Officials propose complicated and expensive reforms of highly dubious value to address problems of violence and criminal activity in public schools. But there is a better, proven way to mitigate these problems: embrace polices that give parents more of a say in where their children go to school, such as education tax credits.

All families should have the option of choosing a safe school for their child. According to the National Center for Educational Statistics, students in public schools are more than four times as likely as their private school peers to avoid certain places at school for fear of attack or harm. A safe environment should not be available only to the privileged.

If policymakers like Holder and Duncan are serious about lessening kids' exposure to fear and violence, they should promote universal access to smaller, safer, independent schools.