Libertarians’ support for tuition tax credits and, to a lesser extent, vouchers, is well known. But I continue to be shocked by the extent to which that support for private school choice options has morphed into disdain for and attacks on charter schools and other public school choice options.
In a recent blog post, the Cato Institute’s Adam Schaeffer encourages South Carolina Gubernatorial Candidate Nikki Haley to commit to vetoing any legislation to expand public school options in South Carolina that does not include taxpayer subsidies for private school tuition.
Let me get this straight: Libertarian voucher and tuition tax credit proponents want politicians to oppose efforts to expand quality options for kids unless they include subsidies for private schools--essentially saying efforts to improve options for the youngsters of South Carolina should be held hostage to their ideological agenda. That’s vile. And doesn’t it sound an awful lot like exactly what these guys are always accusing voucher critics of doing?
Libertarian school choice advocates’ opposition to charter schools illustrates the extent to which their positions on education issues are much more about ideology and opposition to government than they are about improving outcomes for kids.