The Moral Case for School Choice

School choice is a policy that allows parents to choose the best educational option for their children, whether it is a public, private, charter, or home school. School choice can take various forms, such as vouchers, tax credits, scholarships, education savings accounts, or open enrollment. School choice is a growing movement, one that is already benefiting millions of students across America.

However, school choice is not only a practical or pragmatic policy; it is also a moral one. School choice is based on the recognition that parents have the primary responsibility and right to direct their children’s education, and that children have the right to access a quality education that meets their needs and aspirations. School choice is also based on the respect for human dignity and diversity, and the promotion of social justice and civic virtue.

This position paper will argue that school choice is morally superior to the status quo of a government-run monopoly on education. It will present three core moral arguments for school choice: 1) school choice respects parental rights and responsibilities (the rights of parents to be the principal decision-makers for the upbringing of children being ingrained in human, and our national, history); 2) school choice empowers students and families (it gives agency to families to find the right fit for their children’s educational needs); and 3) school choice fosters pluralism and tolerance (no one educational environment is right for every child, and we must appreciate those differences).

School Choice Respects Parental Rights and Responsibilities

One of the most fundamental moral arguments for school choice is that it respects parental rights and responsibilities. Parents are the first and natural educators of their children, and they have the duty and authority to provide for their children’s physical, intellectual, moral, and spiritual well-being. Parents also have the right to choose the type of education that best suits their children’s needs, abilities, interests, and values.

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights states that “parents have a prior right to choose the kind of education that shall be given to their children.” The International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights affirms that “the States Parties to the present Covenant undertake to have respect for the liberty of parents … to ensure the religious and moral education of their children in conformity with their own convictions.” The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child recognizes that “the child … shall have the right to express his or her views freely in all matters affecting the child … [and] his or her views [shall] be given due weight in accordance with the age and maturity of the child” (Article 12).

School choice respects these parental rights and children’s rights by giving them more options and voice in education. School choice allows parents to select the school that best matches their preferences and expectations, whether it is a public school with a specialized curriculum or a private school with a religious affiliation. School choice also allows children to attend schools that cater to their learning styles, talents, goals, and passions.

School choice contrasts with the status quo of a government-run monopoly on education, which often disregards or violates parental rights and children’s rights. In many cases, parents are assigned to schools based on their zip code or lottery system, regardless of their wishes or needs. In many cases, children are trapped in low-performing or unsafe schools that fail to meet their academic or social standards. In many cases, parents are denied the right to choose the kind of education that reflects their religious or moral convictions. In many cases, children are exposed to indoctrination or manipulation that contradicts their parents’ values or beliefs.

School choice respects parental rights and responsibilities by giving them more control and influence over their children’s education. School choice allows parents to opt out of schools that violate their conscience or harm their children. School choice also allows parents to opt into schools that support their faith or worldview. School choice enables parents to fulfill their duty and exercise their authority as the primary educators of their children.

School Choice Empowers Students and Families

Another moral argument for school choice is that it empowers students and families. School choice gives students and families more opportunities and resources to pursue their educational goals and aspirations. School choice also gives students and families more dignity and respect as active agents and consumers in education.

School choice empowers students and families by giving them more options and voice in education. School choice expands the educational market by creating more supply and demand for diverse and quality schools. School choice enables students and families to access schools that offer better academic outcomes, safer environments, higher satisfaction, or specialized services. School choice also enables students and families to express their preferences and feedback to schools, creating more accountability and responsiveness.

School choice contrasts with the status quo of a government-run monopoly on education, which often disempowers students and families. In many cases, students and families have limited or no options or voice in education. In many cases, students and families are stuck with schools that offer poor academic outcomes, unsafe environments, low satisfaction, or inadequate services. In many cases, students and families are ignored or silenced by schools, creating less accountability and responsiveness.

School choice empowers students and families by giving them more opportunities and resources to pursue their educational goals and aspirations. School choice can improve the academic achievement, graduation rates, college enrollment, civic engagement, and future earnings of students who participate in school choice programs¹². School choice can also reduce the achievement gaps, dropout rates, crime rates, and welfare dependency of disadvantaged students who benefit from school choice programs³⁴.

School choice empowers students and families by giving them more dignity and respect as active agents and consumers in education. School choice recognizes that students and families are not passive recipients or victims of education, but active participants and beneficiaries of education. School choice respects that students and families have different needs, interests, values, and goals in education, and that they deserve to have a say in how they are educated. School choice treats students and families as valued customers and partners in education, not as burdens or liabilities.

