Todd Tiahrt: “when parents express their unhappiness about the quality of schools where they live, it is very rare that they point to…”

“when parents express their unhappiness about the quality of schools where they live, it is very rare that they point to insufficient money as a source of their unhappiness. In fact, it is almost never a question of money. They are much more likely to point out no respect for authority and the lack of discipline in the classroom, their fear of violence in schools, or their disagreement with the values and attitudes taught their children. Mr. Speaker, school choice already exists to some degree in America. In fact, many parents decide where they wish to live based on the quality of the public schools in a given neighborhood. They vote with their feet, by moving to the school district of their choice. But many parents lack the means to choose the neighborhood with the best schools, or they lack the flexibility to move to a better neighborhood because of their work. Republicans want to help parents. We want to make school choice available for more parents, because we trust parents to make the right choice for their children. That is why we support school choice.”