Local Leaders Standing Up for Educational Choice

Former Louisiana Senator Ann Duplessis wonders how educational choice may have affected her life, had it been available earlier in Louisiana.  Years ago, her father was killed.

“He was shot five times for seven dollars.  The two men who killed him were dropouts.  They had no opportunities in life, so they were surviving,” Duplessis said, “If they had choice, perhaps my father and others would still be alive.”

Duplessis’ heart-wrenching story is why she went from fighting against the scholarship program to fighting for it throughout her community.  But the battle was, and still is, very difficult, since she says providing educational choice often boils down to money.

Kevin Chavous, executive counsel for the American Federation for Children, joined Duplessis to take on that question during the 2013 AFC National Policy Summit’s breakout session on how local leaders stand up for educational choice.

“What’s the goal—to prop up a system or to educate children?  Instead of trying to prop up a system that may or may not be working, we should be supporting the system that works for the children,” Chavous said.

The system that works best for children—and one that is worth paying for—is one with competition, according to educational choice champion former Charlotte mayor Richard Vinroot.

“As a lawyer, what if I came to work between 11 and 1, charged a rate you couldn’t afford, all because I was the only game in town?” Vinroot said.  “Competition is what makes me a better lawyer, and competition is what makes the system better.  That’s what made America great, is competition.”

All the panelists agreed: competition is what will force improvement in schools across the nation; it’s also what will make the schools themselves worth taxpayer money, and it is what will create the quality education all children deserve.

Learn more about the power of educational choice by watching our breakout sessions live online, or find updates throughout the day on our blog, YouTube, and Twitter.Learn more about the power of educational choice by watching our breakout sessions live online, or find updates throughout the day on our blog, YouTube, and Twitter.