Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: THURSDAY, April 14, 1994 TAG: 9404140047
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: C3 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE:
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
At an education-issues forum Wednesday for Roanoke City Council candidates, two Republicans said: It's worth a look. The Democrats said: No way.
Republican Barbara Duerk said "we need to have more choices" in education, and private-school vouchers might be one way to accomplish that.
"Let's not eliminate any options, any ideas, before exploring them fully," she said.
John Voit, a Republican candidate for a two-year seat, said no one can deny that the public schools have serious problems - and he's willing to look at any innovation that could help improve education.
"I realize this is a touchy thing for teachers," he said. "They get terrified when you talk about vouchers."
He added that he'd want to start small with a few selected voucher programs and see how it works.
The four Democratic candidates - Linda Wyatt, Nelson Harris, John Edwards and William White - all said they believed a voucher system would undermine the public schools and hurt disadvantaged children.
Linda Wyatt, a city elementary school teacher who is Voit's opponent for the two-year slot, said private schools would be able to pick and choose which students they'd accept.
"I have never selected which child I should teach," Wyatt said. "Whenever a child walks through my classroom, they deserve the best I can give them. . . . If you want a private education, pay for it. If not, then work to make the public schools" as good as they can be.
The comments came at a question-and-answer session held by the city Central Council of Parent Teacher Associations. The Democrats' comments against vouchers brought the only spontaneous applause from the audience during the forum.
The third Republican candidate, John Parrott, was unable to attend. He said in a phone interview that the voucher ideas has "some good points," but he believes that overall it would undermine the public schools by encouraging more of the best students to go to private institutions.
State Sen. Brandon Bell, a Roanoke County Republican, introduced voucher legislation this winter. After being criticized by some teachers and politicians, Bell asked that the bill be withdrawn until the issue could be studied more.
Bell's plan would allow poor students who qualify for free or reduced-price lunches to receive public funds to attend private schools. Students would receive vouchers equal to as much as 80 percent of the funds allocated by the state for their public school education.
Supporters said his proposal would benefit disadvantaged children and give them chances that are now available only to students from more affluent families.
Keywords:
POLITICS
by CNB