As the election season heats up, I am repeatedly asked about my position on school vouchers. While I've always favored the idea of vouchers, over the last couple of months my position has solidified. One of the primary reasons why is the fact that we already HAVE vouchers in a universal system, and not only that, they are EXTREMELY effective.

The problem is, with our labelling system, we call them by a different name.

You see, the federal financial aid system for higher education IS a voucher system. If we were to employ the same logic in funding higher ed as we employ in K12 education, you would be geographically restricted to schools within your region. This would mean that your higher education would be limited by certain factors beyond your control, and it would create a gross inequity between schools. A student in rural Nebraska would not receive the same education as a student in Washington State. On a local level, where schools are based, a student in the inner city of Detroit would not receive the same education as a student in the suburbs.

By not allowing vouchers for public school K12 students to compete, we are still maintaining the system of "separate but equal" that was declared unConstitutional LONG ago. We are not allowing parents to make educational CHOICES for their children, but are instead limiting them to their geographical setting. Upward mobility, while possible, becomes much more difficult as parents who want something better for their students must find a way to "foot the bill" themselves.

It is ultimately ironic that we allow the funding of accredited institutions of higher learning that are religiously based, yet we forbid it in K12 education. Why is one approach Constitutional, while the EXACT SAME APPROACH employed at a different level of education, is not?

If we allow K12 education to operate on a voucher system and remove the government monopoly, we open the door to a number of possibilities that will make our nation a stronger and better educated nation. But if we remain true to our current draconian system, we run a very real risk of continuing to leave behind some of our best and brightest. And failing to utilize our country's resources to their fullest potential is the ultimate tragedy.