Equity and school choice: Michael Alexander on how progressives fail minority students
To unravel one of leftist extremists’ most-repeated arguments against school choice—that it fails to preserve equity—Opp Now interviewed the California School Choice Foundation president and Californians for School Choice chairman Michael Alexander. Alexander explains that equity is a common progressive talking point, but power and money are truly what drive legislative decisions—thus creating an ill-equipped next generation of learners.
Opportunity Now: Progressive politicians often advocate for equitable opportunities. Why are they ignoring the socioeconomic discrimination of restricted school choice?
Michael Alexander: If such politicians are so interested in equitable outcomes, why do they oppose any competitive alternative to our educational system? As it is, California produces graduates who are ill-equipped to participate fully in our society and our complex economy. Why would politicians and legislators do that with equity in mind? They wouldn’t. They know what they’re doing, and they know restricted choice doesn’t create a more equal landscape for students.
The reason for this disconnect is pure politics. I’m talking about public employee unions, particularly so-called “teachers” unions, across the country. In California, over 40% of our budget is earmarked by law (Prop. 98) to flow into the public school system. Add to that other appropriations and grants, and over $120-125 billion a year funds our local public schools. That money represents a tremendous amount of power. So, politicians know what they’re doing regarding school choice legislation, but they oppose it anyways to pay off their political debts and to avoid fighting with powerful teachers unions.
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This is part of an exclusive Opp Now series. Opp Now spoke with the CA School Choice Foundation president about the following education-centered topics:
The recent Maine Supreme Court decision
Why counterarguments of equity fall short in the school choice debate
The Silicon Valley’s competitive need for school choice
How widely wanted school choice policies are by CA’n voters
How school choice impacts local public schools
How the Educational Freedom Act could cultivate choice for local families in their children’s education
Image by ajalfaro on flickr