A Victory For Vouchers

The biggest unknown with vouchers remains the most persistent one: Do they boost student achievement? Parochial schools are not bound to administer the same standardized exams as their public counterparts, but reliable research has, at best, documented only microscopic gains in student achievement. In the wake of the ruling, centrists have begun calling on private and parochial schools to adhere to statewide standards. This week the middle-of-the-road Progressive Policy Institute will release a paper calling for just such "accountable choice."

Still, there are voices like those of Cassandra Galloway, a Head Start teacher from Pensacola, Fla. Her son Jonathan, 13, got A's and B's at his public elementary school two years ago but could hardly sound out a word when she asked him to read aloud. Today he happily attends Sacred Heart Cathedral School on a voucher. "His attitude toward school has changed," says his mother. "Now he's bringing home those big Harry Potter books. He didn't really like himself at his old school, but now he's in love with himself." Such experiences add up to a powerful endorsement — and one that politicians may find hard to resist.