Vouchers are bad news

Noel Thornley's letter (Readers' Forum, Sept. 5) concerning the voucher referendum was such a far cry from an informational and accurate letter it is ridiculous it was even published. The letter claimed teachers and the Utah Education Association are against vouchers because there is a fear of accountability. What is so blatantly disgusting about that letter is that if you turn 180 degrees from that claim you will actually find the truth. Teachers, like myself, and the Utah Education Association fear the voucher law, because it completely lacks accountability for the schools that our public money goes to.

Private schools that can accept vouchers have no audit requirements of how the money is being used. They have no core curriculum standards, do not have to be accredited by any organization and the teachers who teach there don't even have to be licensed. We will lose our voice in the education of our children if we vote in favor of vouchers.

Weston Clark

Salt Lake City