School vouchers

[Max Sawicky]

> How about this strategy to end the voucher nonsense: accept it
in principle, but require all participating private schools to
"compete" on "equal terms" with public schools. This means
>
> 1) No participating private school can charge more in tuition
than the voucher amount
>
> 2) All participating private schools must admit _any_ student
that wishes to attend. Any admission selectivity is strictly
forbidden. Expulsion for diciplinary reasons is subject to the
same rules as public schools.
>
> How many private schools would sign up?

Plenty.  Voucher deals typically include the tuition ceiling and
non-discrimination clauses.  The latter is hard to enforce, so it
is not much of a concession by the vendors.

The tuition ceiling is not necessarily onerous either.  The
average spending per pupil in a district -- a common metric for
setting the voucher level -- obscures significant variation in
spending by school.  With the right selection of pupils, it is
not be hard for a vendor to make money.  Aside from their ability
to skew their student body, the vendors have a key cost
advantage -- they can start a new school with new teachers
earning entry-level pay.  The public schools are obliged to
retain their current workforce, whose pay varies significantly.
Labor costs are about 80% of school costs.

I discuss this in my thrilling book, "Risky Business:  Private
Management of Public Schools," co-authored with Craig Richards
and Rima Shore.  (It will change your life.)

mbs