 05:00 AM ET, 12/02/2010

Is progress in Florida schools exaggerated?
By Valerie Strauss
Florida’s public school system is frequently held up as an exemplary example of how specific school reforms -- vouchers, charter schools, on-line schooling, high-stakes standardized tests, etc. -- can improve student achievement. But things aren't always what they seem.

By Valerie Strauss  |  05:00 AM ET, 12/02/2010 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Accountability, Accountability, Accountability | Tags:  achievement gap, charter schools, florida, florida's schools, jeb bush, school reform, vouchers

Posted at 04:30 PM ET, 04/23/2010

Even more education trouble in Florida
By Valerie Strauss
The Florida Legislature doesn't give up trying to drastically change the public education system: Now it is considering legislation that, if ultimately approved by lawmakers and then the voters in a referendum, would allow direct public funding of religious schools.

By Valerie Strauss  |  04:30 PM ET, 04/23/2010 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Teachers | Tags:  Florida and education, Florida and teachers, Florida vouchers, church and state and Florida, referendum on Blaine Amendment and Florida, teachers tenure bill and Florida

Posted at 04:37 PM ET, 04/06/2010

More for Florida educators to be angry about
By Valerie Strauss
Florida's teachers are already outraged about legislation expected to become law that would end tenure, require the creation of more standardized tests and link teacher pay to test scores. Now there's a bill that would allow corporations contribute money to a fund that provides school vouchers and then deduct it from their taxes.

By Valerie Strauss  |  04:37 PM ET, 04/06/2010 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Teachers | Tags:  Florida, Florida tax credits, Florida teacher tenure bill, Florida vouchers, Senate Bill 2126, Senate Bill 6, Standardized test, school voucher, standardized test, teacher tenure bill, teachers