The sixth in a series, here is school choice myth number five:
Myth Number 5: Inequity grows because private schools don’t have to take everyone.
The charge to educate every child (in their assigned area) who comes to them for an education is one of the most beautiful things about public schools and should be celebrated! It’s what makes public schools unique and it is what is distinctive about their model. That being said, we should be very clear that not every public school building has to take every child. If a student has a special need or wants a special type of programing, your neighborhood public school is not obligated to provide it. The district may set up that service or programming at another location and bus that student all the way across town to participate. Whether this is optimal or not, it is an understandable reality. Why would we impose a different and more onerous standard on a private school with a different mission and fewer resources at its disposal? If any one public school isn’t required to take EVERY child, why should we require or treat differently any one private school building?
The argument that “private schools don’t have to take everyone” is a double-standard. Between Iowa’s public schools and other options, we can have a series of options that continues to meet the needs of every child while providing more options and increased efficiency.
Interested in diving into all ten myths? You can read the full article here. Be sure to sign up for our newsletter to stay up to date on the latest developments in our effort to ensure every child has access to the educational environment that best meets their needs.