Waiting on the ESA!

February 20 & 21, 2016

Days 236 & 237 as an Oklahoma Teacher

     There was this video a few years ago called Waiting for Superman! It detailed how public schools were failing, discussed the idea that schools have become "drop-out factories," and the only solutions were to give students more choices. The focus were on the schools in New York City and Los Angeles. These schools were too big and were located in neighborhoods where crime was prevalent. Lotteries would be set up to place a certain number of students into private schools. Many parents and their children would wait to see if their numbers were called, and if it was, then the children were given the chance to flee the failing public school. Sometimes, the children left their parents and homes and moved into dorms as part of the school experiences. Even though it was sad to see the disappointed faces of the children who did not get into these other schools, the video served as an indictment on all public schools.
     Now, we have the sequel, Waiting on the ESA! Educational Savings Account would take money from public education and give parents a way to send their children to private schools. As a parent, I wonder what makes someone else's child more important than my two children? Since money will be taken away from their school, over a half a million dollars, then what will be cut to save money? Art? Music? Band? Sports? My daughter like many other students are involved in these activities but with less money, something has to be cut. Education should be about helping every child, not sacrificing one group over another one.
     Parents and students do have choices in education. Like Mr. Holland stated in his two opinion articles, choices include online courses, career-tech classes, concurrent enrollment, charter schools, private schools, public schools, open transfer, and home schools.  However, one choice that is not easily made is where and how a child lives. Schools are reflections of society; if there are problems with a school, then solve the problems in society such as poverty and crime. Whatever choice is made doesn't matter if the problems still exist.
     Why is it that the ESA only focuses on sending children to private schools? What if parents want to send their children to another public school? How much money would actually be given to the parents and would that amount be equitable to students who stay in a public school? If public money is used, then why do private schools not have to follow the same testing and standards like everyone else? These questions have not been answered. The bill limits the choices rather than giving parents more choices. I am a parent, taxpayer, and a teacher, and I choose to put my money into public education. I'm tired of the outside groups who come into our state to tell us what to do with education because it's money they are concerned about and not our students. Not all public schools are failing; society is failing the public schools. Waiting on the ESA is not ok.