Americans are warming up to the idea of school vouchers. A recent poll showing 54% of Americans in favor of the freedom to choose their preferred institution. This is no surprise, as the benefits of this system are all too apparent.

Critics of the voucher system point to the fact that it snatches bright students from public schools and loads them in private schools. They, therefore, echo that this eventually leads to a drop in the grades of the students in public schools.

Well, the former is true but the latter part is patently false.

Studies have shown that competition from private schools leads to an increase in grades and overall performance in public schools.

A study looked at what happened after the voucher system was expanded in the state of Florida as it handed out scholarships to students to attend private schools. The scholarships were about fifteen thousand in the early 2000s but ballooned to a million - accounting for 4% of all the students in the 2017-2018 year. This led to a commensurate increase in grades in both the private schools and the public schools.

It is not just an increase in grades that were observed, but also a decrease in absenteeism and suspension. The study found that the competition from private schools spurred the public school into action and they leveled up.

Another key aspect of the policy that is repeatedly demonized is the myth that the voucher system encourages segregation; whereas, it is the greatest equalizer. In the past, school choice was an option only the rich and affluent could afford. With school vouchers, school choice is accessible to low-income kids, many of whom are minorities.

School vouchers also allow parents to have their kids get the best education tailored to their needs. The voucher program supports home-schooling, and this is an option utilized most of the time by special needs students. Students with learning disabilities like dyslexia, Down Syndrome, or even deafness and blindness, all have their needs taken care of because of the voucher system.

Furthermore, opposing opinions say it is a waste of funds and it would be better if such funds were invested in another sector of the economy. Again, this has proven to be false. Taxpayer money being spent on school vouchers are much more useful in supporting the ailing public-school system than previously thought. To support this fact, the DC Opportunity Scholarship program found that graduation rates produced a $2.62 return on every dollar which was invested in the voucher program.

The voucher system allows for academic mobility. Since the education of students is not limited to zoning and school districts but choice, it incentivizes schools to provide the best possible education. If they don't, the students will simply move to another school, as the voucher program affords them that ability.

The voucher system affords the most essential ingredient that makes education worthwhile. That ingredient is a choice. When people can choose where they want to learn and how they choose to learn, they will be open to embrace the myriad opportunities education affords.