In recent commentary, a defender of the status quo education system in Kentucky cherrypicked research on voucher programs from Indiana and Ohio to try and prove that school choice is bad for kids. Presumably, they want to convince lawmakers to oppose a proposed state constitutional amendment to empower parents to make critical educational choices for their children.

The bill recently passed give voters the opportunity to decide if the state legislature should be allowed to establish a wide range of programs to empower families to secure education opportunities outside of traditional public schools. Those programs could include charter schools, education savings accounts to pay for tutoring and other customized educational services, or scholarship tax credits. Every single state that borders Kentucky has one or more of these kinds of programs, but not all are voucher systems like Indiana’s or Ohio’s.

A 2022 analysis of existing research by EdChoice Kentucky, a nonprofit that aims to promote educational choice, found that of 17 studies on the impact private school access programs have on student achievement, 11 found positive results, 4 studies found there was no effect, and only 3 showed negative effects on student test scores.

Furthermore, 5 of 7 studies show that education choice programs have a positive impact on high school graduation and college attendance, and an overwhelming 30 out of 32 studies show parents experience significant improvements in their satisfaction with their child’s schooling experience when they utilize choice opportunities.

Accidentally or intentionally, detractors have avoided entirely the bulk of evidence that points to the effectiveness of parental choice at driving increased achievement and parental satisfaction.

A school choice constitutional amendment in Kentucky serves a very simple purpose: Every family, no matter their income or Zip code, should be able to choose the learning environment that is the best fit for their child.

While improving a student’s score on a standardized test is noteworthy, it is not the number one priority for most parents when they choose a school. Parents care about school safety, a positive culture, disciplinary practices, and the values advanced by the school. It is not up to us, or any other defender of the status quo, to decide which school is best for someone else’s child.

The enemies of giving families options constantly claim that education choice will devastate public schools. But the Indiana and Ohio studies clearly show that achievement among low-income students in public schools is not damaged by school choice. In fact, the authors of the Ohio study speculate that competition with private schools improved student learning outcomes in public schools.

The various defenders of the education establishment miss the point that your tax dollars are not meant to benefit the public school system, but rather students themselves. Education freedom means that we should start treating education like other public goods where the beneficiary (in this case, families) gets to choose their provider (schools of various kinds).

Kentucky’s school choice constitutional amendment gets us one step closer to funding students, not systems. Let your lawmakers know Kentucky families are tired of waiting.

— Gary W. Houchens, Ph.D., is professor of education administration in the School of Leadership and Professional Studies at Western Kentucky University. John Garen, Ph.D., is professor emeritus of economics at the University of Kentucky.