The voucher program, in which school education vouchers allow parents to use federal funds for private tuition, has been toyed with since the 1950s. Many agree with the use of vouchers in theory, but practical problems make it difficult to implement their use. It’s tricky to come up with an equal system when private schools and public schools may have widely varying costs per pupil. And no one has agreed on the requirements for eligibility for particular categories of students. Currently, students can fall into widely divergent categories, depending on the school system involved. Categories could range from students with autism to students with disabilities, to students grouped by age, income, or residence.

The use of private vouchers, as it turns out, is less popular than the use of vouchers associated with public systems. In the private voucher systems, monies are typically collected from individual donors, such as religious organizations or corporations. The funds are then awarded through grants to low-income families.

A program very similar to the voucher system involves tax credits. Expenses for schooling are credited through the tax system with reimbursements. The voucher and tax credit programs may appear to be controlled by market forces, but that’s not the case in practice. Issues that arise during the administration of these types of programs include limits on particular students allowed to participate, the entanglement of bureaucracy, and financial limits.

There are pros and cons to alternative schooling, but the new systems at least are trying to solve new problems with innovative approaches. Are you up-to-date on the latest news in alternative schooling? How can you use information on its successes (and failures) to help guide your teaching?