Letters: Let parents have choice of schools for their kids

Re: "Don't abandon public schools," May 10:

Let's bring the school-voucher debate back to basics.

Parents are the primary teachers of their children. They hold the ultimate responsibility for the successful transition of their children to adulthood. So how can it be that in a country that espouses freedom, all parents are not free to choose the best school for their children? The fact that a family may be less well-off should not enter the equation of whether someone has a choice in education.

In your editorial, you contend that while school vouchers save children from attending a failing school, "they do nothing to improve the places they leave."

I wholeheartedly disagree.

There is absolutely no reason why free-market competition cannot succeed in education, as it has in countless other industries across this great nation. Competition inspires excellence, holds leaders liable for performance, attracts talent, and empowers the consumer. In a free-market environment, good schools will thrive and grow, while schools that fail their students will either collapse or find themselves forced to improve. The best teachers across our region will be sought out and gainfully employed, and school administrations will be held more accountable than ever for delivering a superior educational environment.

I think we would be hard-pressed to find a parent who would object to this outcome. And, lest we forget, while the state has an interest in education because of its overwhelming role in the progress of our society, the state should never attempt to replace the role of a parent or prevent parents from making the best decision for their children's future.

Bishop Joseph P. McFadden

Auxiliary bishop of Philadelphia