“As always, shrill voices rise to defend the status quo. They call this risky and they call it a threat to public schools. They ignore the fact that 7 different studies have shown that students that switch to private schools under voucher programs show improved test scores AND the test scores of the students who stay behind at the public schools also improve. Nobody is left behind. Competition forces everyone out of old habits to make needed changes ignored for years. History has shown that dumping billions upon billions of dollars into failed school systems hasn’t improved test scores at all. A mountain of evidence supporting school choice rises before them, but these patrons of the past defend the status quo.
They also ignore the fact that Milwaukee has had school vouchers for 17 years. They ignore that Cleveland and Washington D.C. have school vouchers, and when it came time to rebuild the tattered schools of New Orleans’, the choice was clear: Vouchers and School Choice. They ignore the fact that Sweden, Belgium, the Netherlands, and Ireland all have nationwide voucher and school choice programs. None have gone back to our old system. All of these countries not only outperform our students, they are getting further ahead every year. The only risk is to expect our children to compete in the future marketplace with a school system based in the past.”
My Thoughts: I believe that a conversation between parties and ideologies is necessary to come up with a solution for the ills of public education. Instead of pointing out potential problems with a reform measure that is sorely needed, the Educrats and teachers’ unions would be better served helping to perfect a new definition of public education. Having said that, I also think that widening choices for students will benefit ALL, and not at the expense of SOME. Milwaukee has shown us that public schools do not face decreased funding when choice is in play. Many people cite enormous class sizes as a hindrance to urban public education, and small class sizes as a plus for private schools. Private schools are not obligated to educate ALL students, and can focus their resources. The same stands true for public schools: when they are no longer burdened by educating ALL students, the more they can focus their resources. It logically follows that barring corruption and waste, public schools would be able to provide a caliber of education to compete with private schools. Private schools already compete with public schools, and win. Schools choice can be looked at as a way for private schools to take more students from the public schools system, or it can be looked at as an opportunity for public schools to get back in the running, with the underpinning that because it is the child’s education, that money should follow that individual child to wherever he or she is best educated.
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