Why I Support School Choice Part 1

by Valorie Delp | More from this Blogger

09 Dec 2006 07:44 AM

If you are at all familiar with educational issues you know that this is a hot button. School choice is the idea that a parent has the right to choose their child's school. Okay. . .no big deal. Until you start to take available resources and spread them around, theoretically diverting them from public schools. School choice does not just translate into a parent's right to homeschool, or opt into a private school, but also includes charter schools, magnet schools, as well as school vouchers. After all, why should school choice be limited to those who can afford to pay for their child's education?

I've decided to address this issue for a few reasons. First, you may have read Kaye Siders' article on Walmart being anti-public education. I know for her and many other public school teachers, being school choice is equivalent to being anti-public school. Second, Andrea Hermitt, wrote a blog in homeschooling this week that talks about school choice from the homeschooling angle. As a homeschooling parent--I obviously support school choice. However, as a teacher I supported school choice and as a budding educator in college I supported school choice. Here are some arguments to consider.

School choice undermines the tradition of public education in America. It segregates neighborhoods, and general produces a poorer quality of schools.

This is simply not true. Public education in America is a monopoly. Monopolies throughout history have only benefited the monopolizing party and frankly, the same is true with public schools. In a business monopoly, competition forces the 'monopolizer' to improve their product, offer more for less, or use incentives that are beneficial to the consumer. The same is true for public schools. Where there are public schools who are in competition with a charter school or school vouchers, it forces all of the schools to improve, diversify, improve their methods and guess who wins? Your children.

Allowing for charter schools and vouchers (both of which allow parents to choose which public school to attend) takes away money from public schools. Public schools need more money to improve facilities, pay teachers better salaries, and address an all time high enrollment.

The truth is several projects have addressed the "public schools need more funding" issue and they've found this simply isn't true. Educational spending is at an all time high. A judge in Kansas City, Missouri decided to test the hypothesis that all schools needed was unlimited funding. At the end of the experiment, students achievement scores were no higher than they were before they started. In Florida's A Plus program, children who are in schools graded as 'F' can receive 'opportunity scholarships' to go anywhere else. At the end of a four year period--it was the former "F" schools that showed the most marked improvement on test scores. There are numerous other 'experiments' and studies that all conclude the same thing: public schools overall, are improved by the competition of a school choice policy.

Look tomorrow for more arguments supporting school choice!

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Learn more about Valorie Delp

Hello everybody! My name is Valorie and I am one busy lady! When I'm not writing or editing for families, I am busy trying to get my brood of 5 in line.

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