Dear editor:
I recently worked for the “right,” including with many of the proponents of “school choice." I remember when these folks were scared to publicly admit their desire to dismantle the Department of Education.
Now, personally, my philosophy is “yes, and” on schooling.
I always say, “we’ll build three fewer missiles a year, and pay for all the kids to get what they need.”
I support school choice principles and solutions, want to see more competition and good incentives in the public system, and want all families to have more than enough to provide their kids with the best education for how they individually learn.
Unfortunately, I found that not everyone in school choice circles agreed. See, there were three main reasons folks seemed to like the idea.
First, there were people like me who wanted all children to flourish, and figured this might help. What we’re doing clearly ain’t working.
Second, there were parents, grandparents, and other vested interests who cared deeply about their own progeny getting the best education and wanted assistance from the state in achieving it.
Don’t think of this as selfish, as much as “specifically motivated.” As a child of parents who did anything to get me the best education, I’m with these folks too!
Third, was the group of folks who funded most of the school choice effort and who were dedicating time and energy to things like message testing, public issue campaigns, and policy drafting. These folks weren't actually that interested in the kids. They cared about weakening the blue team.
I also have some simple but effective ideas to fix the massive money problem in politics. Here’s one: if you don’t live where the election is happening, you can’t spend money on it.
But, partisans don’t care about getting money out of politics. They care about getting money away from the other team.
And, in a practice I also condemn, the teachers’ unions are one of the major sources of funding for Democrats. So are public teachers, but anyone from Wyoming knows there’s plenty of good conservative teachers too so let’s not pretend they’re all liberals and leftists.
This is the quiet part your political elites, grifters that they are, won’t say out loud. If they really cared about the kids, they’d ensure that all kids had enough. Instead, they siphon as much money from public schools and teachers as they can, without actually giving most parents (especially poor parents) enough to find quality alternatives for their children.
Don’t buy the lie that dismantling the Department of Education is about increasing choice, quality, or freedom.
It’s about money, and making sure the other faction doesn’t have it.
Sincerely,
Gabriel Green, Sheridan
