Why school choice (not diversity-based admission) combats segregation

Larry Sand, renowned educational analyst, argues that the National Education Association should fight for local school choice initiatives rather than racially-based admission criteria. Without the freedom to choose, lower-income students are frequently “imprison[ed]” in subpar schools that reside in their zip code — a far cry from NEA’s (and CA Teachers Association’s) purportedly equitable ideals.

One of the glaring outrages of the [U.S. Supreme Court] case is that the two national teachers unions – the National Education Association and the American Federation of Teachers – filed amicus briefs in which they pound the racial bean counting drum. The unions insist that “diversity” must remain a factor in choosing who gets to be admitted into a given college.

The NEA brief claims that “elementary and secondary schools remain heavily segregated. In the 2019–2020 school year, the average White student attended a majority White school. By contrast, students of color are far more likely to attend schools where the majority of students are also students of color.”

The irony of the teachers unions’ deploring racism in education is glaring, because it is the very same unions that essentially imprison children – notably poor children of color – in substandard public schools. Specifically, the union-mandated collective bargaining agreements (CBAs), in place throughout most of the country, bring to light why government-run schools fail so many kids.

This article originally appeared in Front Page Magazine. Read the whole thing here.

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