School Choice

This is an essay I wrote for one of my English classes.

October 30, 2016

Is Choice for Schools Too?

As a student, I attended various Christian schools. The schools I attended were not free and my parents were not wealthy, but it was a sacrifice my parents were willing to make to ensure I received the education they felt I deserved and guard my heart in the process. As a child, I had no idea the cost of the education I was receiving. I also had no idea the money my parents had to pay to the local public school system although I never attended. It was not until I became a parent and prepared to send my daughters to school that I realized the enormity of it all. I chose to send my daughters to public school, but not to one in the district in which we lived. Before the school voucher debates of the presidential elections of the 90’s and 2000’s, I wondered if there was a way I would be able to use my tax dollars to fund my daughters’ education, instead of just funding a school system. I decided I was for school vouchers if that meant my daughters could go where I wanted them to go. The question then formed, will school vouchers be the answer?

School vouchers are an option that will provide freedom of choice to every parent’s education selection for their children in the state of Oklahoma.  Becky Vevea wrote, “Voucher laws essentially reimburse parents for the amount of money that would have otherwise been used to educate their child in a public school.” (www.greatschools.org) My daughters attend a small district inserted neatly between Putnam City and Oklahoma City school districts. I chose to have them attend this district because it is known as one of the best districts in the state. This district offers smaller classes, more personalized assistance if the child needs an IEP (Individualized Education Plan), and the schools perform better. The school is rated A+ among the nation’s high schools. Our family does not live in this district. I had an innate fear of sending them to Putnam City because of the size and because of the reputation of the local schools. While my daughters attend another district, I am still paying taxes to the local school district and still must provide extra funds for my daughters’ schools. With a school voucher option, I could still select the school my daughters are in, or any other school of my choice, and my voucher would ensure my paid funds helped support that school. Vevea also stated, “…parents should not have to pay for schooling twice (in both taxes and tuition). As well, vouchers are promoted as a way to improve public education by introducing competition.” (www.greatschools.org)

An article titled “The Case Against School Vouchers” says there are many whose argument against school vouchers invokes the citation of “Separation of Church and State”. A poll by the National Education Association finds that most of the private schools in the country are religious in nature. (www.nea.org) Thus, would state funds be going to a religious organization? This argument has been brought up countless times and seems to be the “go-to” for anything involving any type of religion. If the funds are given to the parents directly, how is it violating the Separation of Church and State?

Another argument is there would be overcrowding of the more popular schools. Even now, schools can only hold a maximum quota. The entry would have to be first come, first served.  A lottery system or a wait list could be invoked for those who were not able to register in time. In that case, the parents would have to go with their second choice of school. With overcrowding, there could also be a problem with decreased population in the less popular or lower performing schools. This is certainly a possibility, but also an opportunity to see which schools are not functioning as they should and give them a chance to improve. By initiating school vouchers, there would be a light shone on the problem areas in the state’s education system. If parents could choose where their children went to school without having to stand in line for days and apply for transfers, and depend upon people to pick up and drop off their children, it would allow for more competition between the schools. More competition would drive better performance by the teachers and the students. It would be an incentive to do better because the better reputation the school has the more desirous it will be to parents seeking a school district for their children.

Children, especially African Americans, who receive a better education are more apt to attend college in the future. A study by The Harvard Kennedy School showed, “The percentage of African American students who attended a selective four-year college more than doubled if the student was offered a voucher.” (www.hks.harvard.edu) This study also stated, “Using a voucher to attend private school increased the overall college enrollment rate of African Americans by 8.7 Percentage points, an increase of 24 percent.” (www.hks.harvard.edu) Per the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education, the enrollment for college of Oklahoma students decreased 1.2 percent in 2012. That was only 51.4 percent of graduates enrolling in college in Oklahoma. Only half of the graduating seniors in Oklahoma are going to college.

Currently Oklahoma offers voucher to selected students. It works more like a scholarship program. The National Conference of State Legislatures directs gives the guidelines for Oklahoma as: The child must have a disability and be on an IEP. They must have attended the previous year in a public school. The school must be accredited by the State Board of Education. It must have been in operation for one school year or providing the State with evidence of financial stability. The school will be academically accountable to parents for meeting the educational needs of the student and it must adhere to its published discipline policy prior to the expulsion of a voucher student. (www.ncsl.org). This voucher system is selective and only applies to children with disabilities. This is wonderful for the children to whom it applies. What about the rest of the children?

I am sure some parents are perfectly happy with the school their child attends. I am sure there are some who would not want anything to change because of the potential ramifications it would have to them and their children. There is more good to be done than bad in this situation. There is choice seemingly everywhere you go. You can choose what kind of side you want with your burger at a fast food restaurant. You can choose whether to work in a particular place. You can choose if you want liability or full coverage with your car insurance. But you cannot choose how your child is educated. That is wrong. Vouchers need to be instituted to allow for choice, if for nothing else.