Indeed, they are mostly gold-plated disasters. Now, most parents can change their child s government school only by moving to a new attendance area.
Private schools are available only if parents can pay tuition in addition to their school taxes.
The academic differences between government schools and the most affordable private schools are often small because the private schools must operate with far fewer resources. Though very limited extra choice is allowed in a few places, and the issue has been before voters and legislators, the scope of the debate is perplexingly and dangerously narrow. There is talk of fundamental reform, but key barriers from the status quo are taken for granted. It is dangerous because the well-known versions of choice would leave most children in the failed government schools, and disappointment with very limited choice could make it politically impossible to enact more effective versions. Therefore, the parental choice debate should include choice policies with predominantly private, rather than government, ownership.