School Choice: It's Your Right

Nothing in life is guaranteed but an education certainly makes things more certain. If you weren't born into a wealthy family or fortunate enough to have the right societal connections, then the key to making your dreams more attainable is an education. As Americans we have the right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Our founding fathers realized the integral role an education had in the pursuit of the latter. Thomas Jefferson is known to have promoted the creation of a public school system. Few doubt the value of an education but many doubt the effectiveness of our current public school system.

If the government provides a service, that service must be equally available to all citizens. Currently there is equal access but unfortunately many only have access to ineffective schools. For the most part this is not intentional but simply a result of circumstance. The sad state of schools in economically poor districts is a result of a shortage of supply of competent and effective teachers and administrators. The fact is, teachers and administrators have a choice in the schools for which they work, and they often choose the more affluent higher-paying schools over their poorer counterparts. So if choice is good for teachers and administrators why is not good for students?

Choice is an essential component for improving the U.S. school system. The quality of your life may depend on the quality of your education. If your tax dollars can pay for a better alternative than the public schools in your municipality then the government should not limit your choice, and therefore your pursuit of happiness.

Those who oppose choice in school selection claim it will result in the the closure of many public schools and job loss for many public school employees. Why should these schools remain open if they are ineffective and their employees sub-par? Bad schools exist because the government continues to finance their failures. It's only natural that we take our money elsewhere if we are disappointed in the service we receive. The same should be true for public schools.