Teacher Tea
The Limits of "Education Freedom"
In “My Uber Driver Doesn’t Get the Fine Art of Fighting for Education Freedom,” in Education Next, Frederick Hess recounts a conversation with his Uber driver about school choice. The driver supports school choice, but is skeptical of the aggressive rhetoric used by some advocates. Hess defends the use of slogans and catchy phrases, arguing that they’re effective tools for raising awareness. The driver remains unconvinced, suggesting that a more practical approach focusing on the benefits of school choice for families would be more effective.
School choice, as a political issue, directly affects teachers’ working conditions and the quality of education they can provide. School choice policies can lead to increased competition among schools, which its proponents say can put pressure on teachers to perform at higher levels. School choice would also lead to increased funding for charter schools and private schools, but this would divert resources away from public schools and the teachers who work in them.
Will school choice be a major issue in the upcoming election? Considering the many intense political debates that are currently unfolding in the United States, school choice may seem peripheral, but federal policies could have an enormous impact on the nation’s public schools.