Frederick Hess wrote an article for National Affairs about the ineffectiveness of school choice. I have never really been a fan of the school-choice movement. I understand the inspiration: schools would have to compete for students which should in turn lead to better teachers. I have seen little evidence for this.
We see sports teams consolidating their power by essentially creating all-star teams. Each sport has its own school for you to go to. Instead of transferring for academic reasons, student-ATHLETES change schools to win games.
Does this work in the classroom? What we find are some schools that are overcrowded and underfunded. Education does not work from a business model, but rather a communal outlook. The education of the child depends on solid teachers, funded schools, and interested parents. Local schools should be places of pride. Instead of finding ways of making the school better, parents find a "better" school for their child to attend.
So far, school choice only gives us state championship teams. Shouldn't we look for championship-caliber classes?
The Charter Schools model seems to be better than the school choice model, even though the Charter Schools precipitate School Choice. The Charter School idea is for academics rather sports.
ReplyDeleteThe Charter Schools model seems to be better than the school choice model, even though the Charter Schools precipitate School Choice. The Charter School idea is for academics rather sports.
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