New Jersey, and all states, should support school choice

Earlier today, the Newark Star-Ledger published Pacific Legal Foundation‘s opinion piece supporting the school choice movement in New Jersey. You can read the article at this link.  In the op-ed, my colleague Joshua P. Thompson and I argue that New Jersey should support Governor Christie’s Opportunity Scholarship Act. Why? Because school choice is about freedom for all parents to make decisions for themselves about the best school available for their unique child. Or, as we put it in the piece:

This proposed law, like similar laws in place in Florida, Arizona and New Hampshire, allows private enterprise to provide scholarships to low-income students to attend schools that had previously only been available to the rich kids. Instead of being stuck in chronically under-performing schools – these scholarships would give parents a real choice to select the school that will be the most successful at fulfilling their child’s needs. All kids learn differently, and the one-size-fits-all model is not realistic. Opportunity scholarships fund better school alternatives for families who cannot otherwise afford the best schools. Why should New Jersey’s best schools only be available to the wealthiest in our state? Why should kids be forced into schools that fail at educating them?

Children shouldn’t be forced into schools that fail them.  I encourage you to check out the entire op-ed to read more of our explanation why.