Public School or School Choice

Our title is pretty much a summation of how the education system should function. In the ‘Modern Era’ schools have largely been public; with private and religious schools operating presumably without receiving government monies. We are told that either there can be public schools which run in some form of coercive relationship with the teacher’s unions or the monies used for the public schools can be divided and follow the individual student seeking some new privately-run school systems with varying levels of quality. The status quo will always favor the existing system no matter how unequal and unfair it is, especially in the inner city, less wealthy areas and rural areas. We would like to present the ultimate compromise which will improve education at all levels.

School House

We see no reason to rid ourselves of the entirety of the public school systems as they can serve to fill an adequately sufficient percentage of the students and thus remain viable. Attaching education funds to the individual student, initially only Federal dollars unless states volunteer to join their education funds, would allow for a new group of private schools to become viable. Many of these schools would be willing to accept the shared funds per student alone or with a far more affordable payment from either scholarship or private funds (i.e., parents or loans). The public school system would continue, as they are the only truly guaranteed educational institution having no additional cost to the student or family and thus seen as less of a threat. Public schools will not close and go out of business halfway through the school year, if not semester, leaving the student and family high and dry. But, on the other side, the private schools with the better reputation will be sought after, and those not quite at the same elevated level will offer the best they are able. The better ranked schools would either require additional payment or have entrance requirements and testing. There will also be a far wider range of schools provided instead of the one size fits all public schools. Trade schools could become available training students as apprentices learning a trade. There could be schools specializing in electronics, programming, arts, cooking, STEM or just about anything else your mind might invent. Schools would be free to decide if they want union or non-union teachers.

Yes, some schools will be substandard and likely fail. Home schooling will probably increase beyond government ability to monitor, leaving that to the student and parents. There will be the need for specialist teachers for individual subjects who can provide needed skillsets and instructions both for home-schoolers and as substitutes at other schools. Both complete school systems and individual specialist educators combined as needed could fill in where all-in-one systems cannot tread. There may even be school systems offered by groups of corporations providing them with a rich pool from where to employ. The greatest benefit of such a system is that the public school systems will improve and become responsible to the communities they serve thus those who go private will be taking full responsibility while the public schools will work to improve their perception in the community responsibly but without government interference at the Federal level. Each state and only each state has the right to regulate their own education requirements as long as they do not infringe on the rights of each student’s and their family’s share of the Federal education funds.

Beyond the Cusp