In a society where most Americans believe that our system of education should be a top priority at the local, state and Federal levels, many legislators and parent groups are attempting to implement innovative ideas to rescue students from failing school systems. This ideal program is seen as a savior to many of our fallen public schools, which would distribute monetary vouchers that are typically valued from $2,500 to $5,000 that is then given to parents of school-age children. Parents are now encouraged to use these vouchers towards the cost of tuition at another public or charter school district. But when does a parent's choice actual guarantee that their child will receive the best education they could possibly want? Indeed, on a superficial level, school vouchers may seem like a relatively benign way to increase the options poor parents have for educating their children. Although many of our educators and community organizations advocate school vouchers as a solid foundation to a new future, its disadvantages highly outweigh any of its positive factors.
Implementing school vouchers sends a strong and clear message to our nation: that we as citizens are giving up on public education. These vouchers are irrelevant to our country and do not provide a safe haven for our children's future and for those generations yet to come. Vouchers can be seen as a Band-Aid covering our educational system's troubled schools and a form of cheap grace to poor and underprivileged students attempting to acquaint themselves with the highest education possible. How can society truly demean themselves to conclude that school vouchers are a solution to our impoverished school districts? Instead of placing valuable time and vigor inserting our nation's children into charter schools and other excelling public systems, parents must realize that vouchers do not provide any key element on resolving the true problem.