Church is at the center of voucher debate: would political win put church at odds with common good? - the students left behind in the public schools present a moral issue for the Catholic church - Catholic Education

National Catholic Reporter, March 28, 1997 by John Allen

Consider the capacity of existing private schools. The Catholic education association's DeFiore estimates that existing Catholic schools overall might be able to add five percent to the student population. That means just 130,000 students, since Catholic schools, K-12, presently serve a little over 2.6 million students. Given that the enrollment in New York City public schools alone is over a million, it's easy to see that the vast majority of students in America are not suddenly going to be transported out of the public system under a voucher plan.

What about the emergence of new private schools? The limited Milwaukee experience suggests it may not be as simple as it sounds. A handful of schools created there specifically to educate voucher students has already folded. In any event, it's unlikely that a sufficient number of schools will crop up to put much of a statistical dent in public school enrollment.

The real issue in the voucher debate, therefore, is the fate of the majority of poor children who will remain in public schools, no matter what happens. Advocates for vouchers believe they'll be better off, as public schools retool to compete, using resources more wisely and being more responsive to the needs of parents. Opponents contend that vouchers will further siphon resources, both fiscal and human, away from institutions already bleeding.

The real impact of vouchers on public education is likely to be less dramatic than either side is willing to admit in the heat of political debate. Peter Cookson, a professor at Teachers College at Columbia University, said, "Private alternatives to public education may seem convincing on paper, but in reality they are no solution at all."

"Vouchers are likely to mean a great deal for those who get them, and relatively little for everyone else," said Professor Jeffrey Henig of George Washington University.

The Catholic position

Where does all this leave the church? For one thing, a solid case can be made for its position in favor of vouchers for poor families based on the consensus that Catholic schools in the inner city serve poor communities better than public schools. At the same time, however, the nagging question remains: What about those left behind?

Kozol, whose books on urban education such as Savage Inequalities and Amazing Grace have earned him a closet full of honorary degrees, displays only one on his wall -- a "doctor of crayons" degree from the kindergarten class at St. Augustine's Elementary School in the South Bronx. Kozol, who is Jewish, says the degree hangs right next to his portrait of Thomas Merton.

"I would do anything I could for these inner-city Catholic schools," he said. "They make an incredible contribution." At the same time, Kozol said, the stakes are much bigger than the well-being of the small number of additional children who could be accommodated in Catholic schools. "The question is, What is the greatest possible social justice? Is it to take care of my child, or to take care of all children?" said Kozol.