ich places the burden of improvement upon schools, progress can be made. The voucher system recently implemented in Florida is built around competition. The public schools have standards which they must uphold. Each year the state gives each school a letter grade which rates that school’s ability to keep the given standards. If the school receives an “F,” it stands to lose a great deal of its student body because of vouchers. This failing grade qualifies the children enrolled in the school to participate in the voucher program, giving each student between $3000 and $4000 to attend a private school (Kaczor 1). In theory, the system appears to be a well-planned step in the right direction. By penalizing “failing” schools and providing for their students, it seems progress could be made. Voucher proponents believe that by giving schools grades, each one will strive to be the best, receive an “A,” and gain a higher enrollment. However, will it really make a large impact upon the innumerable problems which exist in today’s education system? This year, only two of Florida’s 2500 public schools received a failing grade. And, in these two schools, only 52 students chose to participate in the state’s voucher system (Kaczor 1). While 52 children may be having a better school year, what about the hundreds of others across the state suffering from a poor education? Certainly, those 52 students are not the only ones in the state of Florida who were receiving a less than adequate education. Yet, the state granted approximately $200,000 to support the voucher system. If that money had been given to the schools, they could improve themselves, so that they were no longer considered “failing.” Instead, they were penalized by a drop in enrollment. How then can a failing school be expected to improve? As soon as it receives such a stigma, its students leave and fundin...
