A controversial issue today is private school vouchers. Private school vouchers are given to families that want to send their child/children to a private school, but cannot afford it. They have to qualify for the voucher and if they do, they will not have to pay all, or possibly any, of the tuition for the school. A lot of people out there don't like this, some see it as a "slap in the face" to public schools. However, I disagree. I support vouchers, and here's why.

I feel that I can have an unbiased opinion on this because growing up, I attended both private and public schools. From Pre-K - eighth grade, I attended a private, Christian school. This was a wonderful experience for me. I loved how small the classes were, and by the time my class graduated, we were a family. I loved the Christian atmosphere. I loved everything about the school and the environment that I got to grow up in. Growing up, my family wasn't wealthy by any means, but fortunately that didn't stop my parents from doing everything they could to ensure I got my education. But, until I was in eighth grade, vouchers didn't exist. Because they came out that year, one girl from my graduating class got to spend eighth grade with us. She didn't get to go there any other year because her family couldn't afford it. This is a perfect example of why vouchers are a good thing. There are families that desire for their children to attend private schools for various reasons. They may want their kids to be in a religious environment, they may want their kids in smaller classes where they will get more one-on-one attention, perhaps their child has been expelled from a public school and they need another school to send them to, or maybe they live in a school district where the public schools aren't strong and they want a better option (which is okay, there's nothing wrong with that), the list goes on. But, they may not be able to afford it without a voucher. I just know that I had a wonderful private school experience, and I don't want other people to not be able to have a similar experience because of their financial circumstances.

The reasons I've just mentioned are why I support vouchers. However, I have to advocate for public schools as well. I went to a public high school and it was amazing. I was lucky enough to go to one of the best schools in our area and I had a phenomenal high school experience. I wouldn't have wanted to be anywhere else. The teachers were great, I was educated well and prepared for college, the extracurriculars I participated in were top notch. Everything was wonderful.

So, I had positive experiences in both private and public schools. There are pros and cons to both. I believe every family has to make a decision that is best for their children, and they have a right to send their children to whatever school they feel is best. Vouchers help make that possible. If people choose to use them, it doesn't mean they're stuck up or they think public schools are bad or not good enough, they're simply doing what they think is best for their child. They're being parents, parents are supposed to do what they feel is best for their child. At the same time, if parents choose public school, there's nothing wrong with that either. There's nothing wrong with public schools.

Vouchers aren't bad and people aren't bad for using them.