New voucher program for dyslexic students deserves a look

Allison Hertog:

Mississippi recently became the first state in the nation to adopt a public and private school choice program in which state and federal monies are provided directly to schools which parents choose. Aimed at students with dyslexia, it's also the second special needs school choice program in the country designed for children with a single type of disability. (Ohio's Autism Scholarship Program enacted in 2003 was the first.)

What makes this new program interesting is that it may be a starting point for other state legislatures where special needs voucher bills have failed due to concerns about parent accountability - Wisconsin comes to mind - or where special needs voucher laws have come under increased scrutiny due to reports of private school abuse of public money - Florida comes to mind.

Mississippi's program morphed from a dyslexia screening and treatment bill (supported by a governor who struggled with the learning disorder) into a school choice measure during the proverbial sausage-making legislative process. It's not as carefully or as broadly designed as it could have been. It also appears there's currently only one school in the state which is specialized enough to meet the exceedingly specific criteria to participate. But nonetheless, it succeeds in incentivizing the growth of more highly-accountable school options for parents.

Posted by Jim Zellmer at July 9, 2012 1:03 AM
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