Op-Ed: Oregon Democrats should support their voters by supporting school choice

The recent Democratic National Convention was full of stories showcasing hope and change, but on the issue of supporting students, Democratic politicians who care about their voters’ educational wishes can’t just talk about education reform. They need to embrace it.

For far too long, Democratic politicians, particularly in blue states like Oregon, have upheld the status quo in our K-12 education systems. This approach doesn’t just leave Democratic voters behind – it leaves students behind. Instead, Democrats should meet their voters where they are by supporting education choice.

In recent years, politicians in Oregon have overlooked systemic issues that disproportionately affect lower-income and minority students. Arbitrary boundary lines in our supposedly free, public, and equal K-12 system reinforce achievement gaps and divide students by income. For example, in Portland, students are assigned to a school based on their home address. This means entrance to our top-performing schools is dictated by a family’s ability to afford to live in the high-end neighborhoods within those districts. Home addresses in these areas have an additional $300,000 in home value compared to a residence located in a neighborhood linked to the lowest-performing schools. Families looking to move their kids to a better school bear the entire cost of relocating to a more expensive neighborhood with a better-performing public school – a disruptive and unfeasible shift for many families.

Education choice provides a solution to some of the structural issues in our education system by challenging the status quo and allowing families to attend a school that best fits their needs – regardless of their location. For instance, private school choice programs such as Education Savings Accounts can play a pivotal role in rectifying these injustices by making the best education more accessible for families and lowering the entry barrier for those who cannot afford private education expenses out of pocket. Meanwhile, public school choice programs like open enrollment allow students to attend any public school inside or outside district lines if space is available.

Still, some Democrats in Oregon spin tales about how supporting school choice would undermine public schools. For example, the 2023 Oregon Democratic Party platform claims education choice would create a “two-tier” education system that undermines public schools. Nevertheless, our public school system has already made a two-tier system, as demonstrated by our state’s ostensibly ever-present racial and socioeconomic achievement gaps among students.

Fortunately, expanding school choice from charter schools to private school choice programs would combat these gaps, as shown by its strong history of success in improving academic outcomes among students participating in choice programs and students who stay in their public schools. It wouldn’t undermine public schools either, as educational pluralism is well-established in numerous other countries. Countries like the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Canada, and Sweden have embraced the diversity of educational options and have witnessed positive outcomes without the decline of public schools.

Another benefit of education choice is that it is popular across partisan lines among voters. According to Morning Consult polling, nearly 70 percent of parents and three-quarters of the general public favor open enrollment. In Oregon, those numbers remain high, as around 70 percent of parents support various forms of school choice.

Education choice should not be a partisan issue. Evidence shows that a more pluralistic education system will benefit all students and families. Oregonian Democrats should champion education choice on behalf of their constituents and generations to come.