with tuition assistance to attend private and û this is where the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment becomes relevant û if they choose, parochial schools. Owens argues that the concept of school voucher programs has the potential to change the meaning of public education in the United States. He argues that voucher programs eschew the "static system of predetermined enrollment to a dynamic, consumer-oriented system of choice between competing schools" (Owens 717). He calls this transition a paradigm shift in the way that Americans conceptualize public schools, which has led to both passionate support and opposition to such programs.
Opposing Views of School Voucher Programs
Although only 25 percent of American voters have school-aged children, every American taxpayer is invested in public education. Moreover, as Owens notes, employers and postsecondary school administrators are also invested in the quality of public school graduates. Moreover, the quality of the education provided by America
...