Supreme Court Rules Vouchers to Be Constitutional!

[Imran Siddiqui]

http://www.cnn.com/2002/LAW/06/27/scotus.school.vouchers/index.html

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The Supreme Court ruled 5-4 Thursday that the school voucher program is constitutional and does not constitute the establishment of religion.

The ruling reverses a lower court which said nearly all low-income students receiving the vouchers were using the tax supported vouchers to attend Catholic schools in Cleveland.

Rehnquist delivered the decision joined by O'Connor, Scalia, Kennedy and Thomas.

The court endorsed a 6-year-old pilot program in inner-city Cleveland that provides parents a tax-supported education stipend. Parents may use the money to opt out of one of the worst-rated public schools in the nation.

The court majority said the program does not put the government in the unconstitutional position of sponsoring religious indoctrination, even though more than 95 percent of the vouchers are used to subsidize Catholic or other religious schooling.

Bush has been a staunch advocate of school vouchers, and emphasized the issue in his campaign for the White House.

Congress last year shelved that effort. But Bush resurrected the idea, proposing in his 2003 budget to give families up to $2,500 per child in tax credits if they choose a private school rather than a failing neighborhood public school.

Following the court's hearing on arguments in February, Education Secretary Rod Paige said he would continue advocating on behalf of both improved public schools and school choice.

Republican lawmakers in Congress agreed with Bush's stance.

Discuss.

[Boris Godunov]

I never thought of it as being unconstitutional, I just always felt it was the wrong way to go...

[Imran Siddiqui]

Same here... the Constitution isn't that broad on many things, that people believe it to be.

But we need someone to disagree or this will be a short thread

[Guynemer]

Giving parents credits and telling them to do what they want with 'em... doesn't really seem unconstitutional to me.

Sorry to disappoint, Imran.

[Victor Galis]

Just because a bunch of conservatives in Washington say they're constitutional doesn't mean they're a good idea.

[Flubber]

Wouldn't a better idea be to put some dollars into public education so its not crap. It seems like they are saying to people that we know the public schools are garbage so we will help pay to send them elsewhere.

[drake]

Yes agreed flubber.....start putting up some money for the teachers in public schools instead of giving it to parents so they can send their kids to litle yuppie school.

[Jon Miller]

why would they be a bad idea

in many places school vouchers would give the poor a chance and education which is edcent which had previously only be allowed for the rich

this is a great triumph for the proletariat who were being denied decent education from the public institutions (in many cases)

Jon Miller

[Jon Miller]

Originally posted by drake
Yes agreed flubber.....start putting up some money for the teachers in public schools instead of giving it to parents so they can send their kids to litle yuppie school.

most private school teachers get paid much less than public school ones

this suggests that this is not the main issue (even though I do think that teachers shold be paid more)

Jon Miller

[Jon Miller]

Originally posted by Flubber
Wouldn't a better idea be to put some dollars into public education so its not crap. It seems like they are saying to people that we know the public schools are garbage so we will help pay to send them elsewhere.

some of the crapiest public education gets the most money

and why should the poor be forced to use public eduation while public education tries to get better?

this just srews the poor over, the rich have enough money to make sure their kids get decent education anyway

Jon Miller

[Jac de Molay]

I dont quite understand how private schools can accept public funding and yet still pick and choose who they accept into their student body. The money may be there to barely cover tuition, but will schools like Country Day or Friends school take on somebody who is considered "special ed" in public schools?

[drake]

"most private school teachers get paid much less than public school ones "

Link???

[Jon Miller]

Originally posted by drake
"most private school teachers get paid much less than public school ones "

Link???

this is based upon personal expereince

all the private school teachers I know (from 12+ private schools) get paid much less than the teachers at the public school I went to

and the public school I went to paid their teachers squat compared to the other public schools in Oregon (the were serious problems with teachers leaving to get paid better elsewhere in the state)

Jon Miller

[Jon Miller]

Originally posted by DetroitDave
I dont quite understand how private schools can accept public funding and yet still pick and choose who they accept into their student body. The money may be there to barely cover tuition, but will schools like Country Day or Friends school take on somebody who is considered "special ed" in public schools?

private institutions have the right to pick and choose

there are no complaints (or I have heard of none) of private colleges having students who go to college based on federal grants (hey I had a few)

this is the same thing, just for the lower grades

Jon Miller

[Dr Strangelove]

Wow! The Pledge of Alliegence illegal, and school vouchers legal all in one week. Ain't the law grand!