The Choice Channel

Excerpted in part from Chapter 10 of “Healing Our World” (Kalamazoo, MI: SunStar Press, 2003).

Can you imagine what a successful school might look like if education were totally freed from government control? Can you imagine what education might look like if teachers didn’t need to be licensed; children were not forced into the classroom for a decade or more; and parents, teachers, and children picked the curriculum rather than the state?

You might think it’s easy to imagine school without the state, but our educational system is so shaped by the government, it’s tough to think outside the box. Consequently, when imagining what education in a free society might look like, starting inside the box and working our way out might be the best strategy.

My book, Healing Our World, takes such an approach. It describes one possible school - which we’ll call Quest - in an educational free market. Although Quest doesn’t actually exist, many of its components do. These are footnoted so that you can learn more about them. Some other possibilities are mentioned as well.

Quest would probably start out small, expanding each year as its reputation for excellence grew. New students, entering at any age, would take tests to discover their aptitudes and their optimal learning modes. Sylvan Learning Centers, which guarantees students a one-grade improvement in a matter of weeks, does such testing today so that teaching materials are geared to the way a child learns. Some children are visual learners who remember best what they see; auditory-oriented youngsters learn fastest when they hear their lessons; kinesthetic children understand best what they are able to feel and manipulate.1

Subjects taught at Quest would come in each of these three learning modes. A kinesthetic child, for example, could be introduced to math by adding and subtracting with blocks before working with numbers on paper.2 For visual and auditory learners, the curriculum would make effective use of computers and other audiovisual equipment, which have long been known to double a student’s learning.3

Tuition for the standard Quest program would probably be less than the private school tuition of today, which is currently about half of what public schools spend to educate a child. Although Quest would have more technology than the average government school, it would not face the regulations that must be met by today’s private institutions. Learning would be more rapid, so a child would need less time to complete a program equivalent to today’s high school diploma.

Classes might begin with an “edutainment” DVD or Internet program. Since the producers of these lessons would receive royalties based on usage, exceptional broadcast teachers could make as much money as professional athletes, just as Japanese juku (after school) instructors do today.4 Because student achievement increases along with teacher expertise, 5 broadcast educators might include Nobel Prize winners, who would likely donate their time and expertise to promote quality education. Unlike the public school system, which turned away such offers, 6 a results-oriented school like Quest would gladly accept such generosity.

After the edutainment, students might go into one of several “query” classrooms where the resident teacher could answer their questions. Students would naturally gravitate to teachers who relate best to their learning style. Not all Quest teachers would have advanced degrees, but those who didn’t attract students to their query sessions wouldn’t be at Quest long. Employment at Quest would be performance-based, rather than dependent on seniority, as it is in public schools today.

Teacher excellence would be rewarded with bonuses.7 Most teachers would be partially paid in Quest stock, which would give them incentive to share successful teaching techniques with other Quest faculty. Teachers would reap what they sowed.

The instructors would enjoy working at Quest because they could do what they were hired to do-teach. Extensive high-tech learning programs would take the repetition out of their job, so that they could devote most of their time to answering students’ questions, guiding their choice of curriculum, and/or teaching writing and other skills that require personal instruction. Some teachers would supplement their income by creating edutainment in their field of specialty. The combination of royalties, Quest stock, and regular paychecks would give most teachers better compensation than public school teachers receive today.

Quest’s teachers would be highly regarded in their community because of their dedication to helping students meet their goals. Teachers could track student progress through the interactive computer programs that students use for learning and testing. Students who did poorly on the computerized test following each lesson might be instructed to review their material again. After successful retesting, students could move on to the next lesson. Because student computer time could be monitored by the staff, slow learners would quickly be identified and given the attention needed to meet their predefined goals.

Motivation would be kept high by reward systems. For example, Sylvan has found that giving out milestone tokens gives students a sense of completion and accomplishment that motivates them to complete the next learning segment.8 For major achievements, such as graduation from their pre-defined programs, both students and their teachers might receive a monetary bonus.9

The curriculum at Quest would be designed to take into account a student’s strengths and weaknesses. For example, one student might excel in history and the social sciences but do poorly in math and the physical sciences. When the student keys in her password on the teaching computer, she might be able to access her math problems formulated in terms of historical events.

Depending upon their goals, students might stay at school all or part of the day. Quest teachers would likely work in shifts, so that families would have maximum flexibility to design the best schedule to mix school, work, and play.

