|
| |
Freedom of Choice
Spells Academic Achievement
Education/Nancy
Salvato |
February 22, 2005
- Because education falls under state and local
control, the educational practices of each state can and should reflect
their unique values and priorities. That being said, it’s crucial that the
people who reside in each state take into consideration the positive
correlation between greater amounts of educational freedom and the level of
academic success each state achieves, as measured on the National Assessment
of Educational Progress (NAEP) and the Scholastic Assessment Test (SAT).
According to Jay Greene, author of
The Education Freedom Index, there are a number of ways that states
affect the amount of educational freedom available. Within the public school
system are several scenarios that can imact choice. He points out that, "In
some states, school districts are small enough that parents can easily move
from one to another, while in other states school districts are as large as
counties or even the entire state, making choosing a different district very
difficult. In some states, parents can transfer their children to other
public school districts without having to move, while in other states that
option is unavailable or restricted.”
Legislators may restrict and regulate nonpublic options to make those
options less appealing and more difficult. Former President Clinton argued
against all evidence to the contrary, that home schooling might be
considered parental neglect. For that reason, as well as to ensure that
children are really learning, he said there should be state and federal
regulation of home schooling.
Among Greene's suggestions for extending choice are: enlarge the number of
charter schools and loosen the regulations placed on starting and operating
them, issue vouchers or tuition tax credit scholarships to offset expenses
incurred at privately or publicly funded institutions, subsidize private
schools for certain expenditures, and loosen the regulations on home
schooling.
Only one of his suggestions, Universal Tuition Tax Credits, can be pursued
without having to fight off objections based on the fictional wall of
separation between church and state or the notion that offsetting private
school expenses will deplete tax dollars needed for public education. UTTCs
can be deducted from what is owed on personal or corporate taxes and be used
to provide tuition scholarships to those of all income levels, interested in
pursuing an alternative education. In addition, they can also be used to
help to offset expenses incurred at public school.
Taking The Education Freedom Index into account presents a much clearer
picture as to why some states score higher on tests than others. There are
compelling differences between a high ranked state, Texas and a low ranked
state, South Carolina. Texas does not spend more on education per pupil nor
does it have significantly smaller classes. It doesn’t have wealthier
families or fewer minority students. What Texas has is more freedom because
it makes more choice available than South Carolina. There are more charter
schools, fewer home schooling restrictions, an inter-district school choice
program and smaller school districts.
In Texas it’s easier for families to find a school that best matches their
children. Because parents can shop around for a school, schools need to have
what it takes to attract and maintain students. Students cannot be taken for
granted when families have alternatives. Educational options have greater
impact on student achievement than increasing education spending or reducing
class size.
What choices do parents have if they want to educate their children outside
of the public school system and why do parents choose to exercise these
options?
Jason Boffetti in
All Schools Are Public Schools gives us these and many more answers.
Options include private and religious schools or home schooling. Parents
choose these alternatives for a number of very good reasons, namely they
provide highly effective learning environments. While public schools
typically cannot provide a principal who teaches teachers, singularly
motivated staff, safe and orderly classrooms, aggressive teaching of skills,
parental involvement, frequent testing, small classes, and small schools,
private and religious schools are notable for all these traits.
Almost 100% of parents would like schools to try to instill the virtues of
honesty, moral courage, and to apply the Golden Rule, yet public schools
embrace moral relativism. 2/3rds of parents want schools to teach sexual
abstinence, yet the sexual education agenda of the public schools does not
follow this course of instruction.
Students in secular schools, Catholic schools, and other religious schools
volunteer more for civic service, score higher on tests of civic knowledge,
and are more politically tolerant than public school students. Catholic
school students are the most civically involved and secular private school
students, the most tolerant. Public schools focus on multiculturalism and
treat patriotism as nationalism or even jingoism. Students don't learn about
their commonalities or the many positive traits of the United States. The
public schools embrace a global agenda at the expense of fostering pride in
whom we are as a nation.
Catholic schools consistently outperform public schools. They graduate
almost 100% of their students, whereby only about 50% of the public school
students graduate. Why must economically disadvantaged parents send their
children to failing public schools when Catholic schools are often the only
viable alternatives for inner-city parents? Tuition scholarships could make
these schools more accessible to students.
For the purposes of receiving vouchers, it can be argued that there really
isn't wholly private education. Because they serve the public, privately
funded schools are still publicly regulated and adhere to "minimum
standards" for teacher certification, workplace safety, and, in some cases,
curriculum development. The Supreme Court has guaranteed a greater degree of
administrative autonomy in the private schools because excessive government
regulation would threaten parental rights to direct their children's
education. Lack of autonomy in administering the public schools assures that
they will by nature be less responsive to certain forms of parental and
community input.
If the courts and legislatures decided that the government could fund
private and religious education out of public tax dollars, it might not be
in their best interest to do so. Private schools would likely be forced to
behave more like public schools and subsequently lose their religious
identity under the threat of litigation and pressure to follow government
standards.
About 10% of K-12 students attend private schools. In l997-98, ¾ of the
private schools charged less than $3,500 per year for student tuition.
Religious schools averaged about $2,500. As a result, private schools saved
public education $40 billion. For every student who attends a private
school, the government saved $6,915, the average public school cost per
pupil. Those resources were redirected to benefit public school students.
Although the federal government has no authority over education and there is
no right to one under the U.S. Constitution, state constitutions have
authorized the creation of and access to public school systems as well as
compulsory attendance laws for every child.
Some states tried to insist that children be sent to public schools. In
Pierce v. Society of Sisters (1925), the Supreme Court recognized the
fundamental right of parents to determine their children's education. This
landmark case is the basis for the right to choose private or home school
today.
In the 1999-2000 school year, 1.7 million children were home schooled at a
cost of just over $500.00. Whether or not a parent is a certified teacher
has no effect on performance, although a parent's level of education does
matter. Regardless, children of less-educated parents did much better on the
tests than their public school counterparts. This helps prove that direct
instruction is the best form of education and that good basic instruction
works better than the progressive pedagogy that teachers learn in today's
schools of education.
These kids excelled at spelling and exceeded the national average on the ACT
by almost two full points. When compared to public and private school peers,
the home schooled have higher self-esteem, a greater sense of independence,
and are equally involved in extracurricular activities. Furthermore, they
have great success at college where they are more likely to hold positions
of campus leadership.
Home school has saved the public schools up to $12 billion. Parents choose
to home school for various reasons. Some do it to instill religious values
in their children's education; almost half are dissatisfied with the public
school environment. Evangelical Christians constitute the largest group of
home-schooling families. Home schooling is popular among American military
families who dislike the disruption that occurs in their children's
education due to frequent moves or transfers to unimpressive school
districts.
Economically disadvantaged parents should not be forced to send their
children to failing public schools when there are good alternatives. No
parents should have to pay twice to ensure their children attend a good
school. It's time to bring education into the 21st century and open it up to
everyone.
Related Reading:
The Education Freedom Index
http://www.manhattan-institute.org/html/cr_14.htm#Introduction
All Schools Are Public Schools: Ch. 2 - Private Schools, Public Good
http://www.catholiceducation.org/articles/education/ed0115.html
|
|
