San Antonio Standard

Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick (R-TX) says school choice will make education better for parents, teachers and students, adding that competition will improve the system for all.

In a speech given at the Texas Public Policy Foundation policy summit on March 5, Patrick advocated school choice in the state, urging lawmakers to pass school choice legislation, and arguing that giving parents the right to choose their child's education won't hurt public schools, but rather will improve competition.

Patrick and Gov. Greg Abbott (R-TX) have supported school choice legislative session. Data from EdChoice.org also shows that school choice policies have been effective in other states, while a majority of Texas favor school choice programs.

"[School choice] will improve education. It will make [schools] more competitive. Those parents deserve that parental right to make that choice for their child," Patrick said in his Texas Policy Summit speech. "School choice is supported by over 80% of Republicans, 64% of independents and almost 50% of Democrat families."

Patrick emphasized that school choice would allow parents to choose a school that works for their child and not be limited to a "failing school" determined by zip code. He also said with 5.5 million kids in public schools in Texas, school choice would only affect 3 to 4% of kids.

"It's not the end of education," he said in the speech.

According to EdChoice.org, school choice programs help students more than it hinders them. The report also said that it's a common misconception that public school students who do not choose to leave, by using school choice voucher funds, will have less money and fall behind academically.

While public schools may not be a great fit for kids who require a different learning environment, students who stay in public schools actually tend to experience small gains in test scores. Of the 26 studies examining the effects of school choice programs on public schools, 24 have found positive effects, one saw no visible effect and one found some negative effects for some students, the report said.

Education Savings Accounts (ESAs), which Abbot has supported, are designed to give families more control over their children's education, providing a way for parents to customize their child's learning experience, according to EdChoice.org. ESAs provide families with a personal account for educational expenses, such as tuition, tutoring, textbooks and online courses.

Accounts are funded by the state, and families can use them to pay for a variety of educational services, including private school tuition, homeschooling expenses and other educational options, allowing them to choose the services that best meet their child's needs.

Public support for education choice policy is at all-time high. In a recent poll, 70% of Texans and 77% of parents of school-aged children support ESAs, according to The Heritage Foundation, citing the Pew Research Center.