There is no legitimate reason to oppose school choice

None whatsoever. Unless, of course, your goal is to harm the children of America.

Jan. 13, 2006 — "Stupid in America" is a nasty title for a program about public education, but some nasty things are going on in America's public schools and it's about time we face up to it.

And it has never been a funding issue for education.

And while many people say, "We need to spend more money on our schools," there actually isn't a link between spending and student achievement.

Jay Greene, author of "Education Myths," points out that "If money were the solution, the problem would already be solved … We've doubled per pupil spending, adjusting for inflation, over the last 30 years, and yet schools aren't better."

He's absolutely right. National graduation rates and achievement scores are flat, while spending on education has increased more than 100 percent since 1971. More money hasn't helped American kids.

Ben Chavis is a former public school principal who now runs an alternative charter school in Oakland, Calif., that spends thousands of dollars less per student than the surrounding public schools. He laughs at the public schools' complaints about money.

"That is the biggest lie in America. They waste money," he said.

The reason they keep asking for more money is to fund the bureaucracy that has enslaved our education system and our children.

When I hear people whine "the bad public schools would disappear!" I can only think of what a blessed day that would be.

The reason to oppose school choice? It is as evil as it gets: socialism.

Last week's Florida court ruling against vouchers came after teacher Ruth Holmes Cameron and advocacy groups brought a suit to block the program.

"To say that competition is going to improve education? It's just not gonna work. You know competition is not for children. It's not for human beings. It's not for public education. It never has been, it never will be," Holmes said.

Why not? Would you keep going back to a restaurant that served you a bad meal? Or a barber that gave you a bad haircut? What if the government assigned you to "your" grocery store. The store wouldn't have to compete for your business, and it would soon sell spoiled milk or stock only high profit items. Real estate agencies would sell houses advertising "neighborhood with a good grocery store." That's insane, and yet that's what America does with public schools.

All students are equal...equally disadvantaged, equally cheated, equally enslaved.

How wonderful would it be if schools had to compete for your education dollars! Principals would tell you how great their teachers are, how well students do on achievement tests, how almost all graduates go on to college or get good jobs out of high school.... Instead, they laugh and say, "Where else are you going to go?! We get your money anyway!"

It is a sad state of affairs. It is one that will not change until enough people get angry enough to take the time to oppose the socialists and bureaucrats who have seized control of our children's education.

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