School Choice

I believe the larger debate regarding school choice lacks nuance and consideration. This matter is one of great importance to our society’s general welfare. I struggle when voting for or against the school choice issue as it is stated because it lacks the nuance necessary to withstand assault. It would be a shame to provide a school choice win only to have it snatched away but only a few legislative sessions on from its passing due to a lack of discussion or hasty ratification.

I believe in limited school choice. I believe wholly in the idea of public to public school transfers using public money. I believe in tightly restricted, highly controlled public to private school transfers using public money. I shall take them in turn.

The reason I support public to public school transfers is human nature. Humans can be kind and reasonable; they can also be cruel and passionate. I know there are children who are murderers and rapists. This is not something one can fix over night. It is a simple and sad truth. To force a reasonable child with reasonable parents to go to school with a savage child is child abuse plain and simple. Let the reasonable children transfer to a public school full of reasonable children. It is the only compassionate option that serves the general welfare of all children. Along with this, of course, comes an expectation that the government will put into place stronger controls over school violence and harsher penalties to incentivize compliance.

I stand against general public to private school transfers using public funds because private institutions should not be afforded public treasure lightly. In certain circumstances however, it could be the case that there is only one public school inside of 30 miles of a community. In such a circumstance, a private institution could fill in the gaps where the community has failed to provide such accommodations. If we can move toward having broadband internet blanketing the State, surely we can move toward covering the State in primary and secondary education. This may also mean giving some education duties back to the churches. The goal is to act in order to provide all children with educational choice. Who provides that choice is an opinion not an action and should not be so legislated.

With an open public to public route for school choice, money never leaves the public sector unless it is necessary to provide a choice to a rural or remote community. This is a major sticking point for opponents of school choice that can be solved with a simple consideration barring transfer to private school where many public options exist. School choice promotes the safety and welfare of all our children and should be a simple and easy policy to pass.