Over the years, I have been writing about misconceptions regarding the schooling process. The purpose of these posts is to explain why I disagree with various comments that I have heard people make about schooling. These are meant as personal thoughts rather than conclusive proof, and I will admit that I'm not always the best at explaining my thoughts. Regardless, I have decided that I should be willing to share these posts when I encounter someone online who makes an argument that I have already discussed.
After Brown vs. the Board of Education, there was an increased demand in private schools among those who wanted to avoid integration. A lot of critics of choice have pounced on this fact as proof that choice is a racist concept. This is actually a very weak argument.
One of the problems is that this is just one piece of history. There were also pushes for choice ahead of the Supreme Court ruling for the purpose of integration. The racist argument is reliant on one small segment of the history of choice.
To make matters worse, there is a reason for Brown vs. the Board of Education. Government-run schools were openly segregating on the basis of race. If having a racist segment of history can be used against choice, why aren't we applying the same scrutiny to the racist history of government-run schools?
Even now, racism continues to play a role in the government-run model. In all fairness, socioeconomic status is a more significant issue, but this disproportionately impacts minorities. Instead of allowing people to earn success on their own merits, people are buying success. Going through a "good" school looks better on paper, and guess who can afford the better schools?
The collegiate push is making things even worse. Jobs are being bought through the use of college degrees. Minorities are less likely to be able to justify the time, money, and effort to obtain these degrees, limiting the opportunities that we allow them. Even if we subsidized college tuition, the resulting credential inflation and increase in cost of living would primarily benefit those who have the resources to buy advanced degrees.
In the current model, rich white families are disproportionately opting for private schools while disadvantaged families are being deprived of options. There are numerous minority families who know their kids' needs are not being met by government-run schools. This is the heart of the school choice movement. Without a proper choice program in place, disadvantaged children remain unfairly disadvantaged. It's absurd to think that it's racist to want to eliminate an advantage that has primarily worked to the benefit of white Americans. It's even more absurd that we cry racism when families of color frequently insist that they want better for their children.
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