PrintApril 27, 2010
School Choice and the Limits of Liberal Jewish Compassion
Last month, the Illinois State Senate passed a bill that would provide vouchers to students at Chicago's worst-performing public schools. The bill has since moved to the state House, where the executive committee approved it last week by a vote of 10 to 1. There is a real chance that the bill will become law and that poor children in African-American and Latino neighborhoods will finally have an opportunity to succeed.There was an interesting pattern in the state Senate vote. The voucher bill passed because Republicans teamed up with black and Hispanic senators. The opposition came from white liberals. As the Chicago Tribune observed, "Many Democrats from relatively affluent areas opposed the measure. But a majority of the African-American and Latino senators -- those whose constituents' kids would directly benefit -- voted yes."School vouchers have also become a very important issue for religious communities, including the Orthodox Jewish community, which lobbies heavily...(Read Full Article)
