Resolution No: 39 31st International Convention June 27-July 1, 1994 San Diego, CA

WHEREAS:

Vouchers are not really "choice."

• Most voucher proponents characterize the lead as an effort to allow parents a "choice" as to where their children attend school. In reality, however, it's not the parents who have the choice, but rather the private schools involved in the program; and

WHEREAS:

Voucher proponents often hold out the voucher program as the "nirvana" of parental involvement. That just isn't so. Parents do not need vouchers to get involved in the curriculum, policy decisions or the governance of a school; and

WHEREAS:

Vouchers lead to non-accountability.

• Much of the impetus that has lead to the education reform movement has been the issue of ACCOUNTABILITY; i.e., Who is responsible to the tax­payers for the manner in which their dollars are spent? Education is big business.

• There is an essential difference between public and private schools in this area. Public schools are led by elected boards of education responsible to the voters for the decision they make. Private and religious schools are governed by either appointed boards of directors or by members of a religious denomination who do not have the same level of accountability; and

WHEREAS:

The "competition will improve public schools" argument is not valid.

• Another argument made by voucher proponents is that a voucher plan encourages competition between public and private schools, forcing the public schools to improve. There are several false assumptions in that argument.

• There is the assumption that private school students outperform public school students. That's simply not true. There is no legitimate empirical evidence to support that conclusion. Private schools do only slightly bet­ter, and their edge disappears when one compares public and private school students from similar backgrounds.

• The concept of competition presupposes a level playing field. That does not exist in education because private and public school operate under different rules and regulations, many times not having to meet some state standards required of public schools. Private schools simply do not have to face many of the expensive mandates public schools must conquer.

• The idea that public schools will improve if competition exists implies that public schools could do a better job but are not because there is no incentive. That is simply untrue. No one denies that there are areas in which public schools need to improve. To assume, however, that there is no improvement going on in public schools now is simply and completely false; and

WHEREAS:

Vouchers weaken educational opportunities.

• Public schools must accept all students — students with disabilities, be­havior problems or low achievement levels — who live in the district. Most non-public schools have established selection criteria that effectively exclude those students who tend to be the more expensive to educate in terms of program costs. Further, while public schools must retain students who are discipline problems, or who are having trouble academically, there are no such restrictions on private schools.

• In addition, there is a great disparity in the cost of private schools. Some of the more exclusive private schools have annual tuition that can equal or exceed the cost of a university education.

• A voucher program isn't a matter of parental choice, but rather that of a private school's choice. Many private schools are not going to want to be involved in a voucher program; and

WHEREAS:

Vouchers "write-off" public schools and lead to "throwaway children."

• Any education professional will tell you that 99 times out of a hundred, the more involved the parents are in their child's education, the better chance of success that child has.

• Any voucher plan would be a significant drain on public school resources; and

WHEREAS:

Children left in the system face the prospect of a limited education in a system unable to afford to educate them properly. They would be, in reality, thrown away in our education system.

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED:

That AFSCME will maximize its efforts to oppose any legislation that proposes school vouchers or ballot initiatives which would create a school voucher system.

SUBMITTED BY:

JoAnn Johntony, President and Delegate
Sandra Wheeler, Secretary and Delegate
OAPSE/AFSCME Local 4
Ohio