Recently, Rosanne Wood, a member of the Leon County School Board, released a proposal to expand school choices in her community.
Americans love choice; walk through the cereal or toothpaste isle at any store if you’re not convinced. All parents want the very best for their children. Many are willing to make sacrifices of money and convenience to enroll their child in what they perceive as the best available school. The fact that this year Leon County Schools had nearly 3,700 new choice requests for a school outside of their home-zoned school proves this point. Another 1,000 parents are homeschooling their children and 5,000 are choosing our 41 private schools, not including FAMU or FSU Developmental Research Schools.
Our numbers look a bit different. We rely on state data from the 2016-17 school year, which count just over 3,400 private-school students in grades K-12 in Leon County. Nearly 1,700 students attended charter schools. That doesn’t count the university lab schools Wood mentions, or a charter that recently closed. And another 1,600 students signed up as home schoolers.
Whatever the exact numbers, though, Wood’s point is a powerful one. It’s striking how much it’s been embraced by the public education establishment. It’s also striking how closely it mirrors the views of school choice activists, like this conservative radio host who showed up to support Education Secretary Betsy DeVos during her recent Tallahassee visit.
“Vouchers allow parents to choose,” explained [Greg] Marr, holding a “Less Government More Freedom” sign. “They choose underwear for their kids. Why not education? Education is much more important than underpants but you understand what I’m saying.”
People like Wood aren’t sold on vouchers. Many of them aren’t big believers in charter schools or other options outside school districts’ control. But they are sold on choice. Indeed, Wood, who helped found one of Tallahassee’s oldest magnet schools, recognized the benefits of educational options long before today’s school choice movement had coalesced.
With all the charged rhetoric flying about the future of public education, this is worth keeping in mind.
