Education as a Public Good: Why Public Schools Deserve Our Support
As a homeschooling parent who believes deeply in the value of educational choice, I understand the importance of finding the right fit for each child’s unique needs. Our family made the choice to homeschool precisely because we wanted a more tailored approach, free from the limitations of one-size-fits-all education. Yet, as someone who also believes that public education is the foundation of a fair and functional society, I’m cautious about the idea of wholly abandoning traditional schools for alternatives. We should be working to improve the system, not just for individual families but for the broader society that depends on it—particularly for the most vulnerable children who don’t have the luxury of exploring alternatives.
Public Schools as a Public Good
The public school system, for all its flaws, serves as a vital institution in our society. It’s where children from all backgrounds come together to learn, where resources are shared in an effort to provide every child with a chance to succeed. This collective approach is especially important for children from low-income families, those with special needs, or those who face language and cultural barriers. Public schools are often the only places that can provide these children with the support and services they need.
When families withdraw from this system, it’s not just their own children who leave — they take resources with them, which impacts the quality of education for the students who remain.
The Impact of Education Savings Accounts
Education Savings Accounts (ESAs) and similar programs are heralded as the solution for families looking for a better fit. They allow parents to use public funds for private tuition, homeschooling resources, and other educational expenses. While these programs provide relief for individual families, they draw funding away from public schools. As more parents opt out, public schools are left with fewer resources to meet the needs of an increasingly complex student population.
The question we must ask ourselves is: are we comfortable with a system that leaves some children behind while others move forward? Are we okay with a future in which the quality of a child’s education depends on their family’s ability to navigate and supplement an ESA?
The Need for Real Partnership
One of the central complaints parents have about public schools is the lack of partnership between parents and teachers. They feel shut out, sidelined, as if the system sees them as obstacles rather than allies in their children’s education. I understand this frustration deeply; one of the reasons we chose homeschooling was the freedom to be directly involved in our children’s learning. Education should be a partnership between schools and families, with open lines of communication and mutual respect.
However, the solution to this problem isn’t to abandon public schools. It’s to reform them. We should be advocating for policies that encourage schools to work with parents as partners in education. This means holding public schools accountable for transparent communication, creating systems that respect parents’ insights, and implementing policies that ensure schools are responsive to families’ needs. If public education could embrace this kind of partnership, more families would feel empowered to stay rather than leave.
Addressing Academic Rigor
Another criticism that drives parents away from public schools is the perception of a watered-down curriculum, where students are advanced without mastering foundational skills, and academic rigor is sacrificed in favor of simply moving kids through the system. This is a real concern, and I sympathize with families who feel their children aren’t being challenged. Rigorous education should be the standard for every child, not just those in private or alternative schools.
Instead of diverting funds and energy away from public education, we should be pushing for higher standards within the public school system. We need policies that emphasize mastery over promotion, where students advance based on their understanding, not on a bureaucratic timeline. Public schools should prioritize critical thinking, creativity, and practical skills that prepare students for the world, regardless of their background.
Balancing Choice with Responsibility
Educational choice is essential. Families deserve the right to seek the best learning environment for their children, whether that’s a public school, private school, or homeschool. But as we expand educational choice, we must also consider our collective responsibility to support public schools. The public education system is not just a service for individual families; it’s a public good that benefits the entire society. When public schools thrive, communities thrive. They produce educated citizens who contribute to society, who understand diverse perspectives, and who are equipped to engage in our democratic process.
If we are serious about educational choice, we should also be serious about investing in public education. Choice should not come at the expense of the children who remain in public schools. Instead, we should be looking for ways to balance choice with a commitment to strengthening public education. This could mean capping the amount of public funds diverted to private education, ensuring that public schools receive adequate funding regardless of enrollment, and creating more robust support structures for public schools serving high-need populations.
Education as a Collective Mission
In the end, education is about more than individual choice. It’s about building a society where every child has the opportunity to reach their potential. While it’s easy to get swept up in the freedom and flexibility that ESAs promise, we must consider the broader impact of these programs. For every family that finds a better fit outside of public school, there are others who have no choice but to stay. And for those children, public education is not just an option; it’s a necessity.
As a homeschooling parent, I support the right of families to choose the best path for their children. But as a citizen, I also believe in the importance of a strong, well-funded public education system. The best way forward is one that balances these values—a path that respects individual freedoms without sacrificing our collective responsibility. Let’s strive for an educational system where every family feels supported, whether they choose public school, private school, or homeschool. Because in the end, a society that invests in all its children is one that’s truly educated.
By strengthening public education while embracing educational choice, we can ensure that every child has access to a learning environment that helps them thrive — and that no one is left behind.
— Sean Richard, Co-Founder & CEO, The HOM Network