Referendum 1

Referendum 1 is a currently hotly debated topic right now in Utah, with many people feeling very strongly for one side or the other. Following is a viewpoint that I wrote for the Daily Universe. It probably won't be published, but I thought I'd post it here anyway. Note that thanks to my english major neighbor Sis. Pottymouth (I wonder if that's something of an irony...) this piece has been edited to clarify and correct my writing. As opposed to the usual ranting and rambling those of you who know me are used to. (For the record Julie is against the bill while I am for it).

Referendum 1: The Best Choice for Your Children

Make no mistake about it: whether or not you have any right now, Referendum 1 will affect your child. All eyes are on Utah this year as November 6th approaches. Several other states are waiting to introduce legislation similar to Referendum 1 depending on whether or not Referendum 1 is passed. So even if you plan to leave Utah when you graduate, your children could very well be affected by this vote. There is a lot of rhetoric being thrown around by both sides of the bill, but anyone who sits down and actually reads the bill will see that it can only benefit our educational system. So if you are eligible to vote in Utah this November, it is in your benefit to vote for Referendum 1.

Opponents claim that for every student that goes to a private school, public schools lose funding. This is true. However, this is misleading because the amount of spending per student does not go down. In fact, for the first part of the life of the bill, spending per student in public schools will go up. For every child that goes to a private school, only some of the money allotted to that child leaves in the form of a voucher. The rest of the funding is spread over the remaining students, which increases the amount of money per student. This is additional funding is further increased by money received for students who are already attending private schools anyway.

In the long run, this extra remainder will not exist; but here’s the kicker: schools will still be better off. Why? Spending in public schools will be dependant on the number of students attending those schools, just like it is now. So what is the difference? Class size. There are several excellent studies, most of which are available online, that show very little correlation between educational performance and spending and an extremely high correlation between educational performance and class size. Recently on KSL talk radio, a school administrator in the Eagle Mountain area stated that the estimated increased funding for their school would be enough to hire one more teacher per grade level. Taking students out of public schools will decrease class size, increase per student funding in the short term, and keep per student funding stable in the long run.

Another fallacy is that this legislation will turn good public schools into failing public schools. On the contrary, this will make good public schools even better. Anytime choice is introduced into a system, quality and options skyrocket to the benefit of the public. By financially giving parents the ability to put their children into private schools, we level the playing field so to speak. Public schools will now be forced to compete for money and students. If, as opponents claim, private schools are no better than public schools, then there is nothing to worry about. On the other hand, both private and public schools will have constant pressure from market forces to provide the best educational experiences per dollar. It is possible that some schools will fail and go under. Chances are these schools are already failing in the current system. The initial period of increased student spending in this bill will give these and all public schools a competitive edge to start off with.

Parental freedom of choice effectively kills the argument that private schools are not as regulated as public schools. If private schools are employing under-qualified teachers who are worse than those in the public schools, parents won’t enroll their kids in those private schools. If they are not teaching a curriculum that prepares their children for the job market or college, parents will put their children in other schools. If this is a bad thing, then we should introduce legislation to prevent people from home schooling their children without having the proper degrees.

Some opponents of the bill would have you believe that you are too stupid to decide what is right for your child. Special interest groups like the NEA have dumped millions of dollars into fighting this bill. One of their main arguments is that stupid parents will group together like lemmings and run off the edge of the cliff toward private schools and certain doom. Public education will go down the tubes; private schools will destroy our children.

Public education is funded by the taxes we pay as parents. Why should I have to pay twice for my child’s education if a private education is a better fit? It makes sense that I should have the freedom to decide whether my money supports my child in the public education system or a private school. My income is such that I cannot afford to pay twice for my child’s education and without a voucher I am literally forced to choose the public education system. It may be that I would choose that anyway, but it should still be my choice. Why should the government decide how I spend my money on my child’s education?

The problem with the public education system is that it uses the same teaching method for each child. Anybody with more than one child realizes that each kid needs tailored parenting and requires different forms of attention. One size does not fit all. For the majority of children, the public education system is a fine thing. I myself am a product of it with no complaints or regrets. However, think my 4-year-old son would do much better in the tailored environment a private school could offer him. Not because he is child genius, nor because I have the money to think along those lines, but because as his parent I know his needs and how to stimulate him.

Despite popular belief, private schools are not, for the most part, elitist or expensive institutions. Many middle and lower class families put one or more of their children into private schools because of special circumstances. The school I would look at for my child would cost me only $700 dollars a year more than the $3000 voucher I would be entitled too. Even living in the lowest income bracket, as I do, I could sacrifice an extra $700 for my child; but coming up with $3700 would be nearly impossible.

Referendum 1 would benefit children with truly special needs as well. Public schools will be able to keep the per student funding that already supports their ESL and disabled student programs, and may even have the money to bolster them initially. However, with choices available to parents, new private schools will show up that cater to subsets of the student population that do not perform well in a public education environment. Parents will have the resources and the options to support their children in ways that did not exist before Referendum 1.
Referendum 1 is absolutely the best choice for Utah parents and their children. If this bill was really so controversial, if it was so unpopular among voters, it could not have passed the entire Utah legislature and the governor. This bill really is one that will affect your children and you should take the time to read it. The full bill can be found at http://choiceineducation.org/documents/2007HB0148HB0174VoucherBillText.pdf, and summary of the bill can be found at http://www.votefor1.com/pdf/PCE_newsletter.pdf. Forget what I have said, ignore the rhetoric, and find out for yourself. At very least, show up at the polls on November 6th.