To the editors:
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This point of view fails to recognize the chief benefits of choice. Giving families the choice of which school to send their children to will change the incentives under which schools operate and make them more responsive and effective in meeting the needs of their students. Not only will the teachers and administrators be motivated to perform better and therefore enhance enrollment, but the system will be more efficient and cost effective as the best schools’ revenues expand and the poorly run schools are put out of business.
An example of an approach targeting the needs of the children in its area was recently tried in Detroit. There a school was proposed in which the faculty, comprised mostly of black men, would serve not only as teachers but also as role models for their students. It’s just one of the creative possibilities to more effectively reach the hearts and minds of our children made possible through choice.
