urity cameras, and security forces unsettling, especially if they perceive these measures as symbols of failed efforts to improve school safety. Research shows that chronic exposure to violence adversely affects a child’s ability to learn. Children who achieve in school and develop important reading, critical-thinking, problem solving, and communication skills are better able to cope with stressful and perhaps dangerous situations. Another problem with the public school system in urban areas is overcrowding. There is evidence showing that particularly in schools with a high proportion of students living in poverty, overcrowding can have a dire impact on learning. Crowded classroom conditions not only make it difficult for students to concentrate on their lessons, but inevitably limit the amount of time teachers can spend on new teaching methods or teaching anything beyond the barest minimum of required material. More importantly, rather than undertaking the more important task of improving their schools, administrators must devote their time and energies to maintaining order and safety. Many disputes have arisen about school vouchers taking away much needed government funding and the highly controversial, constitutional amendment allowing the separation of church and state. The main focus, however, should be on the children and how to best meet their educational needs. As the saying goes “children are our future” by giving parents the ability to choose programs based upon their child’s educational needs, all parties involved stand to benefit. School vouchers are a valuable tool in educational reform. Due to their flexibility, they can be used by each community to redress the economic inequities of the current system, promote improvement of local public schools, and provide an economically feasible option for areas to support their own school system. ...
