THE CHOICE AGENDA WHAT IS IT?

The issue of choice has become one of the most debated issues in educational strategies. School critics find school choice attractive, albeit for different reasons. More than 20 states have either passed choice legislation or are considering such action testimony to the popularity of the idea.

But choice has become controversial because there are at least three agenda supporting it. Each of these agendas, though using the same word, have different motives, issues and goals in mind.

The "reaction to the present" agenda represents those dissatisfied with education as it now exists. The purpose of this agenda is to improve our present educational system with respect to a multitude of issues.

The "choice as a means for desegregating schools" agenda addresses dissatisfaction in areas of diverse racial and ethnic populations. This choice agenda is controversial because some view it as a means for assisting people under served by our public education system, while others view it as a way to maintain the desegregation status quo.

The "choice as a catalyst for change" agenda is advocated in communities already doing well on educational measures, thereby focusing on variety, options, self-direction, flexibility and responsiveness as the primary benefits of choice.

History of schooling

Since the early establishment of schools parents have made choices between and among private schools. Private schools range from the elite to the ordinary, from parochial to the secular, from boys- only to girls-only to coed. Generally only those parents with financial resources have been able to exercise these options and choose between public and private schools.

However, the vast majority of American children are in public schools. We do not know to what extent this custom is the result of choice, since we do not know who has the financial resources to exercise their option of choice, nor do we know how those who can afford this choice decide.

Within the public school system, some students have had access to good schools through indirect means. First, parents often select a family home on the basis of the quality of the neighborhood school. Second, within public schools, a few parents manage to influence decisions to support their choices, even if there is no public policy that promotes such explicit selections.

Parents also make choices regarding programs within schools. These choices often relate to specialty programs, i.e., gifted, vocational, or performing arts programs. So to some extent parents, students and teachers have always had and made choices.

However, many local school districts have not set policies to maximize choice nor to support the goal of maximum choice of schools, programs and courses. Schools have always attempted to maintain a balance on widely held agreement of common learnings such as citizenship, enculturation and interpersonal relations in a pluralistic society. The individual interests of parents, students and educators the private good have traditionally been subordinated to these broader aims the common public good.

Individual private good vs. common public good

In fact, most conflicts in the education debate, generally center on forces which threaten this delicate balance. Schools of choice may threaten this balance, moving from greater decision making at the societal level to the individual level.

Many people cling to the hope of choice, which to them means the less wealthy are afforded an opportunity to select schools just like those in the middle and upper socio-economic families do when they buy homes within certain neighborhoods. However, there is no empirical evidence to date which asserts that choice in of itself works.

Voucher system

The voucher system is basically an abstract concept of choice. The intent of the voucher schema is to redefine the distribution of dollars which currently support our public education system.

The premise is that competition improves the marketplace and that today's public schools are costing more and producing less. Unfortunately, this perception is difficult to confirm or dispute based on the fact that the relationship between school costs and pupil achievement is not simple nor direct.

However, the facts do show that in recent years American public schools have been given additional responsibilities by court orders, federal guidelines and state mandates that involve substantial additional costs that are often unrelated to school enrollment. There are many non-academic costs being required by public schools such as asbestos removal and increased school security.

If the voucher system is to re-distribute the financial support from public to private schools, it must also impose the same laws and regulations governing the public schools. If fair competition is to improve the educational marketplace vouchers cannot be allowed to circumvent issues like: equal access and opportunity, due process, desegregation, licensure and etc.

The local scene

From the perspective of Cape Girardeau Public Schools, "choice" is currently being studied. Our careful analysis of choice raises the debate to a thoughtful level based on our district mission of providing quality education for all our students. The Cape Girardeau Public Schools' school improvement agenda requires significant attention to a variety of issues.

We're currently studying the impact of state and local laws and policies as they relate to choice and many other components of school improvement: enhancing teacher professionalism, through expanded and improved professional development activities; increasing parental involvement, helping students to acquire a love of knowledge and life long learning; and creating a safe and conducive environment.

Finally, good schools are good schools because of the commitment, talent and knowledge of the educators who work in them and the engagement and motivation of the students and parents for whom they serve. Educators, Boards of Education and communities should focus on a full set of complex ways which promote such conditions rather than on a single factor which in itself cannot explain the differences among schools.

Neyland G. Clark is Superintendent of the Cape Girardeau Public Schools.