An argument for unfettered school choice
BevK January 9th, 2007
Public Schooling Divides Far and Wide
What could possibly be the connection between school desegregation and the mystifying phrase “Bong Hits 4 Jesus?” Something critically important, it turns out. Both have spurred legal battles that have risen to the U.S. Supreme Court, and both demonstrate that a public school system that demands everyone’s support but can only reflect some people’s values will inevitably lead to conflict.
His conclusion:
Thankfully, since these battles have a common cause, they also have a common solution: Unfettered school choice, in which the public ensures that everyone can afford an education, but individual parents and autonomous schools decide what values they’ll embrace.
Want a racially diverse student body, as many parents, both black and white, do? Pick a school that has one. Not fond of kids talking up bongs? Choose a private institution where children check their speech rights at the door. Want to end the fighting? Let parents select the schools they like, and the underlying cause of combat will disappear.
Whether it’s an issue as contentious as race, or as strange as a kid’s sign about bongs, public education is beset by constant political warfare. But it doesn’t have to be. All we need to do is set people free.
