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The issue of school choice has not improved the test scores because they are merely presenting what people know to begin with. Public schools have failed to improve the educational performance for many reasons. An article in the Washington Post documents the failure of American students to rise in performance in math and science. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article /2007/12/04/AR2007120400730.html One reason is that it is such a political football subjected to change every eight years that it is difficult to effectively implement any set of objectives for a whole range of students who have gone from Kindergarten to twelfth grade.

The tests mandated by No Child Left Behind (NCLB) do reveal a failure to establish an adequate performance level by American students by public schools that can compete with other nations. Only 36% of Washington state tenth graders were able to demonstrate proficiency in science in 2007. (see http://reportcard.ospi.k12.wa.us/summary.aspx?year=2 006-07 This is not an attempt to blame teachers for the failure of American public education. Many funding formulas have been tried and now yet another one comes in the form of vouchers. The school choice issue is simply another effort to circumvent the profound character of the current failure of public education.

Looking at the Washington state example 62% of Washington teachers have a Masters' Degree and 98% of them are qualified under the NCLB standards. It is unlikely that this is a significant change created by NCLB or school choice. It is also an indication that the responsibility for the failure of students in American public schools to improve is not caused by the quality of teachers in public education. It also indicates that student performance remains a factor that is declining for reasons that remain unaddressed in the matter of school choice.

Excellence in education can be improved by choice. But equality of education will not be achieved until student motivation becomes internalized and education becomes more valued by the American people. School choice helps those whose families are already motivated in improving their children's education. It misses the mark in that it fails to address the social and cultural context of the "Dumb and Dumber" generation. Are we, as a nation, "Smarter Than a Fifth Grader?" If not, what's the joke?

Learn more about this author, Martin Zehr.
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