Better Uses for Voucher Money

* Are vouchers the best use of our dollars to improve the education of children in underperforming schools? Not in my opinion. Instead of providing $4,000 per year to students, many of whom already attend private or parochial schools, why not use the same $4,000 to provide a bonus each year to any teacher with five or more years of experience who is willing to teach in an underperforming school?

There is a strong correlation between the number of inexperienced and/or emergency-credentialed teachers in a school and the low achievement scores of students in those schools. Getting more experienced teachers to the struggling students would help many children rather than just a few.

Would bonuses achieve their desired result? In nursing, we were able to correct a situation where the RNs on night and weekend duty were usually the least-experienced nurses by providing significant bonuses to people who would work that shift. Money does matter and, in certain circumstances, is an efficient motivator.

PATRICIA A. FYLER

Brea

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In a startling turnabout, TV rescues shipwrecked public schools. A concept has been created that takes the best of “Survivor” and applies it to public education. It works this way: At the end of every month, the kids in each classroom vote to kick out those classmates who have most spoiled the learning experience. The ousted kids are handed a voucher for private schools and shown the door.

Bad actors are soon weeded out. Those who have disrespected the teacher, bullied other students and otherwise disrupted class are gone. Left behind are only students willing to learn. Teachers breathe sighs of relief and concentrate on teaching scholars instead of disciplining thugs. Benefits swiftly accumulate. Taxpayers find that teachers’ unions want lower pay scales because their members don’t have to work as hard. Voucher enthusiasts are delighted to see that vouchers help break the public school monopoly. And “reality TV” rejoices that it has made the vast wasteland of public education only half-vast.

THOM EGAN

Costa Mesa