Vouchers will bring competition, but won't improve education
There are no comments for this page [ Add Comment ]Wednesday, February 7, 2007
By David N. Cox
Guest commentary
Regarding the contention that competition will always make things better, let me share a story of mine. Once there was a man (state) named Mr. hatU who had a large garden (school system), which was very productive. Some said it was the most productive in the whole country for the amount of water (taxes) used. Because water was a valuable and scarce resource, he used a method called drip-irrigation to water his garden. Using hoses with holes by each plant (public school), he put the water only where he needed it (public school "monopoly").
He continued to expand and demand more from his garden, but he didn't want to spend more for additional drip-hoses (facilities). An out-of-state salesman suggested a sprinkler system instead. This system would deliver water all over the garden without buying more hoses, feeding all the "natural" seeds (private schools of every kind) in the garden as well as his cultivated ones. The idea was that these natural seeds would grow and develop, creating competition for his garden plants, thus making them produce more. Those that could not compete would die out, leaving only the strongest.
Mr. hatU bought off on the idea. It ended up costing much more to install than he expected -- in fact, it used much more water (taxes). But sure enough, the natural seeds did spring forth profusely, and as for giving competition, they did! And true to the salesman's predictions, some of the garden plants that couldn't compete did die out.
However, some did adapt and became bigger than ever, but they used their energies to compete, instead of producing fruit. By the time Mr. hatU realized the mistake he had made, his garden was no longer productive at all, but just a jungle of weeds.
Right now our tax dollars only go to places where we have control and to the schools we have built. Vouchers will spread that tax money, unchecked, everywhere with no strings attached (although strings will undoubtedly follow). Competition will push schools to use classroom money for public relations to create the image of being good. The manufactured image will allow private schools to then ask for extra money from parents because they are "better" than the other schools.
Some public schools left with more handicapped or difficult students, and eventually the poor also, will not be able to compete and will die out, leaving many with no school that will take them. In reality, vouchers will end up costing more, will waste more money on noneducational activities (advertising, etc.) and will divide neighborhoods as children go to different schools, which will lead to more of a class society. Vouchers will eventually bring the private schools under government control, as well, leaving no schools truly independent.
Competition works in many situations. In others it merely means the biggest bully wins. The competition that vouchers will bring will not improve education or this country. It will undermine both.
Cox is a former legislator and current school teacher. He lives in Lehi.
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