Quest would probably help students relate their academic lessons to real-life situations, unlike most schools of today. For example, Quest could cultivate relationships with community professionals so that students could be exposed to various career opportunities and work environments (for example, hospitals, laboratories, computer firms, manufacturing plants, auto repair shops). Students could visit these organizations, or even work part-time for pay or class credit. Such exposure to different careers would help students discover what their aptitudes are and inspire them to study subjects appropriate to possible careers. For some Quest students, such contact might eventually evolve into an apprenticeship or even full-time employment.

Early exposure to a wide range of career possibilities is essential for wise curriculum choices. As a research scientist, I supervised several pre-med students who found out, in their last year of college, that they couldn’t stand the sight of blood during surgical procedures. Had they recognized this earlier, they might have chosen another program. By the time they discovered that they really didn’t want to go into medicine, it was too late to change their major.

With exposure to a variety of experiences, students would discover their strengths and weaknesses. For example, a student who has an exceptional grasp of math or science and a weaker understanding of literature and the arts might choose to spend more time on liberal arts courses to match his proficiency in other areas. Alternatively, he might choose to focus only on the basics in his weak areas and accelerate his strong ones, perhaps even earning college credit in his specialties. Some students might want to explore a specialized curriculum, such as the courses in offered by Steve Mariotti’s National Foundation for Teaching Entrepreneurship. Quest counselors would keep abreast of new offerings to help students and parents choose wisely.

Most colleges rely heavily on standardized test scores when evaluating prospective students. Quest would almost certainly publicize their average student scores to show new applicants the effectiveness of the school’s program. Schools hesitant to display such records would likely be viewed with suspicion by parents considering enrollment for their children. Because high school diplomas don’t always mean that graduates can read and write, test scores are evolving into the standard by which employers and colleges select among applicants.

At Quest, studies would continue until test scores indicate that the proficiency target has been met. A state-of-the-art school like Quest would probably guarantee that students have 12th grade proficiency by the time they are 12 years old.10 Indeed, such targets are probably conservative, given the progress that Sylvan and other learning programs are already able to achieve. For example, Hope Academy in Lansing, Michigan, gives parents a money-back guarantee that their kindergartners, by year end, will read as well as second-graders.11 What a refreshing change from the public school system, which has no obligation to ensure that students learn anything!

Social skills development would be well integrated into the Quest curriculum. Children would learn how to tutor and mentor younger classmates, how to engage in constructive teamwork with peers, and how to assume leadership roles in various types of projects.

Although Quest would be less expensive than the old-style public school system, the yearly tuition might still be beyond the means of many who would like to attend. Fortunately, Quest would have a number of programs enabling parents to pay all or part of their children’s tuition by contributing their labor. Some parents might help maintain the buildings or grounds; others might staff the office; still others might work in the cafeteria. Since a libertarian society wouldn’t have so many labor-related regulations, much of the nonteaching function of Quest would likely be provided this way.12

As they progress, students could help pay their tuition by supervising younger children, working with the cafeteria staff, and tutoring less-advanced students. Not only would such students get a first-rate Quest education, but they would leave with a work reference as well!

Problems with drugs or violence would probably be minimal, since students could be expelled for disruptive behavior. However, rather than abandoning such children, Quest might provide a specialized home-study program for such youngsters.

A Quest home-study program might also be popular with those who prefer to keep their children at home. If the family had a home computer, it could tap into the Quest system via the Internet so that student progress could be monitored by Quest instructors as if they were on-site. Quest instructors might also be available by video phone, so that students won’t get stuck if their caregivers aren’t able to answer their questions. By providing space for several children of working parents, stay-at-home parents could earn enough to pay for an at-home Quest education for their children.

For families without Internet access, Quest might have a comparable video program and home workbook. Instructors could be contacted by telephone for questions and consultations. Every couple of weeks, students could visit Quest for evaluation and program alterations. For example, a child who has trouble with math might receive a special series of videos and workbooks to resolve his or her problems. Quest is likely to guarantee results in its home-study program, just as it would in its classrooms.

Of course, Quest’s excellence might also make it more expensive and structured than many parents would prefer. Such parents might choose instead to subscribe to educational cable television. For a monthly fee similar to that of the entertainment channels, a family would be able to order a “school” station that specializes in K-12 education. Such channels are not yet available, since today’s children are forced by law into a classroom. However, such an alternative would almost certainly develop if parents had full choice in educational options.

