One month ago, I wrote that expanded school choice might be a silver lining to the dark cloud of corornavirus.
This issue is getting more heated, as this Reason video explains.
When I’ve written in the past about the issue of school choice, I’ve focused on the superior educational outcomes of private schools (and homeschooling as well) compared to the subpar performance of government schools.
Let’s revisit the topic, looking specifically at the debate over whether schools should reopen.
- Some people argue that children will suffer long-term harm because of diminished educational outcomes if schools are closed.
- Others argue that there may be additional infections if schools are opened, risking the lives of children or members of their families.
At the risk of sounding like a mealy-mouthed politician, both sides are right.
Simply stated, there are potential downsides regardless of which option is selected.
And it’s quite likely that the right approach for some families will be the wrong approach for other families.
This is a very powerful argument for the kind of decentralized decision-making that is only possible with school choice.
- Some parents may want a traditional in-a-classroom experience for their children.
- Some parents may want a blended in-person/online approach for their kids.
- Some parents may want education for their kids to be entirely online.
- Some parents may want to choose homeschooling for their children.
- Some parents may want to experiment with new approaches such as pod teaching.
And the only way to satisfy these disparate desires is to break the government’s monopoly on education.
Let’s look at some recent analysis.
Writing for National Review, Cathy Ruse and Tony Perkins explain why we need alternatives to a one-size-fits-all government monopoly.
…the great American entrepreneurial spirit is awakening as parents are forced to rethink education for their children. And that is to the benefit of children and the nation. …There is no better time to make a change than right now, when public education is in chaos. Parent resource groups are forming to help families make an exit strategy and find the best education option for their children. Today, there are more options than ever.
…Homeschooling continues to be a growing trend… “Hybrid homeschooling” is a new option, where children are homeschooled part of the week and learn in a more traditional school setting with other students for the rest. The most exciting new parent solution is the “pandemic pod,” a return to where families in one neighborhood or social circle hire a teacher to instruct their small group of children. …The last piece of the puzzle to set families truly free to make the best education decisions for their children is for states to set free public-education funds. …Imagine the possibilities if the primary educators of children — their parents — were given the freedom to spend that money to acquire the best education for their child. ..Let’s rethink, not rotely reopen. If there ever was a time when parent power could defeat the power and monopoly of the education elites, that time is now. Let freedom ring!
J.D. Tuccille discussed the options, including homeschooling, in a column for Reason.
Chicago Public Schools became the latest large school district to opt for online-only lessons in the fall. …it leaves a lot of Chicago families unhappy and—like their counterparts around the country—heading for the exits, in search of options that better suit their needs now and in the future. …That leaves even many families favoring online classes as dissatisfied as those preferring in-person learning—and not just in Chicago.
Across the country, there has been a surge in interest in traditional alternatives such as private schools as well as homeschooling, microschools (which essentially reimagine one-room schools for the modern world), and learning pods (in which families pool kids and resources). …the lines are blurry among the various categories of DIY education. But why shouldn’t they be blurry? Families aren’t interested in imposing rigid models on their kids; they’re trying to educate their children and adopting whatever tools and techniques get the job done. …Now, “23 percent of families who had children attending traditional public schools say they currently plan to send their children to another type of school when the lockdowns are over,” according to some admittedly unscientific polling… “Notably, 15 percent of respondents said they would choose to homeschool their children when schools reopen.”
As you might expect, the unions representing teachers from government schools have a much different perspective.
As the Wall Street Journal recently explained in an editorial, they’re using the crisis as an excuse to demand more money.
…teachers unions seem to think it’s…an opportunity…to squeeze more money from taxpayers and put their private and public charter school competition out of business. …an alliance of teachers unions and progressive groups sponsored what they called a “national day of resistance” around the country listing their demands before returning to the classroom.
They include…canceling rents and mortgages, a moratorium on evictions/foreclosures, providing direct cash assistance… Moratorium on new charter or voucher programs and standardized testing…federal money to support the reopening funded by taxing billionaires and Wall Street” …If there’s a silver lining here, it’s that Americans are getting a closer look at the true, self-interested character of today’s teachers unions. …The proper political response should be to give taxpayer dollars to parents to decide where and how to educate their children. If parents want to use the money for private schools that are open, or for new forms of home instruction, they should have that right.
By the way, it’s not just that teacher unions want more money.
They also deliver an inferior product.
And a politicized product as well. Read this thread to be horrified about what is being “taught” to children trapped in government schools.
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This is a screenshot of people saying 2+2=5. You read that right…2+2=5.Among them are teachers, educators, and professors who plan on teaching this stuff to your children. So let’s talk about what’s going on here, why they’re doing this, and how we can stop it.
A thread: pic.twitter.com/3CY2IcsahY
— Wokal Distance (@wokal_distance) August 4, 2020
Let’s close with a very appropriate cartoon.
P.S. School choice doesn’t automatically mean every child will be an educational success, but evidence from Sweden, Chile, Canada, and the Netherlands shows good results when competition replaces government education monopolies.
P.P.S. Getting rid of the Department of Education would be a good idea, but the battle for school choice is largely won and lost on the state and local level.
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Image credit: Gage Skidmore | CC BY-SA 2.0.
