Our governor and selected state legislators traveled to Milwaukee to review that city’s voucher scheme.

Gov. Mark Sanford appears to favor the Milwaukee plan for South Carolina. Keep in mind that vouchers or tax credits support a diversion of funds from our public schools to private arenas.

The South Carolina Education Association does not believe that is the best strategy for South Carolina’s public schools. First, we must recognize that Milwaukee’s voucher plan has been in operation for 14 years and still has not lived up to expectations. A major concern has been the unaccountability of finances, including accepting money for students who never showed up. Wisconsin just passed a law requiring more stringent financial oversight of voucher schools.

South Carolina’s public schools need a commitment from our legislators, not less resources. The report cards were just issued on our public schools. Where are the private school report cards? The Milwaukee public schools also are mandated to have annual district report cards, but not the charter or voucher schools of Milwaukee. The unequal accountability standards have always existed.

This is not the direction for South Carolina. Our children deserve the best education. Parents have always been capable of enrolling their children outside the public school sector at their expense. Most educators are concerned to see tax dollars intended for the public education system diverted toward non-public education purposes.

According to Rethinking Schools Online, $22 million will be taken from the Milwaukee public schools to pay for non-public education. South Carolina already funds public education below the national average, and our Legislature has lacked the political will to fully fund our school funding law, the Education Finance Act, since the late 1990s. Our public schools and the 665,000 children served by them cannot afford to lose another penny!

However it’s dressed and served, the “Put Parents in Charge Act” is a backdoor voucher scheme designed to benefit a segment of the population, not all of South Carolina’s children. If we want our children to lead in an uncertain world, compete in a global economy and get along in an increasingly diverse society, we must have an engaged public school system that demands quality and mobilizes resources to educate all children.

Vouchers are a scheme that we cannot afford to implement. We hope that our legislators take a look at all aspects of the voucher program before casting a vote.

Ms. Gallagher is president of the S.C. Education Association.