A recent poll has provided clear evidence: a significant majority of Americans desire the ability to direct their tax dollars towards schools of their choosing, which includes private institutions and not solely public schools. During the COVID-19 pandemic, many government-run schools disappointed families across the nation. A survey conducted by Noble Predictive Insights for Center Square revealed that 69% of likely voters support a federal tax credit allowing for school choice, with only 20% believing children should attend assigned schools. Notably, this sentiment spans beyond political lines, with more than 60% of Democrats and a significant portion of Independents favoring school choice, highlighting a broad desire for educational market competition.
Despite this strong public support, Democratic leaders consistently oppose implementing voucher and tax-credit programs, often reiterating the teachers-union argument that funding private schools siphons resources from public schools, arguably the priority. However, taxpayers are eager for their funds to secure the best educational options available for their children, irrespective of whether those options are public or private. David Byler of NPI comments that fundamentally, people want effective schools. The reduction in student numbers due to school choice should nominally decrease operating costs in traditional schools. Moreover, competition generated by school choice has been shown through research to promote improvements across all educational institutes.
The pandemic was a pivotal moment that exposed the shortcomings of some public schools and demonstrated how certain entities, like teachers' unions, might prioritize employee interests over student welfare. Early in the pandemic, it became apparent that prolonged school closures posed significant risks, with students generally achieving better mental, physical, and academic outcomes while attending school. Nevertheless, Democratic leaders complied with union demands, even when it resulted in schools remaining closed for extended periods, almost up to two years in some areas. This decision had a critical impact, with national standardized test scores showing the most significant declines in 30 years in reading and unprecedented drops in math.
Fields such as education underwent rapid shifts during COVID-19, leading to widespread 'remote learning' which allowed parents to observe public school systems, often finding them lacking. Conversely, many private schools, particularly Catholic ones, stayed open and experienced minimal educational setbacks during this period. Federal data highlights the resulting trends, with private school enrollment rising from 4.65 million in 2019-2020 to 4.73 million two years later, while public school enrollment fell from 50.8 million to 49.4 million. The shift wasn't just verbal support reflected in polling but a tangible choice made by families. Tax incentives for school choice could potentially amplify this movement.
However, the primary obstacle remains union resistance, as they have little sway over private or charter schools and thus oppose funding initiatives that might empower these institutions. Political leaders on the Democratic side frequently align themselves with union priorities, even when it poses a detriment to the educational prospects of children across the country.