Indeed, alternatives are already beginning to appear. A number of correspondence courses are now available in subjects for which a professional’s evaluation is desirable (for example, essay writing). 13 Indeed, Internet schools such as Class.com14 and VirtualHighSchool.com, 15 provide standard and elective courses in a more interactive environment.

In addition to “school” cable stations, educational television would continue to be supported by advertising, just as other sponsored shows are. Sesame Street, which taught preschoolers their letters and numbers, would have many K-12 imitators. Virtually every child in the country would have access to this “free” classroom!

Churches and other support groups would provide inexpensive day care and schooling through advertiser-sponsored educational television or cable subscription. A volunteer staff would run the center, providing low-income parents with affordable schooling and day care while they work. Like Sesame Street, educational television would be highly participatory. Children would sing their alphabet to catchy jingles and march around the room chanting historical dates, names, and happenings. Madison Avenue techniques could be used to produce stimulating programs to entice advertisers to pay top dollar to sponsor them, as they do for high school programs today.16

With so many options available at costs ranging from substantial to trivial, few parents would be unable to provide their children with a good education. The few parents needing assistance would probably have access to a number of scholarship programs. Children First CEO America, which began in 1991, has already provided over $500 million to low-income students for private school tuition. Funds come primarily from the business community, 17 although other charitable organizations also contribute. Such efforts would continue in an educational system free of aggression.

Would parents take advantage of these widespread educational opportunities? All of the available evidence suggests that they would. Over 90% of Boston’s children were enrolled in some sort of learning program in the early 1800s-before compulsory government education was established. Today, although high school is optional in Japan, over 90% of Japanese 17-year-old youths voluntarily attend. In contrast, the United States was only able to force 72% of its teens to enroll.18

The few children who would be without a formal educational program most likely have parents who don’t value learning or their children’s future. Because family background is a significant factor in a child’s scholastic achievement, few of those children would benefit from being forced into a learning program. Instead, they would only disrupt the learning of others with drugs and violence, while learning little themselves. Such children cannot be helped by forcing their parents to send them to school.

However, such children can be helped in other ways. By taking aggression out of education, learning aids would become widely integrated into our culture (for example, advertiser-supported educational TV and internet programs). Children might find it difficult not to learn the basics. After all, when education becomes as easy as pressing buttons on the TV remote, even a child can do it!

1. Sylvan Learning Center, , accessed March 10, 2002.

2. W. Tucker, “Foot in the Door,” Forbes, February 3, 1992, pp. 50-51.

3. Lewis J. Perelman, “Closing Education’s Technology Gap,” Briefing Paper No. 111 (Indianapolis, IN.: Hudson Institute, 1989); W.E. Halal and J. Liebowitz, “Telelearning: The Multimedia Revolution in Education,” The Futurist, November/December, 1994, pp. 21-26.

4. A.J. Coulson, Market Education: The Unknown History (New Brunswick, NJ: Transaction Publishers, 1999), pp. 207.

5. M.L. Gross, The Conspiracy of Ignorance: The Failure of American Public Schools (New York: HarperCollins, 1999), p.51.

6. Ibid., p. 115.

7. H.J. Walberg, “How to Make Students and Teachers Want to Succeed,” Intellectual Ammunition, April/May 1998, pp. 18-19.

8. Sylvan, op .cit., uses this technique.

9. Walberg, op.cit.

10. Because Sylvan, Ombudsman, and Hope are all able to cut learning time at least in half, this estimate is probably conservative.

11. S. Pyane, “A School with a Money-Back Guarantee,” The Freeman, June 1992, pp. 226-227.

12. Coulson, p. 376.

13. For some examples, see Lyman, pp. 64-68.

14. “Class.com Offers High School Diploma over the Internet: University of Nebraska Starts For-Profit Company,” School Reform News, July 1999, p. 14.

15. “Virtual High School Now on the Internet: Round-the-Clock School Seen as Boon for Resource-Poor Rural and Small Schools,” School Reform News, February 1998, p. 13.

16. Dave Meleney, “Private TV Channel Catches On in 4,000 High Schools,” Privatization Watch, 164, August 1990, p. 6.

17. “Private Vouchers: Demonstration Projects for School Choice,” School Reform News, January 2001, , accessed January 7, 2002.

18. Education at a Glance (Paris: Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development Publications, 1995), p. 135.

Dr. Mary J. Ruwart is current seeking the Libertarian nomination for President of the United States. Visit her website at http://www.votemary2008.com.