Vouchers Friday March 4th

Voucher bill is a sham to skirt law

Allentown Morning Call, Paul Carpenter

6:51 p.m. EST, March 3, 2011

There is no way the proposed state school voucher legislation can do anything but damage the public school system.  There also is no way the measure can do anything but further enrich the operators of private and parochial schools, nearly all of which are operated by the politically powerful Roman Catholic Church.

http://www.mcall.com/news/local/carpenter/mc-paul-carpenter-vouchers-20110303,0,7673538.column

 

Vouchers violate state constitution

Centre Daily Times – Opinion, Robert Speel

Robert Speel is an associate professor of political science at Penn State Erie, The Behrend College.
March 4, 2011 12:32am EST

There is another movement afoot in the General Assembly to establish a school voucher program in Pennsylvania in which low-income students in poorly performing public schools could use their school’s per-pupil state subsidy as a voucher to attend a private school, including sectarian schools run by religious groups. There is debate over whether school vouchers are sound public policy or not. But the state constitution is clear: School vouchers for religious schools are unconstitutional in Pennsylvania unless the constitution is amended.
Read more: http://www.centredaily.com/2011/03/04/2559849/vouchers-violate-state-constitution.html##ixzz1Fe0P3HTq

Vouchers are constitutional under U.S. and Pa. law

Patriot News OP/ED Published: Thursday, March 03, 2011, 9:05 AM  

Richard D. Komer is a senior litigation attorney at the Institute for Justice. Recently, he testified before the Pennsylvania House Democratic Policy Committee hearing in Philadelphia on the proposed voucher legislation

Pennsylvania’s General Assembly is now considering a proposal that would empower parents whose children are trapped in failing public schools to choose, if they so desire, to enroll their child in a private school and receive a scholarship, or voucher, to help pay the tuition.

While the debate swirls around the state, one fact is certain: School vouchers, as proposed by the Legislature, are absolutely constitutional under the federal and Pennsylvania state constitutions

http://www.pennlive.com/editorials/index.ssf/2011/03/vouchers_are_constitutional_un.html

Editorial: Vouchers put spotlight on education

Delaware County Daily Times Opinion Thursday, March 3, 2011

Pennsylvania is once again about to get a crash course in education vouchers.
Here is the CliffsNotes version of the debate. A bill proposed by what might appear to be the state Senate’s version of the Odd Couple — Republican Sen. Jeff Piccola of Dauphin County and Democrat Sen. Anthony Williams, who represents West Philly and a slice of Delaware County, would use state funds to subsidize “a choice” for lower-income families when it comes to where their kids are educated.

http://www.delcotimes.com/articles/2011/03/03/opinion/doc4d6f1438275ca681745965.txt

Chi schools chief: Our students aren’t ‘failing’

Delaware County Daily Times Thursday, March 3, 2011

By LAURA WISELEY Times Correspondent

UPPER CHICHESTER — They’re straight-A students, actors, athletes, scientists and technology buffs.
And they sure don’t look like they’re “persistently failing” to Chichester School District Superintendent Barbara DiMarino.
“It’s such a harsh label,” DiMarino said of the designation, recently applied to Chichester High School by supporters of a controversial school voucher bill that would require taxpayers to subsidize the education of public school students from low-income families who want to attend state charter, private and parochial schools. “Especially for a school district that has such great students, teachers and administrators.”

http://www.delcotimes.com/articles/2011/03/03/news/doc4d6f15799d79b746882505.txt?viewmode=default