Letter: Private schools perform better

Wednesday, Feb. 7, 2001 | 10:07 a.m.

In response to the Jan. 28 letter on vouchers from Brenda Kennedy, Nevada PTA president, I must disagree. Most people would approve of vouchers if the teachers union wouldn't scare them with its twisting of the facts.

Fact: Less children in a class does not improve their learning. Some private schools have as many as 33 to 35 in a classroom and do much better than our public schools, and 90 percent of children going to private schools go on to college.

Fact: If 20 percent of children left our public schools and the public schools lost 20 percent of their funding, the ratio of money to children would be the same. It would just mean the public schools would need less teachers and less administrators, which would mean less power to the powerful teachers unions.

Fact: Private schools are accountable. If they don't perform, the parents will pull their children out! In Milwaukee the voucher system is working very well and poor children are learning and raising their test scores in reading and math.

Private schools insist on parent involvement in their children's education. If public schools are so good, why do all politicians and higher-income families send their children to private schools?

SHARON MESKER