School Choice, Not Stalemate

A Washington Post editorial today rightly laments the seemingly insurmountable impasse reached by D.C. Schools Chancellor Michelle Rhee and the Washington Teachers Union. Actually, scratch the WTU -- I mean the American Federation of Teachers, the WTU's parent organization, which has essentially taken over the negotiations because it thinks giving into much higher pay for somewhat less job security would be a disaster of national proportions. But the union's stifling full court press isn't what primarily bothers the Post. It's that lowly John Q. Public isn't getting even a crumb of information from the power brokers about major decisions that are all supposed benefit his kids.

But since when did the best interests of kids or the public really matter in public schooling decisions? Sure, parents and regular citizens can vote every few years, but what the heck else can they do? They can't stop paying the taxes that fund both chancellors and teachers. They can't form their own union and require teachers and chancellors to negotiate with them. All they can do is complain, and it's pretty hard to hear them when you're behind closed doors, arguing with some other guy about which one of you should be king.

And to think, someone thought it was a good idea to kill a program that actually gives parents some power...