Editor’s note: In this commentary for the Times of San Diego, Todd Maddison, San Diego chair of Californians for School Choice., discusses how proposed legislation – the Educational Freedom Act – would provide every student with $14,000 to spend on an accredited private or religious school of the family’s choice.
For three years, I was a leader of the San Diego District Parent Advisory Committee, where I listened to feedback from concerned parents. Parents whose kids weren’t getting the proper attention in reading class. Parents whose kids fell behind once in math, got left behind and stayed there.
I’ve heard firsthand how parents think schools should be run to better help their children.
But schools aren’t listening.
Ideally, some change would come out of this committee. But for years, I’ve been disappointed with the results from public schools. Our district treated this state-mandated committee like a cardboard cutout. They haven’t tried to take it seriously.
I’ve tried to create real change through this process, and after many years, I’ve finally learned. The best way to give parents real power over school districts is to have the ability to take their money somewhere else.
That’s what we can do with school choice. To actually accomplish anything, and particularly to give low-income students real power, we need to allow them to take their money somewhere else. Working parents aren’t able to take off work at 2 p.m. to attend committee meetings, hoping that someone will listen seriously to their concerns, and make the needed changes.
These students deserve the same chance as students from high income families to be able to take their kids out of public school and find a better alternative. Families of every ethnicity, educational and economic background are exploring home schooling. Most can’t afford to escape a system that is systemically failing their children.
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