Posting Towards Gomorrah

[Replaced_Texan]

Marketplace has a series going on about the "real election," and they got to education yesterday. They've been pitting David Frum and Robert Reich against each other. I thought that this was an interesting proposition and I was wondering what ya'll thought of it?

REICH: Well, I believe in accountability. But I think we've gone way, way overboard. In an attempt to make our schools accountable to parents, and to put some pressure on schools, all we're doing is teaching how to take tests. You know, on the issue of competition, market competition, let me make a confession here. Because, years ago, I proposed something in the Wall Street Journal and I got dumped on from all sides. Which makes me think that maybe my idea was pretty good. I proposed then a progressive voucher, and it would go something like this (and David I'd be interested to see what you think):

I mean, poor families, say, get $15,000 per kid. Let's say rich families get $3,000 per child. And the families do have an option as to how to utilize these vouchers. If you don't like the word vouchers, call them liverwurst. Whatever fits. And they can use them at charter schools. They can use them at any school that meets minimum requirements. But you see, if poor families got $15,000 per child, immediately kids from poor families would become very attractive to any school. I mean, competition is fine as long as the poorest kids with the biggest learning and social problems are not excluded from the good schools, in fact, are attractive to the good schools. And I think my progressive voucher system — modesty aside — is the answer.

RYSSDAL: David, I'll put it right to you. What do you think about vouchers and Bob's idea?

FRUM: I think the idea of vouchers is so precious that I would certainly be willing to pay. If that's what the Democratic price were for vouchers, I would certainly be willing as a policy maker to pay it. I mean, Bob is quite convinced that what will happen as a result of his progressive vouchers is that you will have all of the worst students in the same schools as all of the best students because the schools will be eager for the $15,000 check. It may be that, in fact, specialized schools spring up which are full of $15,000 kids who need extra help. And so long as we have an educational market that is open enough to initiative to allow for that possiblity, as well as the one that Bob anticipates, that I think is real freedom. And that is the thing that will lead us to the best results.