School Choice Introduces Competition

Here is my letter to the editor published in today's Boston Globe:

AS GOVERNOR Patrick aims to reduce the achievement gap between white and minority students in public education ("Patrick targets gaps in learning," Page A1, June 23), his Readiness Report leaves out the most effective mechanism for improving education for all students in Massachusetts: school choice.

Patrick's plan does not include proposals for a school voucher plan, an education tax credit, or lifting the cap on the number of charter schools. School choice programs have granted access to better education for students across the United States. Governor Patrick recommends creating readiness schools, but these will still fall under the supervision of local school boards, restricting their ability to create modern curricula to properly educate students for the 21st century.

The only way to bring these reforms to public education is to force public schools to compete with their counterparts in the private sector. As Americans have witnessed in the broader economy, competition breeds increased quality and variety. Why is education different?

JOHN MACEK III