October 6, 2002

The Best "Choice"

Reg Weaver
President, NEA

It is not unusual to hear loud, categorical claims that "public education has failed." Typically these claims are voiced by those who are promoting an agenda designed to replace America's public schools with tuition vouchers and privatization.

Has public education failed? That's definitely not the opinion of many of America's most affluent and well-educated parents. According to the National Center for Education Statistics, nearly 85 percent of the wealthiest families in America choose to send their children to public schools.

Many thousands of well-funded suburban public schools range in quality from good to world-class. These public schools have facilities that are modern and well-equipped. They have highly qualified teachers and support professionals. And their students achieve at high levels.

In polls, parents overwhelmingly give these public schools high grades. And some public schools earn an A+: According to a study by Money magazine, "about 10 percent of all public schools--about 2,000 nationwide--are as outstanding academically as the nation's most prestigious and selective private schools."

In my opinion, this is proof positive that public schools are successful when they are adequately funded, safe, modern, and staffed by highly trained teachers and support professionals.

However, despite this record of success, voucher advocates prefer to point to struggling schools in high-poverty urban and rural communities, and they repeat their mantra that "public education has failed."

Perhaps the question should not be "Has public education failed?" but rather "Have we as citizens failed public education?"

We fail when we do not hold our elected officials accountable. They've promised to support a quality public education for all children, but have not delivered. This has allowed voucher advocates to get a foothold in the education debate by dividing our communities with offers of so-called "choice."

The parents I speak with are definitely interested in "choice." But they tell me that what they want is a real choice: the choice to send their children to quality public schools that do not discriminate; schools that accept every student; schools with high-quality staff, modern facilities, small class sizes, and rigorous standards; schools that are located in their neighborhoods.

These parents are not so naive as to believe that it is a real choice when they must have their children scrutinized, placed on long waiting lists, and often rejected by private schools that have little or no interest in enrolling poor, disadvantaged, or challenged students.

The first step to ensuring a quality public education for every student--ensuring that parents have a real choice--is to focus our undivided attention on identifying and electing public servants who are committed to funding excellence in public education. We need public servants who are committed to ensuring that every public school is as good as our best public schools.

Reg Weaver

President, National Education Association

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