Why Don't Republicans Want School Vouchers in Places Republicans Actually Live?
Republicans are once again passionate about their long-time love school vouchers, believing that the idea of "school choice" is a key to winning over minority voters. But you know who often doesn't like school vouchers? Republicans from rural areas.
A number of prominent members of the GOP have spoken about vouchers recently, largely in the context of addressing poverty and inequality. Politico documents a number of them: House Majority Leader Eric Cantor, Florida Sen. Marco Rubio, state representatives around the country. "It’s a winning issue for us," the GOP's outreach director to African-American media told Politico. "We’re going to be talking about educational opportunity in every state."
Receptions in those states will vary. In statehouse battles over the past several years, it has been an alliance of Democrats and rural Republicans that have opposed expanding or implementing vouchers. For the same reason: vouchers pull resources from schools that need every dollar they can get after years of scaling back.
The debate over vouchers is usually centered on urban schools, since it provides the Republicans' dream pitch: A failing local school has parents of every color and creed looking for alternatives. Siphon money from the big government education pool, and let parents decide if they'd like to use it toward a private or charter school. School choice. It appeals to those dissatisfied urban parents — urban parents who, the demographics tell us, would usually vote Democratic.
"Failing" is a relative term, of course. But there's no question that public schools — like all components of government — are struggling with reduced budgets.
