Teachers and school choice: Do as I say, not as I do

Another example of how school districts are more than happy to accept school choice – for themselves only – has surfaced in Jessamine County. The school board there just dropped all tuition charges for teachers in the district who actually live outside the county but send their children to a Jessamine County public school.

That is a nice deal for out-of-district teachers, but let any other parent who works in Jessamine County but lives elsewhere try to get the same school choice deal. Across Kentucky district-to-district transfer agreements for ordinary Kentucky citizens are drying up faster than spilled water in the Sahara Desert.

And, while the teachers’ union remains mute about policies like the one Jessamine County just enacted for teacher benefit, the same union fights like mad to prevent school choice options like charter schools for other Kentuckians.

There is even some irony here for teachers. The new policy is inequitable for those teachers who live – and pay taxes – in Jessamine County. In-county residents – teachers included – actually wind up seeing some of their local school tax dollars going towards support of the out-of-district teachers.

By the way, in the current 2014-15 school year Jessamine County is listed with the 16th highest per pupil property assessment in the state, so the district’s residents probably pay more in taxes than most out-of-district residents do. Actually, a teacher who wanted to save money might be better off moving out of Jessamine County while keeping their job, and their kids, in the local school system.

So, let’s get this straight about how educrats and the teachers'-union bosses who back them really feel about school choice. They are all for it – so long as only they get it.