e21 Asks: Should States Expand School Choice?

During National School Choice Week we asked e21 readers, “Should states expand school choice?” Readers were overwhelmingly in support of school choice, with “Yes” responses garnering 86 percent of the vote. “Yes, it improves the quality of schools” was the most frequently-cited reason to support

school choice with 42 percent, followed by “Yes, kids should not be forced into failing schools” with 36 percent. The third “Yes” response, “it helps economic mobility,” was less popular with 8 percent, but still received more votes than both “No” responses. “No, it drains money from public schools” received 8 percent and “No, parents don’t know enough to choose their kids’ schools” received 6 percent.

School choice programs have been gaining popularity over the last decade. Thirteen states passed school choice legislation in 2011, leading the Wall Street Journal to declare it “The Year of School Choice.” In 2014, nearly 6,000 events will celebrate National School Choice Week, an increase of 2,000 events since 2013. This year, 29 governors and 49 mayors have made proclamations in support of National School Choice Week.

Whether through charter schools, magnet schools, cyber-learning, or using vouchers to attend private schools, expanding school choice has been shown to improve the quality of all schools, including public. In December, e21 policy analyst Jared Meyer wrote on the positive effects school vouchers have by increasing market competition in the education system.

Students should not be assigned to schools depending on their zip codes. It makes no sense to assume every student in a district belongs in a one-size-fits-all classroom. Allowing parents to have multiple schooling options helps them pick learning environments in which their children will excel.

Assigning students to schools based on location also reinforces a cycle of poverty. Parents living in poor districts are left with no choice besides local public schools, and high school graduation rates in some urban areas are 55 percent. Without a high-quality education, poor children grow up with few job prospects. Giving low-income families the option to send children to high-quality private or charter schools opens opportunities and increases the likelihood that low-income students graduate high school and attend college.

One of the most prevalent myths about school choice is that giving taxpayer money to alternative schools hurts public schools. This does not have to happen. When students leave the public schools, the school loses all responsibility for the costs of educating the student, but still retains some of the funding.” Research by Susan Aud found that every existing school choice program produced more than $1 million in savings—except for programs designed to be revenue-neutral by legislation.

More than anyone else, and certainly more than government bureaucrats, parents want their children to have the best education possible. E21 director Diana Furchtgott-Roth wrote last week, “We must ensure that children can graduate and attend college, that they have the skills to be employed in a well-paying job. To accomplish this, we have to let them choose better schools, whether these schools are public, charter, or private.”

With so many successful school choice programs across the country, it is important to showcase new educational opportunities. Doing so helps raise support for bringing school choice to where it is needed most. State governments would be wise to expand school choice programs in 2014.