School choice programs empower parents to select the school that is best for their children. And those programs are creating a market for the education innovators. One example is OptimaEd, a Florida based company offering a virtual-reality school.
Students at the school wear a virtual-reality headset off and on for about three hours per day. The headsets allow for experiences that are not possible in a classroom, such as traveling to outer space. Students from across Florida attend the school, and the teachers are located all over the country.
A virtual-reality school is not ideal for every child. Students have a diverse range of needs and interests. Many require a learning environment different from a traditional classroom. That is where the education innovators step in to satisfy a need. However, without school choice programs, many parents cannot afford the options that are best for their children. They cannot take advantage of the opportunities being created by education innovators.
Another innovation is microschooling. The website for the National Microschooling Center states:
Microschools are creating a transformative shift in teaching and learning. Flexible and adaptable, they meet each child where they are in their learning trajectory.
By its very nature, the government’s education monopoly cannot do this. It cannot have programs and curriculums that meet the diverse variety of needs and interests that students have.
Freedom enables innovators in every field to try new ideas. School choice does more than empower parents to get the best possible education for their child. It unleashes the potential of the education innovators.
Why is an institute for property rights interested in school choice?
The right to property means the freedom to produce, trade, and use material values. This includes producing education services, as well as the freedom to purchase the services that one believes will be best. The government school system makes the freedom to produce, trade, and use education services much more difficult. Parents are forced to finance government schools, which leaves many without the money to pay for an alternative. School choice is a property rights issue.