- Allows a parent to receive a "scholarship voucher" for 55% of the total state, federal and local allotment per child (approximately $3400) that can be used for tuition at a "voucher redeeming school" that has no religious affiliation.
- Only children born on or after September 1, 1989, would be eligible for this voucher program.
- The voucher redeeming school cannot charge more tuition than the voucher amount for basic education in grades K-6.
- Anyone could start a voucher redeeming school, provided her/she has an enrollment of at least 25 children.
- Teachers at a voucher redeeming school are not required to be certificated.
- Those non-certificated teachers at a voucher redeeming school are not required to undergo background checks.
- Public schools are required to rent unoccupied classroom space to voucher redeeming schools for a minimum of three years, regardless of fluctuations in the public school's student enrollment.
- Voucher redeeming schools are not required to provide transportation for students.
- These schools are not accountable to a locally elected school board.
- Each school would determine curriculum, code of conduct, admission policy and academic standards.
- Should a parent choose one of these schools for his/her child, admittance is not guaranteed.
ATTENTION: PARENTS & ALL VOTERS!
Included on the November 5, 1996 ballot are two measures that
would have
a grave impact upon education in Washington State. The following is a
capsule summary of the provisions of the first measure. Please read these
provisions carefully and
to protect our educational standards!
To review the second measure, click the Initiative 177 icon at the end
of this page.
Initiative 173, "The Voucher Initiative", sponsored by Ron Taber
Ballot Title: "Shall the state pay scholarship vouchers for primary and secondary students to attend voucher-redeeming private or public shcools of choice?"
Our public school budget is strapped. Each election results in another bond issue defeat that would provide needed classroom equipment, repairs, teachers and programs. Voters defeat these issues primarily because money is tight in our own budgets. Initiative 173 would allow siphoning of already precious funds to a measure that would undermine the educational standards we have fought for.
Under Initiative 173, there are no mechanisms to hold voucher schools accountable for their use of public dollars. Public schools are held accountable by local school boards, duly elected by the taxpayers in the district the board serves. Voucher schools would have to provide only minimal information to the public and there is no recorse provided to taxpayers in case of misuse!
Initiative 173 would allow the hiring of noncertificated teachers. The initiative further endangers our future generations by not requiring background checks for noncertificated teachers! In 1995 alone, Washington State issued over 7000 certificates -- background checks revealed more than 900 applicants with some sort of criminal history! These would be teachers will undoubtably flock to voucher schools where they will not be identified and therefore our children will not be protected from them. Standards must be set for teachers if we expect to have standards set for our children.
Teachers are not the only exemption from standards under Initiative 173. Cirriculum requirements are nearly non-existant. Voucher schools would only be required to teach and administer some unspecified tests which would be chosen by the school. The children attending these schools would have no guarantees of learning accademic fundamentals. There would be no way of insuring even a basic level of learning.
Additionally, under Initiative 173, any unused classroom space in our neighborhood schools would have to be rented to a voucher school for at least three years if a voucher school so requested it. The voucher school could not be ejected from such spaces for any reason as long as they continued to pay rent. Regardless of misconduct on the part of the voucher school or need for space based on increased enrollment in the public school!
Don't let our childrens' futures be jepordized by funding an Initiative that does not have their best interest at heart. We have a fine "charter" or "alternative" schooling program already in place. Schools in this program meet several needs of students not in our public school system and are fully regulated and accountable. To learn more about these "charter" or "alternative" schools, click on the Alternative Schooling icon at the end of this page, and when you go to the polls, please ...
For my kids' sakes, as well as yours.
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You are welcome to e-mail your questions, comments or pledge of support!
Note: Initiatives 173
& 177 were defeated. These pages remain in place for information purposes
only.
The e-mail address is no longer valid.