Things that are bad ideas

The first thing that came to mind when I read Andrew Coulson's "Human Life, Human Organization and Education" was that unforgettable piece of legislation, No Child Left Behind. I don't know if Coulson ever consulted on the act's language, but it definitely seems like he did. The idea of a free market education system is at the heart of NCLB's school choice and competition principles. The act is definitely one of the more significant impacts of the economic conservatism that has ruled the government in the last ten years.

The heart of Coulson's (and NCLB's) economic conservatism is definitely a basis in the principles of liberalism. In terms of economic freedom and the free market, the idea of a privatized educational system makes sense. Coulson does cite Freidman's belief that the market is inherently protective of humanity because everyone has the choice to find another option. Coulson seems to really believe that school choice gives everyone the option to find the best education for their children, especially from political and religious standpoints.

However, I think Coulson's views are very optimistic, as does John Covaleskie. The truth is, individuals will not look out for other's best interests unless there is government oversight. Maybe it wasn't so true in 1994, but certainly now it's obvious that deregulation and privatization of markets can do harm. 

School choice is also inherently bad because, as much as Coulson would like to think that school vouchers will take care of a child's education, what about the child who doesn't have transportation to the school? What about the rural child or the inner-city child who lives hours from a decent school? Plus, when schools are forced to compete for parents and teachers, they lose out on the good students and the involved parents who will want to improve the school's quality. They lose out on the good teachers that will help disadvantaged students learn.

If we think of Coulson's ideas in terms of his economic conservatism, his belief in school choice is logical. It is essentially a means of returning to an age of economic segregation, where the best schools were provided with all the advantages. Coulson is asking for a resurgence of a socioeconomic divide.