Effectiveness of school voucher programs Will school choice significantly improve educational standards? This is the fundamental question in policy debates about school choice. Are vouchers the solution or do they just make the problem worse? Teachers unions believe school choice will destroy the public school system, a pillar of government accountability. Still others argue that the failures of public education are the fundamental reason why certain groups are held back from advancing their place in society. Who is right? More importantly, whose interests will prevail? Supporters of school vouchers say that the extent of school choice actually exists now, but only for affluent families. Children from wealthy families can be sent to any school a parent wants, they argue. However, low-income families have limited options and are therefore forced to send children to substandard educational institutions. This has the effect of perpetuating the cycle of poor education that leads to low-wage jobs in the future. The only way to break this cycle of inequality is to intervene on the education front. Supporters argue that leveling the playing field for access to education will lead to greater equity on a broader scale. Opponents question the quality of education in private schools that are not regulated by the state. Schools where teachers may not be accredited and the curriculum varies from school to school. Such opponents, including many congressional Democrats, say voucher programs take needed money away from local public schools. “Vouchers will not reform our public schools, they will only serve to weaken them,” says Robert Chase, president of the National Educational Association, the nation's largest teachers union. Opponents say withdrawing money from already underfunded public schools will only exacerbate the problem.