On June 27th, The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People
(NAACP) said the Supreme Court decision upholding the
use of taxpayer-paid school vouchers to send children to private
schools will eventually leave public schools systems in dire
straits.
Kweisi Mfume, NAACP President & CEO, said: "The congress
and state legislatures should act immediately to counteract
the court's decision. The NAACP opposes the use of taxpayer
dollars to pay for school vouchers because it will mean fewer
dollars for public schools where most Americans are
educated. School voucher programs siphon scarce tax money
away from struggling public schools. Education must be a
fundamental guarantee for each child.
"This decision does nothing but further undercut the concept
of universal quality public education, which has provided a
means of upward economic and social mobility to generations
of working-class families. Siphoning off funds meant for public
education will, dollar-for-dollar, make it that much more
difficult for public school systems–already falling behind the
curve–to keep pace in their desperate efforts to modernize
and became more efficient.
"Vouchers are a bandage not a cure. They don't solve the
problems or the needs of public schools or the students who
attend them. It's a matter of robbing Peter to pay Paul. This
5-4 Supreme Court decision legitimizes a concept of Robin
Hood in reverse and says, 'it's ok to take more money from
poor school systems.' In the end, it treats the symptoms, but
offers no cure.
"The real question is why are upscale suburban school
districts not opening their doors to the families of poor black
and Latino children who have vouchers. The issues of
inherent bias, bigotry and access are crying out for
attention. Those issues are essentially ignored and not
addressed by providing a voucher. Instead, what we'll have
are thousands of public school students holding a voucher in
their hand — all dressed up with no where to go."
In a resolution approved two years ago, the NAACP Board of
Directors voted its unqualified support of public education
and denounced the use of public funds to support non-public
school "choices."
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