Mar 7, 2015 2 min read

I would like to respond to the Feb. 27 letter to the editor by Lois Kaneshiki, “Give parents school choice.”

First, I will admit to a bias for public schools. I have a career background as a teacher and administrator in the public school system. I will also say I understand the frustration of parents who feel that the public school system has failed their children. However, I would like to clarify why a move to an open-market system for education, financed, I assume, through tax-based vouchers, has serious flaws.

I could agree with a choice-based system if it is 1) not related to religious instruction, which I would consider a violation of the separation of church and state, and 2) private schools would be required to meet the same standards as public schools in such areas as state curriculum and attendance requirements. In addition, it must be a level playing field in terms of meeting the needs of all students, including those with special needs. Students may not be summarily dismissed and sent back to public schools based on disruptive behavior.

What most proponents of school choice want is a private-school situation that uses taxpayer money without the burden of providing an appropriate education for all students. The net effect is to make public schools less capable of doing their job.

As it exists now, charter schools and cyber schools drain resources from public schools. Public funds are used for transportation and public schools provide some specialized instruction. Assessment standards are also modified.

With everything else being equal, public schools do an excellent job of providing for a diverse population. They need to be supported, not ridiculed.

Donald R. Cross

Venetia

Cross was a principal at the Keystone Oaks Middle School in Mt. Lebanon.