<\/a>Republicans are for school vouchers because they want to privatize public education, turn\u00a0education into a\u00a0money making venture, and\u00a0use\u00a0taxpayer money to fund religious schools. Some Democrats support vouchers because of a genuine desire to improve education. They want vouchers for\u00a0innovative\u00a0schools with alternative\u00a0curriculums, creative teachers, and enhanced learning environments. Yet, the truth is, this very\u00a0small number of truly wonderful innovative private schools will serve a tiny percentage of children and will do nothing to\u00a0improve public education for the majority.<\/p>\n The answer is finding and adopting best practices within the public and private educational system<\/strong>, not siphoning off money and resources to the private sector. Within public and private educational systems there are plenty of outstanding schools that less successful public schools can emulate. Finding ways to disseminate and integrate\u00a0those practices is one\u00a0key to improving public education. Vouchers and privitization are not the answer because\u00a0ninety percent of American children attend public schools.<\/strong>\u00a0A truly progressive view aspires to improve education for all children through better public policy, not through\u00a0privatization of public taxpayer money.<\/p>\n And it’s not like voucher schools are all that successful.<\/strong> Last November, NEAtoday.org reported that 150 students in Milwaukee left their voucher schools<\/a>, their parents opting to return them to Milwaukee Public Schools. The\u00a0voucher schools had\u00a0failed to provide for kids with learning or physical disabilities, or offer after-school programs, or offer art, music and physical education classes.<\/p>\n Since the state legislature created Milwaukee\u2019s school voucher program more than 30 years ago, the program has paid for thousands of city students to attend private schools, of which 85 percent are religious. More than a billion dollars has been siphoned from the public school system<\/strong> to pay their tuition, including more than $50 million this year alone.<\/strong> But studies have shown that students don\u2019t do any better in those private schools. In fact, it\u2019s not such a great investment for the public\u2014or those parents.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n Americans United for Separation of Church and State<\/a> offers a very good list of 10 reasons why private school vouchers should be rejected. <\/a>The following is an edited and reworded version of the list. I encourage you to read the entire list and the full arguments here.<\/a><\/p>\n 1. Vouchers force taxpayers to support religion<\/strong><\/p>\n According to the U.S. Department of Education, religious groups run 76 percent of all private schools<\/strong>. Over 80 percent of students attending private schools are enrolled in religious institutions, which integrate religion throughout their curriculum and often require all students to receive religious instruction and attend religious services. Thus, publicly funded vouchers are paying for these institutions\u2019 religious activities and education.<\/p>\n 2. Vouchers divert public money to unaccountable private schools<\/strong><\/p>\n