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Universal Publicly-Funded School Choice

In the 1950s, public schools were financed almost entirely by local property taxes. Today, Americans are taxed by all three levels of government (local, state, and federal) to pay for the local public school. Despite per-pupil-spending that ranks among the highest in the world, public schools still say they don't have enough money to get the job done.

In the 1950s, U.S. students were among the best educated in the world. Today, U.S. students' performance is "below average" in the world, ranking 25th in a 40-nation comparison of reading and math achievement.

This "high cost-low achievement" trend threatens the future of this nation and her children.

One public education reform - universal school choice - can reverse this trend.

• Universal school choice offers genuine public education reform. The notion that one type of school - public or private - can serve all children equally well is fatally flawed. Children have different learning styles. They are motivated to learn and achieve in different ways. Teaching methods and classroom structures that are effective for some can be detrimental to others. Only a public education system built upon individual choice among all available public and private schools can accommodate this diversity and enable every child to achieve his or her full potential.
• Universal school choice offers genuine taxpayer relief. Public schools are not "free." They are the largest single expenditure in most state and local government budgets. Nor are public schools the most cost-efficient method for delivering the public education service to America's children. Average private school tuition is about half the cost of per-pupil public school spending. Thus, taxpayers can educate two children in private sector schools for the price of educating one child in public schools. Moreover, by enabling private schools to absorb excess and future student enrollment, taxpayers can alleviate public school overcrowding and avoid the costs of constructing and staffing additional public schools -- costs that push local property taxes higher and higher.
• Universal school choice offers genuine consumer-based accountability. Public schools are state-owned and operated, so they are driven by politics. Decisions are made by political compromise in which some "win" and others "lose." Moreover, politicians often put the interests of powerful political lobbying groups such as teacher unions and school board associations above the interests of children and consumers. Universal school choice provides genuine consumer accountability and protections by enabling all families to act in their own best interests and "win" the best education possible for their children.

Contrary to critics' claims, universal publicly-funded school choice is not anti-public school. Rather, it treats all public and private schools as equal and essential partners in the nation's quest to educate the next generation better than the last.

Parental Choice in Education

Print a brochure on school choice to share with family, friends, and co-workers.