Editor’s note: This commentary appeared Monday on thehill.com.
If you live in a state that held primaries last week, you’re probably sick of political ads. In my home state of Pennsylvania, millions were spent on the governor’s race alone—and millions more will be spent leading up to the general election in November.
Much of the contention in these races revolved around education issues. From teaching sex education in young grades to lessons about racial issues to COVID-19 policies, education is a hot topic. Since opinions about these issues often fall along party lines, the general election is likely to be even more contentious.
What if there’s a better way? What if we could take most of the political fights out of education?
We can. The current winner-takes-all system forces parents to engage in political battles to get their children the education they think is best. But when one group of parents “wins,” that means another group loses.
School choice—letting education dollars follow children to the option that works best for them—is the answer. When parents can choose where and how their children will be educated, they’re no longer at the mercy of politicians and bureaucrats.
That means they don’t have to rely on political battles when it comes to education.
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