Monday, November 30, 2009

Jeff Caruso

The Catholic Virginian

The results of a public opinion survey released by several state and national education, business, religious and policy organizations revealed that 55 percent of likely voters would opt for schools other than regular public schools and also demonstrated broad bi-partisan support for school choice reforms.

Paul DiPerna, Research Director for the Friedman Foundation for Educational Choice, which undertook the survey, spoke further about the poll of 1,203 likely voters at a press conference Nov. 16 at the Virginia State Capitol in Richmond.

"These results indicate a major disconnect between Virginians' schooling preferences and actual school enrollments," said Mr. DiPerna.

"While 39 percent of K-12 parents say they would like to send their child to a private school, in reality, only about nine percent of Virginia's K–12 students attend private schools.

"Ten percent of parents would like to send their child to a charter school, yet there are only three charter schools currently in operation in Virginia.

"In our survey, four out of ten Virginia parents said they would choose a regular public school for their child, yet more than nine of ten (91 percent) Virginia K-12 students attend public schools."

Chris Braunlich, Vice President of the Thomas Jefferson Institute for Public Policy, added, "These survey results confirm first and foremost that our parents want more choices and options in our educational system.

"While Virginians do support our state's public schools, it is also clear that they want more and different opportunities for the education of their children.

"For years, opponents of parental options have claimed that being for school choice means someone is against public schools, and that is clearly not the case."

Virginia Walden Ford, executive director of D.C. Parents for School Choice, accentuated the benefits parents and their children experience when educational options are enhanced.

"I truly believe that the more options we are able to offer parents the better off we'll be," she said.

"The hope I express today is that we will all work together, so that private schools, charter schools, and traditional public schools can seamlessly benefit our children. Because that's what this is all about: what is best for the children."

In addition to showing a strong desire for educational options, the results also demonstrated broad support among Democrats, Republicans and Independents for tax-credit scholarship and school voucher policies.

Democrats indicate support for tax-credit scholarships (64 percent) and school vouchers (53 percent). They are more likely to favor rather than oppose these policies by +43 percentage points and +15 percentage points, respectively.

Similar "favor-oppose gaps" were seen among Republicans (+46 tax-credit scholarships and +39 vouchers) and Independents (+44 tax-credit scholarships and +22 vouchers).

In speaking to these polices, Whitney Duff, executive director of School Choice Virginia, added, "At the college level, tuition assistance grants are effective and save Virginia money. School choice works for college students, and it will work for students in K–12."

As director of the Virginia Catholic Conference, I emphasized the important role that nonpublic schools play in the state educational system.

Our state already recognizes the value of its nonpublic educational partners at pre-K and collegiate levels. It's time for Virginia to acknowledge the contributions that its nonpublic elementary and secondary schools make to the common good of our Commonwealth.

The survey was undertaken for Virginia-based organizations by the Friedman Foundation for Educational Choice.

Among those at the press conference were Benedictine Father Gregory Gresko, principal of Richmond's Benedictine High School, and several students from the private Catholic boys' school.

Annette Parsons, chief education administrator of the diocese's Office of Catholic Education who attended the press conference, said the poll suggests that while many people are happy with public schools, parents still want the right to choose their child's school.

"Catholic schools offer a unique Catholic faith-based environment that other schools in the Commonwealth, no matter how good they are, simply do not offer," she said.

"The results of this poll underscore parents' desire to have choices available to them," she continued. "The choice of where a child goes to school should not be based merely on family economics.

"In our society, people of means currently have that choice."