20 Sep School Choice: Is it Creating Greater Educational Inequities?

As the Democratic National Convention concluded in August, the complete turnover the party has undergone following President Joe Biden’s decision not to run for re-election cannot be understated. While the new nominee, Vice President Kamala Harris, has garnered the spotlight, the decision for the other end of the Democratic ticket was extremely difficult and important. While the running-mate ended up being the governor from Minnesota, Tim Walz, it was almost a different governor, Josh Shapiro from Pennslyvania. However, the near announcement of Governor Shapiro brought immense skepticism from progressives of the new Harris campaign, mainly due to Shapiro’s association with being pro-school choice.

With such an air of controversy around a policy, it is crucial to seek an understanding of what “pro-school choice” is truly about and why people see the issue underlining it. This blog will dissect the nuance of the policy, highlight the determined effects, and understand the background of this particular ideology. While at the same time, promoting and displaying actionable, equitable solutions for the issue at hand. 

What is School Choice?

In the simplest terms, what advocates call “School Choice” is where families can use public or private money to pursue different educational opportunities for their children. It can take many forms, such as providing vouchers, tax-credit scholarships, or educational-saving accounts. These are government or privately run programs offering substantial grants for students to attend other forms of primary education. For programs like vouchers or educational-saving accounts (ESAs), the money comes directly from public school funding to parents so that the families can choose where to spend instead of instantly going to the closest public school. At the same time, school choice policies can be implemented by establishing separate institutions, such as charter schools. These are publicly funded schools but independently operated, providing a more cultivated, unique, and flexible education to students. So, as one can see, it is not one exact tangible policy that makes up the idea of school choice but a more overhauling effort to fundamentally shift primary education. 

That is why it is essential to understand the ideological desires behind the policy, not just the policy itself. The main aims of school choice can be broken down into three areas: 

1. competitive education, 

2. increased options, 

3. and parental empowerment. 

Competition is a significant aspect of school choice, as taking pre-determined money out of schools and giving it to families for them to decide would, in theory, push both public and private schools to improve through competition for funding. It involves taking market forces and applying them to the world of education. The second aspect is the idea of increased options, as school choice revolves around presenting the broadest range of educational environments that can ideally be tailored to student needs. By having both public, private, and even, in some cases, home-schooling, students can attend areas that suit their learning styles, personalities, and anything else. 

The Harmful Impact of School Choice Policies

While the ideals of school choice on paper may seem universally beneficial, providing a plethora of opportunities while at the same time empowering families to take control of their student’s education, in reality, the idealistic goals have vast adverse effects. 

The first issue to consider is that even though vouchers, scholarships, and saving funds are technically universally accessible, they do not remove the socioeconomic factors that may limit a family from seeking a better education for their children. Low-income and racialized families face barriers that hinder their ability due to the need for very limited scholarships, where often wealthy, privileged families can pay for private schooling out of pocket. In addition, marginalized people are also often prevented due to the lack of transportation, as often families cannot go out of their way to spend long periods of time taking children to and from schools that are far away, while the more privileged can. What this does is exacerbate the existing educational inequality levels, as the affluent can afford to go to expensive, resource-filled private schools, and disadvantaged families are stuck in schools that are rapidly losing resources. Despite the claims of school choice advocates of improved access to a better education for all students, it can be apparent that this only applies to the privileged within society. 

It is also important to see the parallel between school choice policies and the phenomenon of white-flight in the late 1900s. This was when white families, fearing integration in schools, would pull their kids from schools into either wealthier public schools or segregated private schools. Both had similar primary motivators: families wanted a more significant say in their children’s education and better educational opportunities. This is by no means to say every parent who supports school choice is as anti-Black as a segregationist, but the impact of their decisions can be the same. Following the ideas of school choice can replicate the disastrous and unequal education gap between the privileged and the disadvantaged. 

Addressing the Issues: Potential Solutions

Several policy reforms are essential to address the challenges posed by school choice. The most straightforward and crucial reform is to strengthen the public school system. Increasing investments in public school infrastructure and resources can enhance the quality of education and ensure that every student has access to well-maintained facilities and up-to-date learning materials. With an emphasis on current at-risk areas, public schools can be a haven for developing and nurturing students to pursue education. Education can be the key to escaping poverty, and by leveling the playing field in public education, the gap between the affluent and disadvantaged can be bridged and help end generational cycles of poverty.  

However, another reform that can be pursued is to adopt an idea championed by school choice advocates: increased opportunities. Students have different needs and learning styles, so equitable alternative education should be developed to help students. They need to be institutions that can truly be accessed by anyone, regardless of socioeconomic status. This would focus on providing resources that allow marginalized groups to access schools without winning a rarity of a lottery or scholarship.  

Call To Action 

School choice is a dangerous and crippling policy hidden by equitable and empowering slogans.  People must see past it, and challenge the implementation of such ideas, while also pushing for different solutions. This falls on society, as community and stakeholder engagement is crucial for implementing effective solutions. There must be grassroots support against ideas that take funds away from marginalized neighborhoods and into already wealthy and privileged areas. By listening to communities, equitable, balanced solutions can be achieved, embodying the ideals of school choice without the dangerous and divisive impact. Through fostering collaboration and ensuring diverse voices are heard, equity in education can be worked towards.

By Toby Keeler

If you haven’t yet had the opportunity, make sure to order a copy of Elmer Dixon’s powerful memoir DIE STANDING: From Black Panther Revolutionary to Global Diversity Consultant and check out what others have been saying about Elmer and his story. 

Check out these other opportunities to see what folks are saying about Elmer and his continued work. 

• See Elmer speak at Stories from the Revolutions’ Front Lines at his keynote at TEDxUTulsa
• Listen to Elmer talk on NPR’s The Jefferson Exchange
• Read about Elmer’s story in a piece featured in The Seattle Times
• Listen to Elmer on The Medium