Voucher Series

Education has been thrust into the political spotlight this election year.. with Gubernatorial candidates Jeb Bush and Buddy Mackay making it their top priority.
Their proposed education reforms are very different from one another, and give voters a clear choice. A good example of that is where the candidates stand on vouchers.

In the first of two special Assignment: Education reports.. Bill Ratliff takes a look this very divisive and volatile issue.

Two candidates.. one issue: Education. And within their debate over how to best improve our schools.. one candidate has raised the politically dangerous issue of vouchers. Jeb Bush wants to reward successful schools with money, and give students at failing schools the right to use vouchers for a private school education.
Buddy Mackay strongly opposes vouchers.

--[Buddy Mackay says:] "I personally think vouchers undermine public education."--

But the push for vouchers -is- picking up steam. Dr. Mack Hicks of Pinellas County is director of a group which calls itself "Parents for Educational Fairness." Hicks says the use of vouchers is a matter of social justice.

--[Dr. Mack Hicks says:] "It's a matter of using that money.. which by the way doesn't necessarily belong to the state or public schools. That money belongs to the citizens and the citizens as a group should decide how best to use that money."--

Hicks is not alone in the call for vouchers. Patrick Heffernan heads up a Miami-based organization called "Floridians for School Choice." He believes public dollars should follow the child and flow to whatever school is most likely to serve the public interest.

--[Patrick Heffernan says:] ".. And the public's interest is that as many children as possible will become educated adults.. responsible citizens.. productive members of our society."

On the other side of the debate.. Teacher Unions. The president of the Pinellas County Teachers Association says it's not sound policy to mix public and private education with public money and he says it will lead to low quality for-profit private schools.

--[Jade Moore says:] "We're trying to save a system of public schools that we believe contributed greatly to make this country as good as it is. It will not be the same system when parents can jump in and out of the system. And it will not be the same system when unregulated private education is a major factor."--

And so the debate goes.. louder than ever. And right in the middle.. two Gubernatorial candidates who have thrown down the gaunlet on this divisive issue.
Their differing positions give voters a clear choice. Bill Ratliff, Newschannel Eight.

Vouchers Part 2

Vouchers. Will they destroy our public schools or save Florida's Education system?
In five days, you get to choose the Republican and Democratic candidates for Education Commissioner.

In part two of his special "Assignment: Education" report.. Bill Ratliff shows you where those who want to head the D-O-E stand on the issue of vouchers.

It's the end of a school day at Sacred Heart Academy in Tampa. This private Catholic school has seen its enrollment grow in recent years. But some believe schools like this could see their numbers -soar-, if Republican Gubernatorial candidate Jeb Bush gets his way. He wants to grade public schools based on state test scores.

--[Jeb Bush says:] "We'll grade schools based on performance from A-to-F, just as students are graded."--

Under Bush's plan.. if schools do well, they'll be rewarded with extra money from the state. If they fail, their students could use vouchers for a private school education.
Bush's Democratic opponent Buddy Mackay says vouchers of any kind would undermine public education. Sacred Heart moms Chris Castillo and Kim Ruff like Bush's idea of limited vouchers, but they admit they have concerns.

--[Chris Castillo says:] "We'll I'm torn, because I don't don't know what positions that will put the schools in. If everybody leaves the low-performing schools.. that school is going to be even worse than it was." [Kim Ruff says:] "My concern.. as far as tax money being brought into the private education.. is that at a point they would have control or some sort of imput into the private school industry."--

While Bush's plan has drawn a defining line between him and Mackay.. the voucher concept has also drawn a partisan line between the Republican and Democratic candidates for Education Commissioner, as well.. sort of. Republican candidates Tom Gallager and Faye Culp support limited vouchers... with Gallagher saying it's the state's repsonsibility to protect a child from a failing school, and Culp saying it's at least worth a try. On the Democratic side, Peter Rudy Wallace and Ron Howard are strongly opposed to school vouchers. Wallace says it would be fiscally irresponsible to introduce them.. And Howard, a former teacher, states he's a strong supporter of public education and fears vouchers would hurt the system. But Democrat Keith Arnold jumps the partisan line.. saying vouchers would only be used to help a few thousand students. He says, however, they may not be a realistic solution to most school problems.

For parents, the hope is the battle over school vouchers in Florida ends with children coming out the winners. Bill Ratliff, Newschannel 8.

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