School Choice

Why is it that the freedom to choose is good in all areas of our life but schools? We all agree that because I can choose between All State, Farmers, GEICO and others that I get a lower rate on my insurance. We agree that the ability for me to choose one out of a thousand mortgage lenders is going to ensure that I get the best interest rate possible. Can you imagine what the cost of an airline ticket from Dallas to Houston would be if only American Airlines operated flights – no more Southwest? Competition lowers prices, it foster innovation, and it adds quality. But for some reason, I am supposed to believe that all those three things that competition brings us are not at all applicable to schools?

I hear, by those opposed to school choice, that it will lead to massive overcrowding in the better performing schools. Let’s apply this same argument to my cable provider. Prior to last week, Grande Communication provided my internet, phone and cable service. Recently though, Verizon installed their cutting-edge fiber optics cables (FIOS) in my neighborhood – promising better service, content and reliability at a slightly lower price. So, even though in this case Grande wasn’t a terrible product, they were an underperformer when compared to FIOS – so I switched. But according to the “overcrowded argument” soon FIOS will be in BIG TROUBLE because “so many people will be switching to their service”. Can you imagine the executives at Verizon saying, “You know Bill - we really need this FIOS thing to work, but there better not be too many people wanting to use it.” Nonsense! If people en mass start switching what will Verizon do? They will expand their assets to accommodate. They will adapt. What will Grande do? They will do one of three things: (1) they will close the doors in profound sadness that they were not able to compete, (2) they will make no changes and sputter along financially, or (3) they will innovate and roll out a competing product at a competing price. As the Guinness Beer guys say – “Brilliant”!

And that my friend is what the schools will do too. The over performers will add space and add more outstanding teachers to an outstanding curriculum. The under performers will face the same three choices as Grande faces. They will close down the school and bus students elsewhere (not likely). They will keep underperforming, happy to lose the 15-20% of students who decided to leave, or they will innovate and bring in teachers who can teach a curriculum worth teaching in an environment conducive to learning.

I am also told that students will be bussed hours away from home and not get in until 6 at night. This confuses “school choice” with “mandatory integration”. Let us not forget the most important word in “school choice” – “choice”. I realize that some school districts force certain kids to be bussed to other districts due to arcane anti-segregation policies handed down by judges. This is not what school choice is. Parents should be able to “choose” whether or not the added benefit of getting a better education is worth it “to them” to put up with the challenges of transporting their child to that other district. It is a choice, not a mandate. This ties in with why I think the number of transferring students will always be low (I probably overshot earlier by even saying 15%). The challenge of transportation will prevent some, if not most, from leaving. Of course parents have the ultimate choice, they could move – as many do. But why should choice in public education be granted only to those who can afford addresses in Southlake Carroll or Highland Park? Remember, this is public education here. I make no argument that everyone deserves a private education – which in many cases is superior. I am only stating that public education should, for the most part, be standard regardless of how pricey your neighborhood is.

Frankly, I won’t rehash the other feeble arguments against school choice. They have something to do with “going back to segregation”, “forcing down standards in good schools”, etc, etc. It comes down to simple logic. Education is a service no different than any other. We pay an amount (through property taxes) and expect a certain product/service. When we don’t get the level of service we feel is needed we go somewhere else – it is that simple. Schools are in the business of education. When they don’t educate at the level we feel is adequate we should be able to go somewhere else.