Former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice He defended the need for school choice in the United States, saying the lack of school freedom primarily harms low-income and minority students.
Rice, current director of Stanford University’s Hoover Institution, spoke about educational freedom at a democracy-focused fireside chat held June 6 at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation and Institute in Simi Valley, California.
“So, are you for or against school choice? We already have choice in education,” Rice said. “If you’re wealthy, you move to a neighborhood with better schools and higher housing prices, like Palo Alto, California.”
“If you’re really wealthy, you’re going to send your kids to private school. So who’s being forced to go to low-performing schools in their neighborhoods? Poor kids. A lot of them are minority kids.”
What this milestone means for the school choice movement
Former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice appears at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library for the “A Time for a Choice” lecture series. (David McNew/Getty Images)
Rice argued that not having school choice would harm low-income families by confining them to underfunded school districts.
“How can you claim to be for civil rights and for the poor when you condemn kids for not being able to read and write? By the time they get to third grade, they’ll never be able to read or write.”
Rice served as Secretary of State under President George W. Bush, the second woman and the first African-American woman to hold the position. (David McNew/Getty Images)
by U.S. Department of Education National Assessment of Educational Progress According to the National Assessment of English Proficiency (NAEP), also known as the “Nation’s Report Card,” roughly one-third of American fourth graders read at or below the basic level.
“Education Freedom Fighter” Governor Jeff Landry makes Louisiana the 11th state to pass national school choice bill
For low-income and minority students, the percentages are often even lower.
“If you say school choice, vouchers and charter schools are destroying our public schools, you can write an op-ed for The Washington Post,” Rice said in the now-viral video, “but don’t send your kid to Sidwell Friends.” [an elite Washington, D.C., private school]”
According to the U.S. Department of Education’s National Assessment of Educational Progress, one-third of fourth graders read at or below the basic level. (School District of Philadelphia)
School choice has grown in popularity in recent years, with 11 states having passed universal school choice legislation.
Many states have enacted Education Savings Account, This would allow parents to use public funds to cover a range of education expenses, including private school tuition, study materials and homeschooling costs.
Click here to get the FOX News app
The Heritage FoundationLike other advocates of school choice, he argues that school choice provides equal opportunities for all students, regardless of income level or race, and thus improves overall educational standards.
Those who oppose school choice National Education AssociationThey point out that voucher systems rarely cover the full cost of private schools and reduce the funding needed for public schools.
