Education reformers sometimes express surprise that homeschoolers vehemently oppose well-meant educational voucher programs. This is precisely why: whenever the government transfers money from one taxpayer to another, there is likely to be an assumption of government direction and oversight following the cash. Since when does the federal government have any say in the pay scale of private companies? When they become, in effect, publicly subsidized.
And the reason that real education reform is more effective outside the government schools, just as private companies are more efficient than government agencies, is that the alternatives are free to find their own way. The government’s direction and oversight are largely the problem, not a solution to look forward to.
