The Business of School Choice
What the Proponents Say
The idea of school choice rests on the premise that students can receive a better education if their parents have the opportunity to choose a school that is the best fit for their child. This sounds like common sense and rather benign, especially if the local schools are run down and rowdy with jaded and overworked teachers in loud, rambunctious classrooms, not conducive to learning. Given that set of options, I would send my kids out of the area for school as well if it were feasible. Who wouldn’t want to take a voucher or use private school scholarship aid to ensure their child can have access to the best education they can get. The competition will cause better performing schools to attract more clients (students), while the poor performing schools will lose or shut down. How do we judge the performance of schools? Standardized tests scores (product), of course.
Education should perhaps mimic the private sector and seek to limit the influence of organized labor. Teachers’ unions are an impediment to change and innovation in the public school system. They have a vested interest in keeping things the same, of course they want to keep their jobs and do not want any competition. At every turn, they stifle new ideas and educational models that may lead to more success for our children. School choice will likely lead to the weakening or eventual dismantling of the unions and allow management (administration) to get rid of bad teachers (employees) without all the lengthy due process.
If one is not educated on the issues, it is quite easy to fall for this line of reasoning. I am the The Business of School Choice | BustED Pencils:
