You say these schools serve
intense concentrations of poverty and trauma. A primary cause of such
concentrations of poverty and trauma has been our public city schools.
That is what happens when generation after generation of caring parents
escape to the suburbs as fast as possible because well-intentioned
liberals like yourself refuse them the choice of where their child
should be educated.
Who is left behind? Those who
reject educational choice shoulder much of the blame for the decay of
our inner city and associated suburban sprawl.
Best
practices are only replicated when bad schools are allowed to fail and
successful schools are allowed to prosper. The only avenue for this to
occur is by school choice. This is no different from any other aspect of
our economy. For a society founded around freedom of choice and
voluntary association, it is ironic that our school system is about the
most communistic in the Western world.
I only hope the
“Great School Wars” have just begun. May the elitist disdain for
parent’s ability to choose the best school for their child be defeated
by a respect for their ability to choose the best school for their
child. Mr. Thompson, I know you are well-intentioned, but like No Child
Left Behind, your “updated terminology” and vague platitudes do us no
good.
—Matthew Trimble, Oklahoma City
