Because It’s Been Too Long

I’m exhausted and had a surprise family visit today, but I promised Jeff Berkowitz a response and events have kept me from keeping that promise until now. One of the advantages of blogging is the quick interaction of ideas. Apparently, I’m not included in that advantage many times.

But Jeff challenged this post I made a few days ago. Jeff’s argument is that Ryan has not proposed a program that would be underfunded and do little good.

Jeff is correct. I am very wrong. From both Jeff and other sources there is nothing suggesting that Ryan would only offer a pittance and so I must say to everyone, I’m sorry, but I really screwed that one up. It would appear that Ryan is open to try just about any serious plan in regards to vouchers and while he hasn’t developed a full plan, I agree with that. Overdeveloped plans are nice for fun, but they mean very little when legislating because things will change–especially for Freshman Senators. Setting out principles is actually a more honest strategy so Ryan gets credit for that too.

That was easy to say (well quick to say), but the delay was because I had more to say on vouchers and I first misread Jeff’s post about what issue he took with me.

I think Jeff is under the impression that I am against vouchers. That is not true. I am willing to try voucher programs that provide enough money to students in failing public schools (perhaps more, but they must first be covered) that the supply will be increased so that high quality schools will be expanded, not just existing slots filled. We can debate the amount, but that isn’t terribly important at this point.

Second, any program should ensure that accountability for public funds is created. Very simply, we see some charter schools that are utter failures and others that are amazing successes. But just as failing public schools must be addressed, so must failing private schools in terms of receiving public funds. While many voucher advocates (I’m not necessarily including Ryan or Berkowitz in this category since I don’t know their positions) argue that market forces will close bad schools, the experience of many public school choice experiments demonstrate different results. In Saint Louis, the voluntary interdistrict transfer program between the City of Saint Louis and Saint Louis County has never been fully subscribed to its approximately 14,000 slots in county schools despite there being a number of failing schools in the City. So even though parents had options, they didn’ t necessarily choose non-failing schools.

Just as there are snake oil salesman in every profession, so there are in education. Public accountability will guard against those sorts of characters and provide protection against ‘consumers’ who don’t fully understand how to choose a quality school. How to do this is another question and an quite complicated one.

Third, a free and public school system must be maintained and brought up to high quality where it is deficient. One of the best kept secrets in America is that most of our schools in middle class areas are pretty good. We could improve the rigor, but most average middle class folks have access to good education. Those options shouldn’t be diminished and in terms of failing schools, we must institutionalize a way to force improvement in those schools and not just let them flounder as others escape. Many argue that market forces will allow this, but I’d point to the issue above–if there are parents that simply leave kids in bad schools, we have a responsibility to those kids.

Fourth, we need to come up with a way to avoid the Matt Hale School for Ignorant Asses from being created. I’m open to suggestions.