Ft Worth Times

Teachers support school choice and educational savings accounts (ESAs), former teacher James Shuls, director of research and distinguished fellow of education policy of the Show-Me Institute, wrote in a commentary on the institute's website. 

"They just won’t say it publicly," he said of teachers' support for choice. "Consider this: Teachers' unions regularly push for policies that will allow teachers to enroll their children in the school they teach in, even if the teacher doesn’t live in the district. This is school choice. Teachers are supportive of other forms of school choice as well," his commentary said.

He noted many public school teachers who support school choice policies are reluctant to speak up against teachers' unions, which comprise the largest group opposing school choice policies.

In his commentary, Shuls encouraged teachers to speak out. "If you are a teacher and you support school choice policies, you are not alone. You don’t have to hide your views. Let that school choice flag fly," he wrote.

He recounted meeting with a former public school superintendent who was, to his surprise, in favor of open enrollment but said he frequently gets "pushback from public school educators" when he writes about supporting open enrollment or school choice policies.

Shuls said an ENGAGE by EdChoice survey of 1,000 K-12 public and private school teachers by Colyn Ritter, research associate at EdChoice, found that "77% of those polled were supportive of education savings accounts" and "the majority of teachers support school choice policies when given a basic definition." Providing more information on how the policies work and how they would impact the teacher caused more responses to answer favorably, the survey said.

The October 2022 survey sought teachers' opinions on educational choice policies, school safety, morale and more.

EdChoice said teachers' unions are the main lobbyists against school choice policies, noting that teachers' unions are supported by membership fees from traditional public school teachers.

In a blog post for EdChoice, one teacher is quoted as saying, "Many teachers feel that school choice is a ploy to destroy public education to prevent those without excess income from getting an education or that it is against the separation of church and state (when speaking of vouchers) or that public school teachers will be left without a job. In districts where school choice is allowed, I have not seen these fears become reality."

The Lone Star Standard reported that The Wall Street Journal Editorial Board commented on the school choice debate in Texas, calling out rural Republicans' opposition to school choice policies. The real reason for House opposition from rural legislators is threats from teachers' unions, who don't want any competition from other schools, even though some public schools may be failing, the  editorial board said.

"The anti-choice logic also fails to consider that ESA programs could foster a better supply of schools in coming years. Why not advocate more schools in rural areas, rather than holding back choice for everyone else across the state?" the editorial said.