Now, It’s Likely Inevitable A merica’s COVID-19 pandemic was our bureaucratic institu-tions’ most significant stress test in recent history. While some succeeded, arguably none failed more spectacularly than our current public school system. A recent poll by National School Choice Week found that over half of American parents are planning to take their kids out of their current public school, with most citing a desire for “higher qual-ity education” and frustration with the school’s COVID-19 policies as the reason why. For the vast majority of families under the current system, unless they have significant finan-cial resources, non-public school options are very limited. But School Choice, which has gained consider-Before COVID, National School Choice was Possible— able momentum in recent years, has the potential to change that. School Choice is a movement that emphasizes “funding students, not systems.” In America, every child is guaranteed the right to an education. However, it is the local public school that receives the funding, not the student. Children are then generally required to attend the school they are assigned to, no matter how poorly the school ranks. This leaves many parents forced to send their chil-dren to historically underperforming schools, particularly parents who live in poorer communities. The curric-ulum these students learn is set by several bureaucracies that parents are often powerless to challenge. Additionally, public school teach-ers, represented by labor unions, are notoriously difficult to hold account-able for underperformance, includ-ing those who commit offenses that should lead to firing. Even when a school does remove a teacher, the teacher can often sue for damages and at least a portion of their pay. In essence, the government-run schools have a monopoly, and they really don’t have to care what parents say. School Choice would eliminate these challenges by reversing the equa-tion and allowing education funds to follow the student, not the school building. This takes many forms, but arguably the most popular option is creating and expanding charter continued on page 22 20 • AMAC Magazine
AMAC Magazine March/April 2022: Page 20
