Parental Choice and School Vouchers: A Viable Facet of Texas Public Education Reform (Comment)

The purpose of this comment is to educate its readers about the feasibility of school vouchers as a part of education reform in Texas. It is undeniable that education is an issue which affects all socio-economic classes. Part II focuses on three popular "solutions" to the education funding quagmire, and how school vouchers should be a facet of an overall revision of the Texas public education financing scheme. Part III first discusses the Texas legislative response to the most recent ruling on the (un)constitutionality of public education finance by the Texas Supreme Court. The next portion of Part III focuses on the typical Establishment Clause challenges which arise from school voucher and parental choice programs, and how the United States Supreme Court has ruled in recent decisions concerning separation of church and state, as well as the Court's decisions in cases involving family autonomy. The last portion of Part III briefly discusses the role of personal choice and free-market capitalism in American society. Part IV briefly evaluates some of the statistics and data which indicate support for school voucher and parental choice programs. Lastly, Part V concludes this paper by reiterating that school voucher and parental choice programs grant parents their rights of parental autonomy while maintaining a culturally diverse learning atmosphere for their children