The debate over school choice—especially private school choice—is often contentious. Opponents regularly insist supporters are trying to “destroy” or “privatize” public education, and advocating for more options is seen as an attack on public schools.
But I’ve never seen it that way, and I certainly don’t support school choice because I’m anti-public school. I grew up attending public schools, and they helped me become the first person in my family to go to college. My children attended public schools, too. I’ve seen public schools at their best, and I know firsthand the incredible difference a great public school can make for kids and families.
And yet, I support the full range of school choice options—magnet schools, interdistrict open enrollment, public charter schools, private schools, and homeschooling. Not because I want to dismantle public education, but because I believe in a simple principle: Parents should be able to find the school that works best for their child without needing luck, money, or a real estate agent to make it happen.
Since it’s National School Choice Week, this seems like the right time to explain why I support it—especially as someone who believes deeply in public education. My support for school choice didn’t begin as a policy debate or a political campaign. It began in a kindergarten classroom, when I realized my son wasn’t getting what he needed.
How I became a school choice supporter
When I graduated from law school, I was saddled with significant student loan debt. After an extensive search, my wife and I bought a modest starter home in a growing part of Tallahassee that was low- to middle-income and had a highly-rated public school. We were confident our son would have access to a strong education.
After an incredible Montessori preschool experience, our son entered kindergarten eager and ready to learn. But it quickly became clear that something wasn’t right. The classroom didn’t have much for him academically, and instead of receiving instruction that matched where he was, he was often put off to the side. He spent large portions of the day coloring pictures.
As a result, he very quickly came to dislike school. He found it boring and started to disengage, and it was heartbreaking to watch. We worked with the school and advocated for him, but it became clear that the mismatch wasn’t going away.
The unspoken but widely exercised form of school choice
We didn’t have an easy way to choose a different school while staying in our neighborhood. So we did what many families do to access a better school—even if they don’t think of it as school choice. We moved. We sold our house just before Christmas and rented an apartment on the other side of Tallahassee, where we knew the schools were stronger.
When the second semester started, the difference was immediate. My son was assigned to a reading group even though he was still in kindergarten, and he finally started to receive instruction that matched his ability and interest. His learning took off.
By the end of kindergarten, he had read the first Harry Potter book. That didn’t happen because he suddenly became smarter in January, and it didn’t happen because I somehow became a better parent halfway through the school year. It happened because he was finally in a school that met him where he was and helped him keep growing.
A lifelong lesson
That experience changed me. It made something painfully obvious: Families shouldn’t have to sell their house and move just to find a school that works for their child. My family was fortunate. We were able to move, even though it was difficult and disruptive. But millions of families don’t have that option, especially in the middle of a school year.
The part that has stayed with me most is the honest reflection that my child is no more deserving of a high-quality education than anyone else’s. But because I was able to complete a real estate transaction, he gained access to a school that worked better for him. That’s not fairness, and it’s not how opportunity should work in a country that rightly values equal opportunity for all kids.
Why I’ll keep supporting school choice
I support school choice because my personal experience has shown me what happens when meaningful options are limited. I’ve seen how quickly a child can disengage when school becomes a place where they are merely occupying time instead of learning, and I’ve seen what can happen when parents are empowered to act.
During National School Choice Week, I’m proud to say I support school choice in all its forms—and I do so as someone who believes deeply in public education. Public schools will always be the backbone of our education system. We should invest in them and celebrate their successes. But families also deserve options when their assigned school isn’t the right fit. And remember, parents aren’t looking to “destroy” schools—they’re looking for a school that works for their child.
