School vouchers are about fairness, not politics

Recently, Robert Bortins, CEO of Classical Conversations, wrote a commentary in the Expressnews on Gov. Greg Abbott’s push for school vouchers ("Vouchers are government handouts at their worst,” March 27).

He wrote that in his view, such a program was not “conservative” and would erode parental responsibility.

The use of public funds to help poor families enroll their students in high-performing private schools is neither a liberal nor conservative issue. Rather it is an issue of fairness and one that should be supported if it will enable higher academic achievement.

It would appear that the governor’s goal of a voucher plan may pass the 2025 Texas Legislature if he secures enough support in the November election.

I would support the plan, but only if it included an income cap.

In short, the government should not be assisting wealthy parents with their children’s private education.

However, it should be supporting poor parents who seek to have their children avoid a failing school system and instead attend one that will enable them to achieve their educational goals.

Too often, poor minority families who live in urban school districts have little choice but to send their students to failing schools while rich families can easily pay for their children to attend high-performing schools.

This type of situation has helped lead to the academic achievement gap between poor students of color and affluent white families that has long existed in this country. A family’s income should not be a factor in determining their choice of schooling.

As a retired attorney who has spent the last 20 years working in public education, exclusively in urban school districts whose student populations are majority minority and economically disadvantaged, I have seen firsthand the damage that a failing school can do to students with higher educational goals.

There are many reasons for such failing schools, and quite often it is the students and their families who do not see the importance that education can play in changing their economic situation.

However, there also are those students who desire a strong educational foundation and yet cannot receive it because of the apathy of the students around them. Why should a poor family not be given the same opportunity as a wealthy family to change their child’s future? Why should the neighborhood school district determine your academic future if you are striving for better?

A voucher program that would allow these students to attend successful private schools is clearly a good outcome for both the family and the schools.

It adds to diversity and enables success. It also helps to create a competitive atmosphere that would force the failing school district to raise its standards if it hoped to hold onto those students who sought a better educational experience.

I urge voters not to look upon a potential voucher program as conservative or liberal, Democratic or Republican, but rather as an educational opportunity for our most neglected families and students.

When it comes to the educational success of a student, a family’s financial status should not be the determining factor in their child’s future.