School choice must be preserved
Bangor Daily News, April 29, 2008
(excerpt) Maine has a long history of school choice, but there has been a steady erosion of families’ ability to choose the school that best suits their child. The current round of school consolidation may be the final chapter for school choice. Because of a combination of lack of involvement by voters and crafty maneuvering by those who are against school choice, families throughout Maine are likely to find that the opportunity for them to exercise school choice has been eliminated.
School choice is not popular with the education establishment. Monopolists offering an inferior product don’t like competition. School choice makes it impossible for schools to ignore the wishes of parents and the needs of students.
It was reported by the Bangor Daily News on March 27 that more than 25 percent of high school students in Etna and Dixmont choose to go out of district. Given that fact, it’s hard to claim that the default high school is able to meet the needs of every student. Parents clearly think otherwise, and it is parents who have the needs of their children closest to heart.
A survey published by The Economist on Nov. 8, 2007 found that only 32 percent of Americans are opposed to school choice (the survey used the word "voucher" instead of "choice"), and 59 percent of people gave their local school a grade of C, D or F. A survey is not needed to know that there is consensus on the fact that we need better schools, and school choice makes it easier to identify those schools that are most in need of improvement. Parents know which schools are serving their children well and which are not.
(excerpt) Maine has a long history of school choice, but there has been a steady erosion of families’ ability to choose the school that best suits their child. The current round of school consolidation may be the final chapter for school choice. Because of a combination of lack of involvement by voters and crafty maneuvering by those who are against school choice, families throughout Maine are likely to find that the opportunity for them to exercise school choice has been eliminated.
School choice is not popular with the education establishment. Monopolists offering an inferior product don’t like competition. School choice makes it impossible for schools to ignore the wishes of parents and the needs of students.
It was reported by the Bangor Daily News on March 27 that more than 25 percent of high school students in Etna and Dixmont choose to go out of district. Given that fact, it’s hard to claim that the default high school is able to meet the needs of every student. Parents clearly think otherwise, and it is parents who have the needs of their children closest to heart.
A survey published by The Economist on Nov. 8, 2007 found that only 32 percent of Americans are opposed to school choice (the survey used the word "voucher" instead of "choice"), and 59 percent of people gave their local school a grade of C, D or F. A survey is not needed to know that there is consensus on the fact that we need better schools, and school choice makes it easier to identify those schools that are most in need of improvement. Parents know which schools are serving their children well and which are not.
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