The Liberal Critique of School Choice

I have found this thread on twitter troubling: https://twitter.com/JennBinis/status/852538636163854336

I want to try to back up, and see if I understand the position that I think I am arguing against well enough. So, this is me trying to most charitably state the critique that unschoolers (and other's) must meet. I take the following as shared premises that all involved in the discussion would agree with (although probably not agree as to what exactly they mean):

1. all children have a right to an education and access to the shared cultural heritage of humanity.

2. the US has extreme disparity in access to opportunity along many axes, but especially race and class

The Liberal View of Education

* That a quality education means specifically:

  - An optimal curriculum, that includes *at least* a core set of knowledge (specific subjects) and "tools for thinking" (critical analysis skills, etc.) We will use the shorthand "liberal arts education" for this vision.

  - Teachers who have their students best interests at heart; bias in discipline, grading, and general support of students does not meet the standard.

  - Students individual needs are accommodated; physical and cognitive challenges of all students are taken into account appropriately.

* Various public schools in the US fall somewhere on a continuum as to how well they do at providing a quality liberal arts education.

* Schools with students from more privileged families do better at it, schools with more students from disadvantaged homes tend to do worse.

* There are several significant factors as to why that is:
  - Majority of funding is through local property taxes, so public schools in affluent communities have more money.

  - Affluent families will fundraise outside of the normal channels, so their children's schools will have more money.

  - Upper class families will have the means to invest more time and attention into their children's schools, both holding schools accountable for providing a better liberal arts ed., as well as being able to volunteer to create it.

  - Advantaged families will tend to emphasize education at home, bringing up overall school stats, and higher performing schools will have more leeway to focus on additional "enrichment" style activities.

Therefor:

* Since we allow families to choose whether or not to send their children to public school, advantaged families have tended to flee "bad" schools, which:

  - Reduces the political pressure to improve the schools.

  - Removes resources from the school (including access to their social networks, money, and volunteer labor).

  - Brings baseline scores (per standardized testing) down, potentially further penalizing the schools.

* This is bad for society at large, and people disadvantaged on various axes specifically.

* It is therefore everyone's responsibility to participate in the public school system and "fix it from the inside."

* It would be best to go ahead and *force* everyone to participate, since we will not be able to rely on the civic mindedness of the wealthy.