Teacher's union is trying stop Utah Voucher Law
Surprise, the Utah teacher's union is trying stop the recently enacted voucher system in the state. It is understandable that the teacher's union dislikes competition. One positive note is that the teacher's union has tried petitions before on gun issues and they have failed (Utah's petition rules require that petitioners get signatures from across the state and not just liberal Salt Lake City and that lowers the chances of getting something on the ballot). Given that the union is probably more motivated this time, the odds are higher, but they still might fail. My guess is that once vouchers are in place for a while, it will be a lot like concealed handgun laws. People will wonder what all the concern was about.
Less than 24 hours after the Legislature adjourned, opponents of the school voucher program applied for a referendum petition that could land a final decision in the hands of voters in the next general election.
Utahns for Public Schools, a group formed to head up the task of gathering nearly 100,000 signatures — 91,998 to be exact — in the next 40 days, filed the application asking Lt. Gov. Gary Herbert to consider their cause.
"This is so important that the people in this state should get to vote on it," said Pat Rusk, former president of the Utah Education Association. "We are going to make sure that the citizens of Utah get to decide if they want their tax dollars going to private schools." . . . .
Utahns for Public Schools, a group formed to head up the task of gathering nearly 100,000 signatures — 91,998 to be exact — in the next 40 days, filed the application asking Lt. Gov. Gary Herbert to consider their cause.
"This is so important that the people in this state should get to vote on it," said Pat Rusk, former president of the Utah Education Association. "We are going to make sure that the citizens of Utah get to decide if they want their tax dollars going to private schools." . . . .
posted by John Lott at 4:17 PM
3 Comments:
Utah's teacher union has a long history of supporting education. In the past 60 years, at least twice they have organized to elect governors and legislatures who would build the buildings, set the tough standards, order the tests, buy the books, and make Utah's education system work. When they did that, Utah ranked first in the nation in average educational attainment. When the median age of a Utahn was just over 20, the mean educational attainment was 14 years, thanks to Utah's teachers.
Now comes a program that benefits less than 18% of Utah's kids at the most optimistic, immediately sucks funds from public schools that desperately need it with the promise of increasingly draining school funds in the future -- is it any surprise the teachers would stand up for students?
Utah's "vouchers for the rich kids in big cities" program is a bad one. Utah's citizens organized against it from the start.
Which part of "republican democracy" and "love of education" is it that bothers you most?
Benefits at most 18% of Utah's kids.
Costs less.
Yeah, I can see why you'd prefer the system that changes nothing and costs more.
Go union!
More teachers, more power, more money
Dear Brent and Ed:
Thanks for commenting. I have long thought that we should eliminate the wasteful competition in the production of everything from cars to groceries. Right?
This 18 percent claim is simply silly. There are two points. First, more will be interested in going to private school when this changes. Second, the threat of competition will improve the public schools, just as the threat of competition improves other products.
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