Why is the left opposed to school choice?

[Torie]

Anyone who wants to ban standardized tests is truly delusional considering they are the gateway to most professions, but basing teacher pay off of them is complicated.  No one would want to teach in low performing schools at all.

Which is exactly why those teachers who have the skill set to improve the educational outcomes of low performing students due to their socio-economic disadvantages that make their educational experience more difficult, need to paid a lot more money, and those teachers that lack that skill set need to be removed from such classrooms. That along with restoring discipline in the classroom, are in my view the main two things that really matter.

I have no objection whatsoever, and indeed consider it to be the top social priority, to spend a lot more money on the education of this cohort of students, provided that it really produces an improvement in educational results. Right now, we tend to focus on just inputs, rather than focusing on the output. The biggest waste of money of all, is having fancy buildings, and hordes of administrators.

[All Along The Watchtower]

Generally, students from educated, middle-class backgrounds will perform "better" in the American educational system than students from poorer backgrounds. It's misguided to focus so much on the teachers or the schools themselves, when very often, the local communities and family backgrounds that the students come from influence so much of their educational outcomes.

[Kingpoleon]

All schools should be the same. If we're in a situation where choice matters, we're doing something wrong.

So, we... Ban private and religious schools?

[SWE]

All schools should be the same. If we're in a situation where choice matters, we're doing something wrong.

So, we... Ban private and religious schools?

Sounds good!

[🦀🎂🦀🎂]

All schools should be the same. If we're in a situation where choice matters, we're doing something wrong.

So, we... Ban private and religious schools?

Obviously that would not work from an electoral standpoint, but I wouldn't really oppose the closure of faith schools and fee-paying privates. What good do they do, really?

[DC Al Fine]

All schools should be the same. If we're in a situation where choice matters, we're doing something wrong.

So, we... Ban private and religious schools?

Obviously that would not work from an electoral standpoint, but I wouldn't really oppose the closure of faith schools and fee-paying privates. What good do they do, really?

Moreover, the onus should be on the restrictionists to justify banning alternative education programs, especially those that aren't subsidised by the taxpayer. I find it bizarre that people who would never accept closing/banning being the default position on gay marriage or marijuana can blithely assume education should be restricted to one single system.

If parents feel strongly enough to pay $10 000's and make potentially make large sacrifices (especially in the case of religious schools) to educate their kids differently, there's a need or niche that isn't being served in the public system.

My brother and I spent time in public, religious private, and secular private schools and we received all sorts of benefits in the private ones; serious religious education, smaller class sizes and access to courses that let us skip my first year of university... But what I appreciated most outside of the public system, was that how much faster the administration responded to my brother's bullying. I guess the thought of lost tuition revenue gets people moving.

[🦀🎂🦀🎂]

To be fair, I have especial grievance against the faith schools. I had a CofE  primary school right next to my house that would have made complete logistical sense to go to, but we weren't allowed in because our Christian credentials weren't fully fledged.

[Filuwaúrdjan]

Of course in most rural areas in England all schools are CofE schools.