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 Governor: Vouchers not realistic for Arkansas schools Fla. Supreme Court questions legality of school vouchers Ruling on nation's first system may sway other states' decisions TALLAHASSEE -- A majority of the Florida Supreme Court expressed misgivings and skepticism yesterday about whether the nation's first statewide private-school voucher program is legal. While the seven justices did not say when they would rule, it was clear during the hour-long proceedings that many on the court have constitutional doubts about the voucher program, a centerpiece of the education plan that Governor Jeb Bush ushered into law in 1999. The Florida battle over whether taxpayer money can be funneled to private and parochial schools is being watched by other states considering voucher programs and may ultimately be decided by the US Supreme Court. A coalition of groups, including the state's teachers union and civil rights groups, first filed a lawsuit against the program six years ago. A ruling striking down the private-school vouchers could doom other Florida programs, including one offering vouchers to disabled children and a universal prekindergarten program scheduled to start this fall. House rejects school vouchers After five hours of passionate debate, the House killed a proposal late Monday night to give disadvantaged children in urban school districts the chance for a private education using public money. A measure introduced by Rep. Charlie Geren, R-Fort Worth, gutted the proposal for a voucher pilot program by allowing students to transfer to other public schools but not private schools. The House passed the measure 74-70. High court to consider the legality of vouchers TALLAHASSEE - (AP) -- Attorneys will have a chance to argue the constitutionality of Florida's first school voucher law in the state Supreme Court on June 7, the court said Tuesday. The 1999 law, which allows children at failing public schools to transfer at state expense to private and parochial schools, has been ruled unconstitutional by the First District Court of Appeal. It concluded that the law violated the separation of church and state. The court may consider another constitutional issue as well. A trial judge ruled that the law violates a part of the state Constitution that requires the state to provide a public school system -- but the First DCA overturned that decision. School Vouchers Gain New Steam In Austin Activists on both sides of the school voucher issue were campaigning at the Capitol on Tuesday, drawing Gov. Rick Perry and other Republican leaders to speak out. Advocates argue that the proposals foster competition, improving quality of schools and will give all students equal access to a quality education regardless of income and neighborhood. "The chief mission of public schools is not to receive as much money as possible, but to educate as many children as possible," Perry told a crowd of voucher proponents. "We must let parents liberate their children from poorly performing schools." Opponents argue that the voucher pilot proposals would siphon funds away from public schools at a time when public school funding is most in need. Gary Bledsoe, president of Texas NAACP said there aren't enough private schools to take in all students, the cost would be enormous and that tax money diverted to them would hurt public schools.
Vouchers Will Make Return to Congress With the power of Congress shifting from the left side of the right side of the aisle, it is expected that many shelved bills will once again be voted on. School vouchers is one of those items that is finding new life. Last year a scaled-down version of schools choice was defeated in the "No Child Left Behind Act." A handful of areas such as Milwaukee, Cleveland and the state of Florida have already established school choice in one form or another, but as Heritage Foundation analyst Krista Kafter points out there are millions of families in this country that still do not have school choice, that cannot afford to move or afford private tuition. She says that "it's exciting to think that these families could be empowered in the way they are in Milwaukee or Cleveland or in Florida to attend a better school." Mrs. Kafter feels that at the end of the day the opinions of families will win the battle, but until that time there are major hurdles that have to be overcome, including major opposition by many Republicans and Democrats who have the power and money of unions behind them. |
