Here, the Eduwonk implicitly accepts the nonsensical argument that somehow we should care about how “schools” do, as opposed to children:

From an urban teacher, identity withheld:

[My district] sent out letters to all parents that we are now in program improvement. Unfortunately, no one told the teachers. Oops. I had to answer parents today with, “What letter?”

With such disorganization, it’s not really a mystery why we’re in this situation.

Now I’m asked to write the bit about school choice for the letter from the school to be sent home to parents tomorrow (far too late, in my opinion). A moral dilemma for me… I know that we are improving and I know that many kids are successful at our school. I also believe that it weakens the school community when anyone decides to leave, especially to be bussed to a school where they may be overcrowding someone else’s classroom or where the teacher may not be prepared to meet their unique needs.

But if I were a parent, I would jump on the opportunity and I don’t know that I can discourage parents from doing something that may be a huge benefit for their kids. Even if the impact on the school as a whole may be negative.

Isn’t this also a microcosm of part of the Democratic dilemma on vouchers?

Well, yes, it is a microcosm of the Democratic dilemma on vouchers. And, as such, it’s a microcosm of the collectivist attitude that tells people that individual students and families should be sacrificed to maintain this holy entity, “public education.”

Let’s be clear: There is nothing inherently worth preserving in public education. The only thing that’s even remotely important about public education is the concept of universality — that every child be given an education, at public expense if necessary.

Voucher proponents do not propose to do away with universality. They just propose to fulfill it by giving kids a chance to go to private school if the government-run schools are failing.

Will taking some kids out of public schools and letting them go to private schools hurt the public schools? Possibly. But, do you know what? I don’t care. Because we’re not trying to save the schools — which really just means the teachers and the principals and the public district administrators. This isn’t about the adults, it’s about the kids.

Moreover, I don’t actually think it will hurt the public schools. First of all, they don’t actually lose much money when a kid goes to a private school or a charter school, for the simple reason that the district gives far less money per-pupil to choice schools. So, on net, the public schools have more money to spend on fewer kids when it loses students to choice. And, the public schools are forced to compete, which, data shows so far, makes them clean up their acts a little bit.

Everyone wins. There’s no dilemma. Just backward thinking.