Everyday, I spend a lot of time reading different perspectives on education, what needs to be fixed and why. I follow people and organizations with whom I disagree as well, because in all things I believe we need to listen to each other and search for common ground. I don't know of any other way we can move forward--and move forward we must. One cause for debate is school choice, and frankly I have difficulty understanding why.
School choice to me includes using public education fund for programs like vouchers and charters. As far as I can tell, the argument against is that if people want choice, they should fund it themselves. The argument is that public funds should only be spent on public schools which are underfunded already. What I don't understand is why must we only reform public schools in one manner? (The other argument is about non-union teachers, but I'll have to save that for its own post).
Even if, in an ideal world, we could update our buildings, pay our teachers better, purchase and integrate technology, have an individualized curriculum, what's wrong with offering parents more than one way to educate their kids? Even if we did our best to create the "best" system, it still wouldn't be the right place for all kids. By only providing one way, I would guess there are kids on either end of the spectrum that would still not be served, as well as the kids who are "different" in any way. What is wrong with using the tax money these parents already pay to buy their kids the education they need?
Of course, I speak from experience. My sons have both attended charter schools. One was just okay, and operated basically like a small public school, so if class size/overall enrollment was your only issue with the local public school, this charter might fit the bill for your kid. The other charter was great in theory, but was operationally deficient in putting that theory into practice. The local public middle school both my kids attended after the charters didn't meet their needs was even less impressive, despite it's "excelling" status. It felt more like a prison than a school, so my son spent the last four months of last year at a virtual (charter) school that was equally unimpressive, but at least got him out of an unfixable situation in the public school (between him and a teacher/admin, not other students).
I don't claim that charters or vouchers are "the" solution, but as a parent who is now paying private school tuition for one kid, and has the other one at another charter, I'm open to whatever solution works for MY kid. And I don't think that just because your kid can't march in lock step with the public school, that you shouldn't have other options for using your tax money for their education.
