Democrats Oppose 'Choice' When It Comes to Schools

Today wraps up National School Choice Week, created to raise awareness about school choice options for children trapped in failing government schools. Republican National Committee chair Reince Priebus wrote:

“[F]or too many children in America, a quality education is often out of reach. Too many parents don’t have a choice when it comes to which school their children will attend, and that means many of America’s kids are struggling in schools that do not work for them or do not meet their needs.

“It is wrong that any child has to be stuck in such a situation. That is why Republicans across this country have long supported school choice initiatives — programs to give students in need the freedom to leave a bad situation for better educational opportunities. Students in a failing education environment don’t have years or decades to wait; they need a new option right away.

“School choice takes many forms — from education savings accounts and need-based private school scholarships to charter schools, virtual schools, magnet schools and home schooling. In every case, the guiding principle is the same: parents should have the power to choose a school that is right for their kids.”

Ideally, more parents would homeschool their children, but that option isn’t feasible for many families.

This should be a bipartisan issue. Priebus notes that liberals tend to oppose school choice. They have no problem with abortion “choice.” You have the right to kill your children while they’re in the womb but no choice over removing them from a crappy taxpayer-supported school and enrolling them in a better one. This is what the GOP is doing to help lower-income families who care about their children’s education:

“Republicans have consistently worked to expand a variety of school choice programs, sometimes with bipartisan support, sometimes without. According to the American Federation for Children, 2013 saw new school choice programs in Alabama, Mississippi, North Carolina, Ohio, South Carolina and Wisconsin — all states with Republican governors. In the Senate, Sen. Tim Scott has sponsored the CHOICE Act, which would expand educational options for students with disabilities, military families and low-income families.”