Recently, Texas Governor Greg Abbot campaigned to pass his school choice bill. This bill is gaining tremendous momentum and will likely be passed. I wanted to share my thoughts on school choice and public education.
School choice has been debated over time but was popularized by the economist Milton Freedman. Freedman published "Educational Freedom" in 1955, ironically a year after the landmark legislation Brown vs. Board of Education desegregated schools. This is not to discredit Milton Freedman's work as an economist (he has done great work in some areas) but to share that sometimes intellectualism is birthed to support an agenda or an unspoken heart posture.
I do not view decisions politicians make in a vacuum. I look at the culture and other things brewing to gather the tone of these decisions. We have banned books in schools, turned school boards into partisan elections, issued executive orders for DEI, and schools are fighting for funding and discussing the dismantling of the Department of Education. Etc. You don't make a cake with one ingredient. It's a perfect storm to transform our education system radically. Do we need to change? Yes! But no system is perfect! We are humans who will make mistakes!
I am a big proponent of the free market and capitalism. Within boundaries, it is the best system to provide opportunity for all. However, we must understand that there are some challenges to using capitalistic methods in necessary institutions. This debate about where the government should be involved will be debated for time. It will never end. Public education is an essential institution. Here are my thoughts:
Most people who will benefit from school choice already send their children to a private school.
Transportation is a key to deciding which school a child will attend. Typically, people living in poverty do not have the opportunity to drive their children to another school and depend on the school's transportation system. Also, you must pick your child up if you drop them off. People who work hourly jobs cannot have the luxury of picking their children up from school as schools get out around 3 to 4 pm.
Public schools are paid based on attendance. I predict that parents in economically advantaged areas will send their children to private schools, further constraining a school district's budget. Districts must decide how to make the budget, and closing a school is an option. This is already happening in Texas.
The free market sentiment is that some schools must close because of poor performance, and some schools need revitalization. However, school performance is more complex than test scores. There are other indicators, such as family dynamics and poverty. Politics always simplifies the complex.
Private schools do not have to accept everyone. The thought is correct. Schools do have a choice. Will they take neurodivergent children and those with disabilities? I can't answer this question but can only ponder.
I will benefit from a school choice; however, is that how I should approach life decisions? What's best for me? Jesus said we are to love God and love our neighbor. Life is not just about me! I pray the Texas government will continue to fund public education and care for the marginalized. It's essential for the betterment of all people.
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