Dr. Patrick Wolf joins Conduit News to debunk another popular myth repeated often by opponents of school choice.
Is school choice bad for teachers? No. Dr. Wolf says there are three main reasons that show school choice is good for educators: 1. market leverage, 2. diversity, and 3. leadership.
“The fact that there are more employers in the education space in a choice environment means that teachers have more bargaining leverage for their labor. So we see that in environments around the country when there are a larger number of different schools and different schools of choice in a community, teacher’s pay tends to be higher,” Wolf says.
Wolf explains that school choice brings about diversity and offers more opportunities for educators. “Just as one size doesn’t fit all for children in the education space, one size doesn’t fit all for teachers either. And schools of choice have the freedom to develop alternative schooling approaches, very vibrant school cultures, and benefits teachers in the same way that it benefits students. Yes, teachers then have more opportunities to find the school environment that best fits their interests and talents. They don’t have to conform to the rules and regulations, culture, pedagogy, and curriculum that’s been, in a sense, required of them in a district-run public school.”
Regarding the upcoming legislative session and the conversation surrounding teacher pay raises, it is not an either/or scenario. There can be an increase in teacher pay as well as expanding educational options. “They reinforce each other because in choice rich environments, there’s competition for teaching talent, and where there’s competition for talent, salaries go,” Wolf explains.
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