School choice seen as social justice issue

So say educators as well as legal and public policy experts who recently participated in a four-day symposium in Washington, D.C.

"Partners for Justice: Catholic Schools and School Choice," sponsored by the National Catholic Education Association, gathered advocates for school choice from around the country to talk about the future of this movement.

Sister Mary Jane Herb, IHM, superintendent of schools for the Albany Diocese, participated. She was encouraged that school choice is starting to be seen as a justice issue rather than an economic one.

'Locked out'

At the symposium, Sister Jane met a woman whose children are benefiting from the Milwaukee Parental Choice Program, a Wisconsin tax-funded voucher plan for low-income families. She told Sister Jane that as a parent she was in the best position to choose which school is best for her children.

"It was important to her to assess her children's needs and choose a school to meet these needs," Sister Jane said.

Options

"Offering inner-city parents the opportunity to send their children to a school of choice is now more urgent than ever," she said.

She cited statistics showing that 40 percent of fourth and eighth graders in urban schools scored at basic levels in reading, mathematics and science, and that graduation and college entrance rates continue to fall for inner-city students. Ms. Shokraii Rees believes that these students could succeed if they were able to attend different public schools or private schools.

"Choosing private or alternative schools in urban areas leads to better results because most of these schools hold every student, regardless of background, up to the same high standard and are held accountable for results," she said. "This is particularly true in Catholic schools."

Long road

"The challenge is great and comes to us on many fronts," said Rev. Floyd Flake, pastor of an African Methodist Episcopal Church and keynote speaker. He urged participants to work together to find ways for the choice movement -- which he dubbed, "the next move in the civil rights movement" -- to succeed.

"We can do a better job," he said. "We believe there is a spirit that guides us."

Myths

"It's benefitting parents and children, not the school," Sister Jane explained. "The emphasis needs to be on the parent piece."

Another myth about school choice, she said, is that it is an issue of one school system being superior to the other. There is a misrepresentation of school choice that implies Catholic schools are better than public schools.

"We care very much about public schools," she said. "We want parents to have a choice. Choice could improve all education."

Misperceptions

"We follow state standards," Sister Jane said. "Our schools are quality schools. Why can't people choose one of our schools for their children?"

Bishop Robert Banks of Green Bay, Wisconsin, former chair of the bishops' Committee on Education, urged symposium participants to better promote Catholic schools in order to counter misconceptions.

"The misperceptions about Catholic schools as elitist, as divisive and segregationist, and as generally harmful to public schools need to be aggressively countered," he said.

Bishop Banks said school choice is an issue that the whole Church needs to be concerned about. He pointed out that more than 80 percent of Catholic children attend public schools, making their education part of the Church's mission. Choice efforts could improve the schools they are attending or provide them with the opportunity to attend a different school.

Justice issue

Sister Jane pointed out that Catholic schools in New York and several other states already receive state aid in the form of books, transportation service and reimbursement for mandated services.

Mark Chopko, general counsel for the U.S. Catholic Conference, said that over the past 50 years, the U.S. Supreme Court has allowed government aid to non-public education. A 1947 case found transportation for children who attended religious schools was constitutional since it was "assistance to parents to aid in their own parental duties."

Constitutional

The Milwaukee program, Mr. Chopko said, was found religiously neutral because it did not favor religious schools over others. Since aid went directly to the parents and only indirectly to the schools, the program did not have a primary effect of advancing religion.

Mr. Chopko said school choice programs can be designed to be constitutionally valid, explaining: "History and experience indicate that although the Establishment Clause was intended to prohibit the preference of one religion over another, it did not forbid any assistance, regulation or other interaction between religion and government."

(02-18-99) [[In-content Ad]]