Submitted by Charlton C. Hughes, Feb 7, 2008 21:56

The opportunity to exercise a true school choice, level the playing field, and allow parents to choose schools that impart values consistent with their own is not only "justice in empowering parents", but true hope for a better future.

Public, parochial, and private schools combine in a single broad endeavor to educate our children; we should chastise one another when we refer only to public school students as "our children". Our society's concern should be whether every parent (taxpayers and those who are supported by taxpayers) is able to enroll his/her child in a successful school. I think Rabbi Shafran would agree that, ideally all parents should be able to choose a school that matches their values, resources, and the child's needs. Some will need help to make that choice affordable.

I also agree with Rabbi Shafran, we need to stop talking about money going to schools and start talking about money going to parents. Given choices, parents are able to take more responsibility for their children's education ... children will mirror this attitude, perhaps in all that they do ... and we will be on our way to developing more responsible citizens. What better way to ensure an educated public for a true democracy!

It need not be the government's responsibility to provide education for all, but rather it should be to ensure that all children have an opportunity to be educated. A democracy is based on the premise that there is an educated public, not public education.

So what role could governement play? Government could do several things: provide base standards and a measure of quality for consumers of services - in this case, parents; help allocate resources so every consumer has a choice (vouchers are just one way); and ensure that all children are cared for. We'll need a blended stream of funding to accomplish this - money from parents, philanthropists, businesses, and taxpayers.

We only lose out when we think with the same divided mindset that we have always used. Let's combine all of our resources, put aside our fears of who wins or loses power, and work together. No good private or parochial school should have an empty seat because of lack of tuition funds. No public system should be afraid of dramatic change. Like the magnet, charter, or community school models - let them begin to take on a individual life of their own, striving to meet the needs of students by offering a wide array of programs and values to meet the needs that come from the marketplace. Rabbi Shafran rightly suggests that the market will act on the children's best behalf; interest will inspire new schools to form and old, failing ones to improve or close. Let's help resources get to the ones that show promise and support them, rather than trying to save them all. Successful schools, public, parochial, and private will thrive - what's wrong with that? Gone would be the need for protect power or pursestrings because government would gradually get out of the big business of running schools and let the public do it. And what is a true democracy if not a way for the people to work together for the common good - for the good of all of their children?

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