Op-Ed: Valeria Gurr: School Choice Week should spur real action on education freedom
National School Choice Week serves as a powerful reminder that education is a fundamental right, not a privilege, Valeria Gurr writes in her latest op-ed.
National School Choice Week is a good time to reflect on the importance of empowering parents to choose the best educational options for their children. It’s an even better time to make bold moves to get those options expanded for families who need them the most.
School choice isn't just about convenience; it's about ensuring that every child has access to a quality education that meets their individual needs. This year, Congress has a unique opportunity to make significant progress by passing the Educational Choice for Children Act (ECCA).
School choice prioritizes families by acknowledging that every child is unique, with their own distinct talents, challenges, and aspirations. For some children, the local public school may be the ideal environment. For others, options such as charter schools, private schools, micro schools or homeschooling might better suit their needs and help them thrive.
Many students are trapped in underperforming schools because they’re assigned to a school based on their addresses. This system affects low-income and minority students the most, with the bottom continuing to fall out of achievement scores. This week, many members of Congress have recognized the power of school choice; it is exciting to see over 180 of them taking real steps to make change across the country.
Passing nationwide school choice would be a historically bold step toward breaking this cycle of inequality and ensuring every child can thrive. The ECCA would provide scholarships to families to afford tuition, transportation, and other educational expenses associated with private or alternative schooling options. By incentivizing private investment in education scholarships, the act would expand opportunities for millions of children who need access to a different learning environment.
This legislation would be particularly beneficial in states where school choice has been obstructed by influential teachers' unions afraid of competition. For example, in my state of Nevada, we continue to rank at the bottom in education, and our children are not proficient in core subjects at any grade levels. Yet we can't get a school choice proposal passed because legislators listen to the unions instead of to parents. Other states are in the same predicament, and students deserve better.
School choice is a win/win. Studies have shown that the public education system improves when schools are held accountable for achieving results and families have the freedom to choose. Competition encourages innovation and ensures that schools focus on student success. Furthermore, when parents are empowered to select the best options for their child's needs, it leads to greater satisfaction and better academic outcomes. And we should remember that education freedom is also essential to ensure that children are happy and in an environment that is conducive to their well-being and safety.
National School Choice Week celebrates the diverse educational opportunities available to families across the country while also highlighting the work that still needs to be done. Despite ever-increasing support for school choice, many families still lack access to the options they deserve. The pandemic underscored the urgency of this issue, as parents were compelled to seek alternatives when traditional schools failed to serve their children. I make many sacrifices to pay for my child's private school, but there are so many parents searching for financial support just to help their children.
The ECCA addresses a long-standing issue in our educational system. One-size-fits-all education fails too many children. By passing nationwide school choice, Congress can demonstrate its commitment to prioritizing children and ensuring that every family has the resources they need to make the best decisions for their future. Investing in school choice is not only an investment in individual students but also in the strength and prosperity of our nation.
As a nation, we cannot allow outdated systems and entrenched interests to obstruct our progress. National School Choice Week serves as a powerful reminder that education is a fundamental right, not a privilege. It is time for Congress to take decisive action and advance the Educational Choice for Children Act. The stakes are too high to accept anything less than a future where all children can reach their full potential.
Valeria Gurr is a senior fellow for the American Federation for Children. She is a passionate advocate for educational choice, particularly for underserved families, and founded la Federación Americana Para los Niños.
