Michigan for Public Education

Michigan for Public Education, a citizens' group advocating educational equality and excellence, opposes school vouchers-even on a limited basis-for the following reasons:

• There is no evidence that students of similar background perform better in private schools than in public schools;
• Voucher schools would choose their students, and therefore be able to discriminate based on race, religion, income, ability or disability;
• Vouchers would encourage parents to concern themselves with only their own child, instead of the community pulling together for the good of all;
• Vouchers would siphon money away from the public schools without assuring better quality education for anyone;
• Too few children would benefit from vouchers, while many would suffer; vouchers would not provide adequate support for the children who most need it;
• Vouchers would allow private and religious schools to use taxpayer funds for anything from religious instruction to training for a local militia;
• Taxpayers' money for education should be spent to educate children, not to provide profit for private corporations;
• Voucher schools would seriously dilute voter and taxpayer control over public spending since voucher schools would not be accountable to the public;
• Vouchers for private and parochial schools often promote division along lines of religion, race ethnicity, and social class;
• Vouchers would force taxpayers to contribute involuntarily to religious education;
• Vouchers would tend to turn public schools into institutions of last resort for the poor, the disabled, and minorities; and
• The primary beneficiaries of a voucher plan would be students already attending nonpublic schools and the religious bodies that sponsor many of those schools.