School Choice Fosters Pluralism and Tolerance

A third moral argument for school choice is that it fosters pluralism and tolerance. School choice creates a diverse and vibrant educational landscape that reflects and respects the diversity and dignity of human beings. School choice also promotes a culture of mutual understanding and respect among people of different backgrounds, beliefs, and perspectives.

School choice fosters pluralism and tolerance by creating more supply and demand for diverse and quality schools. School choice enables the creation and expansion of schools that offer different educational philosophies, pedagogies, curricula, or environments. School choice enables the access and participation of students and families from different socioeconomic, racial, ethnic, religious, or cultural groups. School choice enables the expression and celebration of the diversity and dignity of human beings in education.

School choice contrasts with the status quo of a government-run monopoly on education, which often stifles or suppresses pluralism and tolerance. In many cases, schools are homogenous and standardized, offering a one-size-fits-all education that may not suit or respect the diversity and dignity of human beings. In many cases, schools are segregated and isolated, limiting the access and participation of students and families from different socioeconomic, racial, ethnic, religious, or cultural groups. In many cases, schools are indoctrinating or manipulating, imposing a single or dominant worldview that may not reflect or respect the diversity and dignity of human beings in education.

School choice fosters pluralism and tolerance by promoting a culture of mutual understanding and respect among people of different backgrounds, beliefs, and perspectives. School choice encourages dialogue and cooperation among schools with different educational missions and visions. School choice encourages exposure and interaction among students and families with different experiences and values. School choice encourages appreciation and recognition among people with different identities and contributions in education.

Conclusion

In conclusion, school choice is morally superior to the status quo of a government-run monopoly on education. This paper has presented three moral arguments for school choice: 1) school choice respects parental rights and responsibilities; 2) school choice empowers students and families; and 3) school choice fosters pluralism and tolerance.

School choice is not only a practical or pragmatic policy; it is also a moral one. School choice is based on the recognition that parents have the primary responsibility and right to direct their children’s education, and that children have the right to access a quality education that meets their needs and aspirations. School choice is also based on the respect for human dignity and diversity, and the promotion of justice and civic virtue.

The Pragmatic Case for School Choice

School choice is the idea that parents should be able to choose the best educational option for their children, whether it is a traditional public school, a public charter school, a private school, or homeschooling. School choice advocates argue that giving parents more options and control over their children’s education will improve the quality and efficiency of the education system, as well as promote equity and diversity. Here, we will present some of the main arguments and evidence in favor of school choice from a practical and pragmatic perspective.

One of the main arguments for school choice is that it increases competition and innovation in the education sector. When parents have more options, schools have to compete for students and resources, which creates incentives for them to improve their performance and offer better services. Competition also encourages innovation, as schools experiment with different curricula, pedagogies, and technologies to meet the diverse needs and preferences of students and parents. According to a 2019 report by the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), chosen public schools accounted for 17.3 percent of students enrolled in grades 1 through 12[^1^][4]. These schools include public charter schools, which are publicly funded but independently operated, and magnet schools, which are public schools that offer specialized programs or themes. Research has shown that public charter schools tend to outperform traditional public schools on standardized tests, especially for low-income and minority students[^2^][1]. Magnet schools also have positive effects on student achievement, as well as on racial integration and student satisfaction[^2^][1].

Another argument for school choice is that it empowers parents and respects their rights and responsibilities. Parents are the primary educators of their children, and they know their children’s needs, abilities, interests, and values better than anyone else. Therefore, they should have the freedom and authority to decide what kind of education their children receive. School choice allows parents to match their children with the schools that best fit their goals and expectations, rather than being assigned to schools based on their zip codes or other arbitrary criteria. School choice also enables parents to exercise their religious beliefs and moral convictions in their children’s education, which is a fundamental human right recognized by international law[^3^][2]. According to a 2019 national poll by the American Federation for Children (AFC), 67 percent of voters support school choice, an increase of 4 percentage points compared to the 2018 poll[^4^][3]. The poll also found that support for school choice is bipartisan and cross-cultural, with majorities of Democrats (56 percent), Republicans (76 percent), Independents (69 percent), African Americans (68 percent), Hispanics (68 percent), Asians (66 percent), and Whites (66 percent) favoring school choice[^4^][3].

A third argument for school choice is that it promotes equity and diversity in the education system. School choice gives low-income and minority families access to high-quality educational opportunities that they would otherwise not have. Many traditional public schools in disadvantaged areas suffer from low funding, poor facilities, inadequate teachers, and low academic standards. School choice allows these families to escape failing schools and enroll their children in better-performing schools that meet their needs and aspirations. School choice also fosters diversity by allowing students from different backgrounds, cultures, religions, and abilities to interact and learn from each other in a pluralistic environment. School choice respects the diversity of students and parents by offering them a variety of educational options that reflect their values and preferences. In 2016, a higher percentage of students who lived in cities (53 percent) than of those who lived in suburbs (37 percent), towns (36 percent), and rural areas (32 percent) had parents who reported that public school choice was available[^5^][5]. This suggests that school choice is more accessible to urban families who may face more challenges in finding quality education for their children.

