To us conservatives, school choice sounds like a no brainer. I mean, who could possibly oppose wanting to give children more options as to where they can attend school?
It seems entirely unfair to restrict kids from getting a potentially better education at a nearby school - just because of their zip code.
Yet, Democrats oppose school choice. And I think we can all imagine why - Democrats control the education system. If we give parents school choice, they could choose to send their kids to a magnet, charter, home, or private school that may offer a specialized education with smaller class sizes.
To Democrats, allowing school choice is too much of a threat to their indoctrination centers - oops, I meant "public schools".
So next time you come across a Liberal or Democrat who opposes school choice, here are five important facts supporting it.
FACT #1: Students who participate in existing school choice programs are far more likely to graduate high school. One study shows that students who participated in the D.C. Opportunity Scholarship Program (which helps low-income students attend private schools of their choice) saw a 21% INCREASE in graduation rates. (Source: Heritage Foundation)
FACT #2: Increasing school choice options improves the quality of local schools since "improvement occurs from the threat of competition alone." According to research among students in Florida and Milwaukee, public school student performance improved after new school choice opportunities were launched. (Source: Heritage Foundation)
FACT #3: Private school choice programs help increase college enrollment. According to a 2012 study, disadvantaged African American students who received private school vouchers in New York City were 24% more likely to attend college. (Source: Center for Education Reform)
FACT #4: 11 out of 17 empirical studies that have examined academic outcomes for private school choice participants using random assignment have reported POSITIVE test score side effects, 4 reported no difference, and only 2 showed negative side effects. (Source: Federation for Children)
FACT #5: The National Bureau of Economic Research found that among poor children, school choice increased secondary school completion rates by 15–20 percent. (Source: Foundation for Economic Education)
There you have it, school choice not only benefits students of all races and economic statuses more often than not - but it also expands educational freedom.
The only thing stopping millions of children from getting a better education is a lack of options restrained by a zip code. America can and must do better for the sake of future generations.