It’s called ‘the Blob,’ a network of loosely affiliated groups and powerful individuals whose primary focus is defending the rules, regulations and contracts inherent in the system of state and district-run, government schools. Chief among these organizations are the teachers unions, which are labor organizations sanctioned by the government which every district in a non-right-to-work state is required to bargain with. Such “collective bargaining” results in non-democratic policies being forced on schools. Everything from teacher pay and benefits, to how teachers are permitted to operate and work, and often how and what they teach in the system is dictated by unions. The larger and stronger the union is (e.g. like Los Angeles, New York, etc), the larger and more uniform and constraining the contract.

They are not alone in opposing education opportunity. Most school boards in any state often acquiesce to the demands of unions which support or oppose their elections. It’s not just political – it’s a closed system where few parents or citizens have any say unless they happen to be the union or education association’s choice of candidate.

There is much, much more to the very tangled, bureaucratic system of public education that has grown extensively since its well-intentioned establishment. If you happen to live or be from a community that is advantaged or well-funded, chances are you benefit from more independent-minded and engaged teachers and administrators. Students in these communities are also a step ahead from familial advantage, and it’s likely there are lots of extra supports and supplemental services being provided that make those schools look much better achievement-wise than others.

Less-advantaged communities often have the opposite. The Blob is stronger than parents in those communities (think Baltimore, Philadelphia, St. Louis) and have more political support in general (again, the Blob backs politicians that support them).

Why should this matter? Because every parent in America deserves to provide their children with a great education, and most believe that education can happen in a variety of ways, using different approaches and at a variety of institutions, public, private, charter, pod or wherever learning can occur. Polls show 71% of voters think parents should have the right to use the tax dollars designated for their child’s education to send their child to the public or private school which best serves their child’s needs.