Op-Ed: The CHOICE Act: Because Low-Income Children Deserve Options, Too

Originally published in the Independent Women's Forum.

Washington Post education writer Jay Mathews recently admitted he doesn’t pay much attention to private schools. Only 10% of children attend them—and only 5% of low-income children—so he figures what happens in public schools is more important. He now realizes he might be wrong because he’s seen some private schools “being creative in ways that should inspire all educators.”

It’s great that Mathews is realizing there’s more to education than public schools. But it would be even better if he questioned why only 5% of low-income children and 10% of kids overall attend private schools. It certainly isn’t because only 5-10% of parents want private school for their children. It’s because too many families can’t afford to pay twice for education—once in taxes for “free” public schools and then paying tuition on top of that.

Our education funding system is beyond antiquated. By the mid-1800s…

Read more at the Independent Women's Forum.