Dayton Daily News education reporter Scott Elliott writes about schools, kids, teaching and learning.
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Tuesday, February 28, 2006
The plight of private school parents
At a meeting Monday to discuss Ohio’s new voucher program, it was the parents who have already scrimped and saved and pinched every penny to get their kids out of public schools that didn’t meet their standards, and into private schools that do, who were out in force.
That’s because, at least in Dayton, they’re the ones being left out under the new voucher rules.
When lawmakers created the statewide voucher program, they focused on kids who were, in their view, “trapped” in failing schools — kids who are in public schools rated in academic emergency for three straight years. So the rules focus on where the child is attending now — if you’re in one of these qualifying schools, you can receive one of the vouchers for up to $5,000 to attend private school.
But, parents at the meeting last night said, what about those who refused to be trapped? What about those who are under just as much financial pressure as the families in public schools but who stretched and strained to get their kids into private schools because their educations mattered that much to them?
More than one parent last night said they were spending half their monthy take home income on private schools for their kids. And yet, as the rules are now, they are not eligible for vouchers that could make a real difference to their ability to afford the private schools where they said their kids were flourishing. And Dixie Allen, the pro-voucher Democrat from Jefferson Township, indicated changing the rules to include families currently in private schools may be a long shot.
What do you think of rules that prevent current private school families from receiving vouchers?
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