The Washington Post: Why school vouchers harm American civic life

According to an article in The Washington Post, data shows there are 27 voucher programs in 16 states and the District of Columbia, but there are a number of other states with legislation to create or expand these programs.

The article features an essay by Sarah Stitzlein which outlines an argument against vouchers, and that vouchers do more harm than good.

Stitzlein is a philosopher of education in UC’s College of Education, Criminal Justice and Human Services.

“While vouchers may seem like an admirable way to enable families to pursue their desires, they actually pose significant problems to our democracy,” says Stitzlein.

Two states, Ohio and New Hampshire, she says, are both considering programs that would make vouchers universal for all students in the state.

“While we tend to describe vouchers in terms of parental rights and the marketplace, I suggest instead that we should think about vouchers in terms of democracy, foregrounding our perspective as citizens.”

Read the article 

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