On Dec. 18, Governor Glen Youngkin proposed the idea of choice vouchers in Virginia. Choice vouchers give students who are unhappy with public school education the chance to attend a private school with tuition paid by the state. Having these vouchers available has been a blessing for some but abused by many.
In other states, more fortunate families have applied and been accepted for vouchers, which have taken unnecessary money from the public school systems. This has caused controversy throughout many states, though. People feel that families who can afford private school education without a voucher should not be taking money from the public school system. Youngkin, however, has a different approach to fixing this problem.
Youngkin proposed that only families making less than twice the federal income limit should be allowed to apply for vouchers. As of right now, if an individual or a business donates to the private school scholarship foundations, they will get a 65 percent tax credit. Youngkin is attempting to be very specific about who would have the opportunity to receive a voucher if this program is passed.
The process of receiving a voucher is not easy. The main reason choice vouchers are an option is that some people are unhappy with public school education. To get a voucher, the student and the student’s guardians must convince the school board that the education they receive in a public school is not up to adequate standards. If the school board approves, a voucher will be available to the student, and the state will cover their private school education.
While vouchers have a few positive attributes, the negatives outweigh the positives. Public schools follow state-issued curriculums. They hire incredible teachers and staff who have devoted themselves to helping the world’s youth become good, respectable, and educated people. People shouldn’t feel the need to take money from public schools, which actually need the money, and go to a different school just because they are not happy receiving the same public school education as every other student in America. Vouchers may seem appealing to some but in reality they are taking away from the education public school students deserve. They are causing money problems for schools that already struggle to give the students what they need. Vouchers are also placing a wedge in the education community. When someone asks for a voucher they are stating that they are unhappy with the public school system. That causes controversial emotions between everyone who works so hard to make school enjoyable for the students. Private schools do have some advantages like larger budgets that allow for more student activities but they don’t have the family feel that public schools carry. While every school needs money, public schools have done an amazing job working around that issue and giving students the best school years that they could ask for.
Public schools work hard to care for students and the community. They are part of the foundation that makes towns and cities become families. People should not take for granted the blessing of having free schooling that offers a good education. Public schools put everything they have into making students’ school years fun, impactful and educational. Public schools are extremely important and should be supported, not overlooked.
