Study Vouches for Vouchers

DEPAUL UNIVERSITY, March 22 — A new book by a DePaul University economics professor demonstrates the effects of Catholic education and school vouchers, the university announced.

Catholic Schools: Private and Social Effects, by William Sander, found that: Minority Catholic high school students have a 30% higher graduation rate than minority public school students, and minority Catholic school students score higher on math and vocabulary tests than their public school counterparts. Catholic schooling also makes students more likely to pray, hold Catholic beliefs, and contribute to church funds later in life.

However, Catholic schooling does not seem to lower rates of substance abuse, and white Catholic school students do not differ greatly from white public school students in academic performance.

Sander also found that in Illinois, voucher programs neither helped nor hurt public schools. This result may surprise advocates on both sides — voucher supporters have argued that competition will force public schools to improve, while opponents contend that vouchers will siphon students, talent and money from public schools.

Teachers vs. Unions

WORLD, March 24 — The two biggest teachers’ unions are facing growing opposition from teachers who can't stand the unions’ bureaucracy, intimidation, and partisan political involvement, World magazine reported (see related story in Lifenotes on page 18).

The National Education Association and the American Federation of Teachers both use membership dues to donate heavily to the Democratic Party and allied causes. Many union members have used dues-withholding laws to prevent their dues from going to pro-abortion groups.

But others chose a different solution: an alternative teachers’ union.

Upstart groups in Texas, Georgia and Missouri already have more members than the NEA, and five other states have large independent teachers’ groups. And the numbers are rising, as the established unions’ membership rolls decline.

The alternative unions offer lower dues, in part because they do not make political contributions or support a Washington-based bureaucracy. But in 22 states, union dues are compulsory, so alternative unions are shut out.