Who Opposes School Choice?
Opposition to school choice exists, though most of it is based on misconceptions about how choice programs work and who benefits from them. Teachers unions spend millions of dollars opposing school choice because they fear that choice would make it more difficult for them to organize teachers. As the national movement for school choice has grown in size and political influence, it has experienced some internal disagreements over tactics and strategies. This is hardly surprising, and a sign of the movement’s maturity, but opponents of school choice often seek to exploit this internal dissent. The following articles address specifically the concerns of some conservatives and libertarians who think vouchers “don’t go far enough” or will lead to new regulations on private schools, and who sometimes think tax credits might be a superior alternative. Joseph Bast, “The Promise and Limits of Tuition Tax Credits,” Heartland Perspective, April 2001, http://www.heartland.org/Article.cfm?artId=172
