Still, I imagine they’ll turn up on the next blog post touting PPIC or whatever the new version is armed with nothing but ideological rhetoric.

A “free market” suggests to me that all players — or, “businesses” or “choices” or whatever — play by the same rules. The fact is that the public schools and private schools do not play by the same set of rules.

Part of the “product” that many (I would think MOST) offer is a particular atmosphere — based on the type of students in the school. They have admission requirements in most cases because they want to ensure a particular behaviorial standard or promise and certain academic standard.

The public schools do not have this option, of course, and thus are not “FREE” to create whatever atmosphere they want to sell to parents. Indeed, if a kid gets thrown out of the high-priced private school Governor Sanford sends his children to, who has to take that expelled child? A rival private school? Of course not; the public system does.

You’ve pointed ONE example of a school that is said to take on all-comers (does it, really?) and outperforms public schools. But even with that, you note parental involvement as a factor in the school’s success. The deal is that many parents simply aren’t involved — either they don’t care or don’t otherwise have the werewithal to be on top of things. Public schools have to do what they can to educate the children of those parents.

Would “choice” inspire more parents to be involved and to take their kids’ education seriously? Perhaps. And that’s one reason I don’t consider myself a hardline ideologue about this issue. But, even there, practical questions abound: Will the best private schools accept our state’s most struggling students? Are there enough spots in existing private schools? Can we actually provide transportation to all the students who’d not be able to get to a private school without it (in other words, kids whose “choice” depends on transportation)?

Will floating voucher or tax credit money into “the market” really create new schools that are any good (most private schools don’t exist on tuition dollars alone, do they?)….especially in places where schools are already having trouble attracting teachers and industry is nearly non-existent? And, again, will there really be “competition” when private schools can create their standards for admitting students and public schools cannot?

I’ve yet to hear decent answers to these questions.

LawyerIII admits that he may avail his children of private schools, but doesn’t want children with lesser means to have the same opportunity. Why?

There are many examples of take all schools like those on John’s Island that out perform their public counterparts. I think the reason is those parents are invested in the process. However, we are to believe that success is impossible. I say let’s try and not condemn another generation to a failed system.

I think the problem is liberals are afraid to even allow choice only for failing schools because it will work and it will spread.