Sign Up For Our Newsletter

Public school teacher comes out of the closet…

…the school choice closet, that is. 

As much as I might dislike saying it, IF I was given the opportunity to use school vouchers to enroll my boys in a private or parochial school that truly offered a better educational opportunity to my boys, then I would do it. Yes, it might cost me some additional money and time, but what is the cost of NOT ensuring your children receive the best educational foundation ?

I also wonder what the parents of children in the rest of the state of Wisconsin wonder about their state government excluding their children from the school voucher opportunity ? Does this have something to do with Milwaukee’s high minority population and Wisconsin elected officials pandering to them ? Politics aside, I hope this works for many Milwaukee families as a step toward their children having a better opportunity to receive a better education.

Now to the comment thread, where Darren from Right on the Left Coast says:

Don’t feel guilty. I’ve read that teachers are more likely than the general population to send their own kids to private schools.

Oh, but she’s not the only one who feels guilty: the next comment is from "elementaryhistoryteacher" (side note: she blogs here):

Ok…I’ll admit it. My daughter is attending a private school for the first time this year. There are several reasons for this. One being I attended private school and didn’t feel she was receiving everything she needed because of major discipline problems in the her school including the one you posted about on the 13th. So I guess I go in the yes category that if my state provided vouchers I’d be the first in line, but I say that without sufficient knowledge to have an educated postion on them. What effect would they have on public/privcate schools? How would the funding of schools change because tax dollars would be used for vouchers? I simply don’t know enough.

In spite of Darren’s admonition, both these public schoolteachers quite clearly feel ashamed for sending (or wanting to send) their kids to private school.  But let’s set aside the higher likelihood Darren cites (something mentioned in our featured commentary and documented elsewhere).  Who cares what they do for a living?  Yes, we understand they feel a sense of obligation to put their children in a public school since, well, that’s where they work.  But if they feel that a private school is the best option for their children, why should they be prevented from sending their children there? 

In short, we think this comment hits the nail on the head:

Public schools are a part of this country’s foundation, as far as I’m concerned. I just don’t know if private schools are always "better" than public. At times, yes, but in my district, where wealth is commonplace, the problems at the private schools at times are more serious than at Unnamed Junior High School.

Private school teachers often don’t have to be certified, and they aren’t held accountable to the same ridiculous items that we, as a public school are.

Having said all that, I think there’s room for both. It shouldn’t be an either/or situation. (emphasis added)

While we might quibble over the history of public schooling in this country, that last paragraph is precisely where we sit.  What we seek is emphatically not an either/or situation.  In spite of what critics may say, school choice is not about demolishing public schools and starting over.  In fact, if you are fortunate enough to have a stellar public school in your neighborhood, your school will not only survive but thrive in a choice environment.