School Choice and Vouchers

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School choice is a thrilling game of educational roulette where parents attempt to navigate the labyrinth of options, from public schools with mystery meat Mondays to private institutions where the uniforms cost more than a small island vacation.

But it's not really "school choice" as much as it is "education choice". It's like standing in front of a buffet line where each dis represents a different educational philosophy. Do you go for the Montessori salad, where kids learn at their own pace while cultivating a life-long love of sensory bins> Or perhaps the STEM entree, where children build robots and debate the existential implications of AI over lunch?

Let's take a look at what each political party has to say about school choice, and vouchers.

Republicans on School Choice and Vouchers

School choice allows parents to choose where their children attend school, especially options beyond the traditional public school system.

Republicans emphasize that school choice empowers parents to make educational decisions based on their children's needs and preferences, rather than being restricted to a specific district or school. They argue that school choice promotes competition among schools, leading to improved educational outcomes as schools strive to attract students and funding. Republicans often advocate for voucher programs, which provide public funds for students to attend private or parochial schools. They also support charter schools, which are publicly funded but operate independently of traditional school districts. Republicans may oppose the influence of teachers' unions in traditional public schools and see school choice as a way to reduce this influence and increase flexibility in education policy.

For Republicans, school choice and vouchers are where parents are handed a magical coupon that promises to transform their child's educational experience from bland oatmeal to a gourmet feast of knowledge. Imagine trading in your traditional public school for a private academy where the grass is always greener, the pencils are sharpened to a perfect point, and the cafeteria serves quinoa sushi rolls (because nothing says "elite education" like avant-garde lunch options).

Democrats on School Choice and Vouchers

School choice allows parents to choose where their children attend school, including options beyond the traditional public school system.

Democrats generally prioritize strengthening public schools and ensuring equitable access to a quality education for all students. They often frame their education policies around principles of equity, aiming to address disparities in educational outcomes based on race, income, disability, or other factors. They advocate for adequate funding, improving teacher pay and conditions, reducing class sizes, and that investments in public education benefit society as a whole and are essential for promoting social mobility and economic opportunity. Many Democrats oppose vouchers because they use public funds to support private schools. They argue that vouchers can divert resources away from public schools, which are seen crucial for proving education for all children, regardless of background or ability.

Views on charter schools, which are publicly funded but operate independently, vary, where some support charter schools as a way to foster innovation and provide additional choices within the public school system while others are concerned about issues as accountability, transparency, and the potential for charter schools to exacerbate or divert resources from traditional public schools.

For Democrats, the horrors of having school choice surround arriving at a prestigious private school, only to be greeted by a charming tour guide who speaks to you in acronyms and smiles like they've just discovered the cure for adolescent angst. You nod along as extol the virtues of their state-of-the-art facilities and the therapy llama they keep on standby for stress relief.

Libertarians on School Choice and Vouchers

School choice is about finding a school that benefits your child, but not at the expense of someone else's child.

Libertarians recognize that there is a very fine line between allowing school choice and enhancing public education because we play with that line like it's a jump rope. In today's world, today's world, it is the unique, the unexpected, and the unpredictable that has been leading the way into the future. Innovation, creativity, ingenuity, mold-breaking - these are what we should be cultivating in our educational opportunities. This is what will set Texas ahead of the rest of the country if we - you and I - have the fortitude to enable it. But to do this, educators and creators of educational materials must be innovative, ingenious, and non-conformist.

Libertarians want the government to get out of the way of actual education experts, innovators, and creators. We want those people to bring us new, different, and better platforms, methods, tools, and materials for learning. We want students to have a safe, appropriate, peaceful, non-coercive educational environment in which to develop relationships with their peers and develop skills for life-long learning. But more importantly, I want today's students - tomorrow's leaders - to be quantifiably smarter than we are today. It's my belief that in taking these steps, we will begin the larger journey that will allow Texas's students to lead us, and possibly the country, into the future.

Financially speaking, school choice and vouchers can turn your budget into a Rubik's Cube of calculations. Do you sacrifice vacations for violin lessons? Will your child's college fund survive the onslaught of mandatory field trips and fundraising galas? And let's not forget the annual tuition hike email, where you're gently reminded that quality education comes with a price tag that rivals the GDP of most small countries.

Vouchers are Theft

But let me be clear on this point: educational choice does NOT apply to school vouchers (or any similar euphemism). Libertarians claim that "taxation is theft" meaning that we believe that forcibly taking someone's money and giving it to someone else can never be morally justified, even when (and especially when) it's the government doing the taking and giving. In the end, school vouchers steal monies allocated to public education and simply give them to private education with no guarantees in the improvement of the student's educational quality or experience.

Additionally, private schools can refuse student admission for ANY reason (e.g., academic performance, student behaviors, parents don't make enough money, etc.) Also, private schools are not required to provide special education services for students with conditions like autism. Finally, parents give up any parental rights at private schools where there is no accountability or transparency.

I have always opposed a voucher system, and probably always will.