In conclusion, school choice is a practical and pragmatic policy that benefits students, parents, schools, and society at large. School choice increases competition and innovation in the education sector, empowers parents and respects their rights and responsibilities, and promotes equity and diversity in the education system. School choice is not a panacea for all the problems of education, but it is a positive step toward improving the quality and efficiency of education for all.

https://nces.ed.gov/fastfacts/display.asp?id=6

https://nces.ed.gov/pubSearch/pubsinfo.asp?pubid=2019106

https://www.edchoice.org/school-choice/fast-facts/

https://www.federationforchildren.org/national-school-choice-poll-shows-67-of-voters-support-school-choice-2019/

https://nces.ed.gov/programs/schoolchoice/ind_08.asp

25 Years: 25 Most Significant School Choice Research Findings – EdChoice

The Inevitability of School Choice

Only 2 states in the US remain with NEITHER Public Charter Schools, NOR any Public Funding of Private K-12 Educational Expenses: Kentucky and North Dakota. It’s truly an absurd situation.

If you think that has left Kentucky a shining beacon of K-12 educational attainment, you would be sorely mistaken.  Despite having an educational system that has Kentucky with the 2nd greatest teacher pension liability in the US, Kentucky hasn’t been rated in the top half of states in K-12 education in the past 50 years. The state with the highest ranked K-12 education system in the US according to US News and World Report is Florida, which also happens to have the most comprehensive set of school choice options in the US.

The 2024 Kentucky School Choice Amendment

HB2

Notwithstanding the provisions of Sections 171, 183, 184, 186, and 189, the General Assembly may provide financial support for the education of students outside the system of common schools. The General Assembly may exercise this authority by law in particular places as it deems proper.

The messaging that this emphasizes:

• NOTWITHSTANDING provisions… of WHAT?
• GENERAL ASSEMBLY CHOICE… you MAY provide?
• FINANCIAL SUPPORT… like welfare or alimony payments?
• AUTHORITY… the gov’t gets MORE authority over my life?
• In PARTICULAR places as IT DEEMS PROPER…

What particular place is it IMPROPER to help a poor, struggling child find an educational option that fits his or her needs better?

This comes from the same people that have written the last 2 losing Constitutional Amendments, and HB563 (2021) Education Savings Accounts and H9 (2022) Charter School Funding bills that have been halted in the courts. More centrally, it codifies the right to GEOGRAPHIC DISCRIMINATION in School Choice right in the Constitution.

HB208

It is proposed that Section 183 of the Constitution of Kentucky be amended to read as follows:

To ensure that parents have options to guide the educational path of their children, the General Assembly shall, by appropriate legislation, provide for and oversee a[an efficient] system of common schools throughout the State, and provide for a portion of the educational costs outside of that common school system. Sections 184 to 189 of this Constitution shall not prevent, nor require a further referendum for, any provision for the educational costs of students outside of the system of common schools for parents of limited financial means, as determined by law, so long as no such funds are taken directly from the common school fund.

While preserving the GA’s ability to define terms and fund essentially any vision of education (incl. not being bound by the Rose decision’s definition of public school efficiency, ie equity), this amendment’s messaging emphasizes:

• PARENTS’ CHOICE over their children’s education.
• FUNDAMENTALLY CHANGING the way the state deals with education (incl. the Supreme Court): GA OVERSEES public schools, PROVIDES FUNDING for a portion of costs outside of that.
• REDUCING COSTS TO POOR PARENTS of non-public ed options.
• NOT ATTACKING THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS’ funding.

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Switch your Party Affiliation by Dec 31, 2021.
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It only takes about 5 minutes.

A fantastic way to build our movement is through collecting contacts for like-minded people and then putting them together with existing groups and resources. Let your friends and social media contacts know about the broader liberty activist network out there.
ISSUE AND LOCATION TARGETED PETITIONS that you then promote on Social Media are a great way to easily and cheaply collect those contacts and build our networks.

Educate Teachers on Availability of Affordable, A-political Unions

The largest national Teacher Unions (AFT; NEA/NFT) have become among the largest and most influential financiers of left-wing political candidates and opponents to School Choice. Not to mention, they have been major proponents of their members indoctrinating children in to radical Marxist ideology.
Try handing this flier out at, or taping to the door of, the teachers’ entrances at schools one or two days every week.