E&W Blog

Although powerful teachers unions used the pandemic as an excuse to go after school choice policies, new data suggests that teachers themselves support school choice.

According to a recent survey by EdChoice, 77 percent of teachers asked were supportive of education savings accounts, 57 percent were supportive of school vouchers, and 64 percent were supportive of charter schools. Further, teachers in charter and private schools were more likely to recommend teaching as a profession. According to the survey, only 25 percent of district educators would recommend teaching; this figure is shockingly low compared to 43 percent of charter school teachers and 47 percent of private school teachers.

These significant findings demonstrate that teachers benefit from school choice programs and that they give teachers greater career choices. Increasing the prevalence of charter and private schools also gives educators the opportunity to choose a position that aligns with their values and interests.

Many teachers also find that public charter schools and private schools give them more freedom in the classroom.

Too much of K-12 education is weighed down by decades of overly burdensome regulations. This red tape strangles the creativity of teachers and administrators.

Most go into teaching because they are passionate about imparting knowledge to students. Yet when bureaucracy gets in the way, teachers burn out. By cutting down on unnecessary paperwork and bureaucratic hoops, educators can do what they are most passionate about—teach. 

Yet again, teachers unions fail to represent their members. School choice is not just good for students, it’s good for teachers.