Beware "School Choice"

Some advocates of what is euphemistically called school choice argue that their reform would be a crucial step along the road to the separation of school and state. Some of us have dissented. Knowing how government works, we've had a hunch that vouchers and tuition tax credits would most likely lead to greater regulation of private schools. The cry of accountability for schools receiving public money would be irresistible.

Events are not only supporting our prediction, they are even worse than we might have expected. In Florida, groups that support tuition tax credits for private schools have been lobbying, so far unsuccessfully, for legislation to impose standards on schools wishing to participate in the scholarship programs. Associations of private schools are in the forefront of the lobbying coalition.

The rest of my op-ed, "Government role runs counter to school choice," which was published yesterday in the Myrtle Beach Sun News, can be found here. It was distributed by The Future of Freedom Foundation.