Debate Over School Vouchers

Re “Vouchers: The Cheap Way Out,” Opinion, Feb. 15:

Larry Cuban is confused by those of us, like myself, who wish to end racial preference and discrimination programs, but want to implement vouchers that will help many inner-city schoolkids who may happen to be Latino and black. It’s quite simple--vouchers would be given to any child who wanted them, regardless of skin color. Racial preference and discrimination programs (affirmative action) deny or benefit schoolkids based on skin color. Where’s the confusion?

As for throwing more money at failing public schools, one only need look at Kansas City, where a federal judge ordered millions of dollars be spent to “upgrade” public schools, only to have the test scores come out the same. Vouchers have worked in Milwaukee and Cleveland, and they will work here.

The Democratic Party and the teachers unions need to stop denying a decent education to the people who they always claim to be helping--the children. It’s time for school vouchers now!

BOB BURNETT

Long Beach

* Bravo to Cuban for succinctly debunking the arguments of those who advocate school vouchers as the educational panacea for poor inner-city schoolchildren. He shows that a simple (and cheap) solution for a complex (and expensive) problem is not the answer.

Improving the schooling of poor and minority inner-city youth cannot be solved by simply doling out “opportunity scholarships” to parents. As Cuban so cogently argues, the “larger socioeconomic” issues affecting the poor are the real ones to be solved. Once these problems are addressed, the education of poor and minority children will improve.

ED PEREZ

Alta Loma