Let freedom ring: School choice is better for all Americans!

There’s nothing more American than people making their own choices. Indeed, it’s how our country was founded.

Research and history show that people do better when they have a choice or role in how decisions are made. That’s the very ethos of American democracy: power to the people.

Our government was designed to be “of the people, by the people, for the people,” and that is the secret to our success.

Other countries were ruled by a dictator, king or despot, someone with absolute authority. The ruler made all the decisions, sometimes sharing power with a few elites. A nation’s fate would hinge on whether there was a good or bad ruler in power. The people had little or no choice.

Western society began to slowly democratize. England passed reforms such as the Magna Carta, which shared power with the nobles and ensured that the king was not above the law.

American patriots took it a step further, doing away with a king or royal leader altogether and enshrining the rule of law as supreme. That is the essence of our republic. 

Additionally, the right to vote extended dramatically, first to white men and eventually to women and people of all races and backgrounds. 

America is a wonder on the earth.  

I’ve talked with many immigrants who say it’s the best country on earth. When asked why, they say things such as “you can be what you want to be here. You are free to be successful. If you build a business or accumulate wealth, no one is going to come and take it from you. You can do what you want.” 

People feel in control, empowered and free. Ahh, American freedom! 

How did we go from this to thinking it’s criminal for parents to want a say in where their children are educated? Or even a say in how the “public” schools are run? Corey DeAngelis is right in calling them “government schools,” because there’s nothing public about them. 

The government is seeking to “educate,” i.e. indoctrinate, children according to its will; standing against this is treason. 

A report just came out that school choice actually saves taxpayers money. 

In Arizona, where the report was made, the state’s Education Savings Account or ESA is only 66% of the cost per student in public K-12 schools. This means every time a student switches from government schools to private using the scholarship, the state saves about $5,000. What could be bad about that? 

The report further notes how many of the ESA participants have special needs. Public schools spend billions annually accommodating special education students, but I just reported a story on three private Christian schools that are doing great work with special needs students for less than what public schools spend. 

Non-verbal kids have started talking. Agitated kids can sit still. They’ve found an environment that works for them and it’s a win all around. 

Arizona is saving nearly $225 million from special needs students alone, the report says, a number which should rise to $260 million over time. Not bad for a little educational freedom! 

If you factor in savings from all students, it’s $975 million, or nearly $1 billion per year! The program does cost money, but even after paying for choice scholarships, taxpayers end up about $244 million ahead annually, the report found. 

For perspective, the Chicago Teachers’ Union is trying to raid a city development account to fund a $1 billion shortfall in its budget, even as the city of Chicago faces its own $1 billion budget gap (massive raises and perks demanded by the union aren’t helping). Maybe the savings could be found in school choice, but you’ll never hear that from unions or most Democrat politicians! 

The left’s stubborn resistance to choice proves it’s really not about the kids or saving money; it’s about preserving a system of government control, teachers’ unions and mandates. The beast doesn’t want to die or even be tamed. After years of unchecked growth, even a small decrease feels like a mortal wound. 

It’s like a bratty child receiving discipline for the first time. He likens it to death even if it’s a soft rebuke or slap on the wrist, a chance to correct his behavior. 

Such is the case with government bureaucrats, union presidents and a machine that doesn’t want to get with the times. What are these folks afraid of? If their product is good enough it will remain. If it needs to change or improve, this is their moment. 

Clearly, throwing money at it won’t work, as public schools have proven for decades (urban districts like New York City and Baltimore spend multiple times the state average per pupil, with consistently failing results). Clearly something else is needed. 

The benefits of school choice are almost unlimited. The downsides are few and mostly affect government bureaucrats and union perks. If these are allowed to be tamed, educational entrepreneurship and innovation will restore education in this country.  

The fruit is already there, as states like Arizona that have enacted school choice are proving. When will the rest of America get on board? School choice is on the ballot this November in Colorado, Kentucky, and Nebraska, and polls well across the country. 

Lastly, another benefit of school choice is the potential to lower taxes, as the government spends less on education. This would benefit supporters of choice and those that prefer government schools alike. What’s not to like about that? 

When school choice proliferates, society, and your tax dollars, are no longer held hostage by an institution that fails to produce results, constantly needs more money and is beholden to an extreme leftist agenda. 

The time has come. School choice is proving that it works. Let it work for all Americans!