Charter Schools and Voucher Programs seek to institute accountability in education by providing publicly funded alternatives to public schools. Children in sub-par performing schools will be able to spend their government-allocated education money to attend different schools. The philosophy is that delinquent schools will experience a loss in funding while students opt for private, religious or charter schools and bring with them their state-allocated funds. Publicly funded schools become accountable for their educational offerings, and will need to improve or close.

Voucher Programs, either publicly or privately funded, offer students money to attend private or parochial schools. In the United States, the concept of government provided vouchers was initiated in Virginia, Mississippi, Alabama and Louisiana in the 1960's as a way to subsidize segregated private schools. The plans were struck down by the federal courts, however such programs have proliferated recently as an answer to the problem of inner-city failing schools.

Opponents of voucher programs, most notably the public education system and teachers unions, site the dangers of a decrease in accountability. Private schools are not accountable to the government or to the community, and can hire uncertified teachers, can only admit industrious students, and can discriminate based on religion and special needs (e.g., behavioral problems or disabilities). Likewise, vouchers often do not cover the full cost of sending children to alternative schools, so low-income families cannot pay the difference. Consequently, often the children in most need of better schooling are not able to take advantage of attending other schools. These children suffer from decreased amounts of funding in and the resulting further disintegration of their schools, making it even more difficult for administrators to make improvements such as hiring more teachers.

Voucher plans have been in place for many years in many countries, including Britain, France and the Netherlands and have often resulted in social segregation, widening the educational gap between the children of the rich and the poor. ⁸ Chile, where a voucher plan started in 1980, offers all students vouchers. However, "fees" are often charged at the private schools on top of the voucher, thereby barring access to children from low-income families. ⁹

  Overview: The Accountability Chain