By Gabriel Higbie
The Rio Grande Foundation recently hosted Corey DeAngelis for a series of events in New Mexico. DeAngelis is one of the most prominent voices for private school choice in the nation, and at events located in Albuquerque and Alamogordo, he discussed the shortcomings of government-operated educational systems and the strategic methods of the left used to gain control of America's educational systems.
DeAngelis' solution to our failed education system is outlined in his new book, "The Parent Revolution: Rescuing Your Kids from the Radicals Ruining Our Schools." Among other things, the book dives into the effects of COVID on our education system and how private school choice is rapidly spreading across America in response. The book is not only an informational resource for parents all over the United States, but a tool that equips them to fight back against the left's constant push for ideological dominance in education. Under the phrase "fund students, not systems," Corey DeAngelis is helping lead the charge in private school choice.
The COVID shutdown highlighted the tremendous control teachers unions have over our schools. Even as students fell more and more behind, unions continued to protest any notion of schools reopening, prioritizing "science" over students despite studies that proved schools were a low-risk environment.
The National Assessment of Educational Progress taken in 2022 showed that test scores had fallen back to 1990 levels, yet unions ignored the growing disparity in student's abilities. Their actions made it clear that they care little for students, but rather focus on making the system more beneficial for themselves.
By controlling educational systems, political progressives can efficiently spread their ideology and churn out more Democratic voters, making it in their best interest to create a system where parents have very little liberty to put their children into schools not controlled by the government. President Biden has even said: "There is no such thing as someone else's child," a frightening statement that neatly sums up the left's beliefs.
Private school choice, on the other hand, allows for educational tax dollars that would be spent in a public school to be allocated to families looking to send their child elsewhere. That money is put into an ESA, or Educational Savings Account, giving parents more financial freedom to choose a school for their kids and determine what their child is learning, instead of a faceless government official. Parental involvement in their child's education is an ideology that acts in direct opposition to the separation of parent and child that the left fights for, which should raise concern among parents.
Private school choice also encourages public schools to perform at a higher level, since it evens the playing field and makes for greater competition between schools. Parents, now having more options, will naturally choose better performing schools over others. Basic economics dictates that competition encourages innovation, so not only does private school choice help families, but also helps schools improve the quality of their education. Sadly, unions and so-called progressives will continue to fight against private school choice because it limits their power over students; but despite their protests, the movement continues to grow.
In just three years, 12 states have adopted universal private school choice: Florida, Alabama, Oklahoma, Utah, Arizona, Indiana, Ohio, West Virginia, North Carolina, Montana, Iowa, and Arkansas. In Arizona alone, 80,000 families have signed up for ESAs. The short time frame and large number of states passing these policies makes for a massive victory for private school choice, and other states are close to joining the list. Private school choice is an effective response against the constant push for dominance in education by the left, and funding students is a far more beneficial alternative to funding systems.
Gabriel Higbie is a policy analyst with New Mexico's Rio Grande Foundation, a research and educational organization dedicated to promoting prosperity for New Mexico based on the principles of limited government, economic freedom, and individual responsibility.