USA Today Endorses School Choice
Yesterday’s USA Today has a great editorial endorsing school choice. The editors reference studies and research showing that both charter schools and voucher programs have succeeded in improving academic performance among low-income students in inner cities across the nation, including right here in Ohio.
But despite these success stories, the story points out that choice programs are encountering barriers across the country. Vouchers were recently blocked in Florida and Utah. Twenty-six states restrict either the number of public charter schools allowed or the number of charter school students. We are all too familiar with the battle right here in Ohio to save our public charter schools from Governor Strickland’s fatal budget cuts.
So why these barriers? According to USA Today: “Because teacher unions, fearing loss of jobs, have pushed most Democrats to oppose vouchers and other options that invite competition for public schools.” Hmm, this sounds familiar. Remember the rally that Gov. Strickland held with union bosses two weeks ago in downtown Columbus?
The best interests of our nation’s school children should craft education policy, not political interest groups. Effective education options should be allowed to grow, not cut. I agree with the USA Today editorial board, “20 million low-income school kids need a chance to succeed. School choice is the most effective way to give it to them.”
