The Supreme Court Takes on Public ED

I often find myself in the strange position of both defending public education and a critic of much of its core.

I find the obsession with testing and grading children to be a deeply troubling foundation. I have trouble with its authoritarian view of how learning occurs. I find that it ignores the individual, running on an outdated factory mindset. There is much I would change about public education.

But there is one thing I know. It’s the only version of education dedicated to serving EVERYONE. Even when it fails, it fails trying to do the right thing.

And though a public school system may seem fundamental to our society, our highest court might undermine this institution.

The supreme court may soon be deciding a case with very large implications for public education. It’s a case that could spread a voucher system far and wide. Putting money for education in the hands of individuals to bring, through a voucher, to the school of their choosing. The money could go to public schools, it could go to a charter school or even a fully private school.

So I am left in a tricky spot. As a father, I would most definitely choose a form of ‘alternative’ education to our standard model if I had that ability. I certainly don’t want anyone to have fewer rights than I to choose the education that suits their family.

Who Benefits?

But therein lies a problem. It is exactly people like me who benefit most from vouchers. The white, middle-class will, and already does, benefit most from ‘choice’. They already have used their ability to move from city to suburb for schools. Or from one neighborhood to the next. They have the time and capacity to study, locate, and get to the schools they want. The fact that a good school exists, and vouchers are available, will not guarantee a working-class family has the ability to actually attend.

Charter schools know this and use this to manage their student populations without directly admitting to it. Take one famous charter school that refuses to use busing. They like that it guarantees every child’s guardian will visit the school daily. It also ensures that anyone unable to do so cannot attend this school.

In the end, it’s likely that we will simply send more money to private and charter schools run by for-profit organizations. Further funneling public money into corporate hands. That’s why you find so many corporations backing school choice. It’s a path to either new revenue streams and the possibility of lower taxes.

Left Behind

And with public money rushing out of public schools those left in them will suffer. Our public schools will increasingly be attended by those who can’t find another option. Families that couldn’t meet the demands of their ‘school of choice.’ And as this happens the money and resources for these poorly attended schools will dwindle leaving many students without the services they need.

Those that get left behind are the children whose families don’t have the means or motivation to spend the time finding the right school. In particular, students with special needs will likely be hit the hardest. But many other students and families will suffer alongside them.

And what happens with the teachers?

In my district, many of the most experienced teachers work in the schools that serve the wealthier citizens. It’s pretty clear that these teachers realize that for the same money, it is easier to work at a school that serves wealthy families.

Teachers with the experience and ability can choose new schools just like families can.

So experienced teachers with their own families to care for are going to choose to work in the schools where things are much less stressful all for the same pay they would in those other schools.

I find it hard to believe that this would change in a school choice system.

Even if a sudden appearance of many new private or charter schools pops up to serve our most in-need students, they will likely be staffed by teachers who are new to teaching. Teachers willing to work for less money, and under much more stressful conditions. Fine for a while but not a recipe for stability and longevity.

My Conundrum

No one will deny that the public school system we currently have is close to perfect. I already admitted to my reservations. And there are those who have even a greater cause to be upset at the status quo.

There are many families and students who have suffered in particular from poorly functioning public schools. I could never argue that BIPOC families have been served well by public schools. The inclination to get out of them I completely understand.

But deep in my heart, I believe they, and we, are being sold a lie. Backed into a corner by underfunded and overregulated public schools. Convinced and bombarded with corporate money that the only solution is to get out of, and rid of, the public system completely.

So we are stuck with a conundrum. It is one I think about a lot. We force individuals and families to choose between their children or taking the time to create a better public system for everyone.

Honest Advocates of vouchers and choice are willing to admit the open questions and potential problems. But they seem ready to jump off the cliff without knowing if there will be enough parachutes, just hoping the solutions will come to us on the way down.

Are you willing to jump with them?

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