The critics of school choice programs often point out that most parents are satisfied with their local government school. Most polls find that 70 percent or more of parents believe their child is receiving an adequate education. This means that 30 percent of parents aren’t satisfied with their child’s government school. Those parents want alternatives to government schools, and for many, school choice programs make that possible, i.e., those programs provide choice for those who want it.
The fact that a large majority of parents are satisfied with government schools does not justify denying choices for those who aren’t satisfied.
Parents have a wide range of reasons for wanting to move their children out of government schools. Most of those reasons pertain to the curriculum. Many parents object to the ideas and values taught in government schools. They want their children to attend a school more aligned with the parents’ values.
The wealthy have always had a choice when it comes to education. They can afford the tuition at a private school. But low- and moderate-income families do not have that luxury because they are supporting the government school system through taxes. Not only do these parents have no choice regarding their child’s education, they have no choice regarding their coerced support for government schools.
Many rural parents oppose school choice, arguing that they have few alternatives to government schools. Again, the fact that some have fewer alternatives is not justification for denying others the opportunity to have more options.
Where school choice programs exist, parents who are happy with government schools can leave their children enrolled in them. That is their choice. School choice takes nothing away from those parents. However, school choice does provide dissatisfied parents with more choices.