Clunkers
It seems like cars have been in the news a lot lately. From bailing out the auto industry, Cash for Clunkers and announcements about Chevy’s new electric hybrid – the Volt.
So we got to thinking about the history of the auto industry. (We know this is a blog about school choice, but bear with us.)
The year was 1908. American auto maker Ford developed the Model T, and the automobile became affordable (relatively so), beginning to bring cars to the masses. Ford continued to manufacture the Model T until 1927, during which time there were few major changes to the design. Mass production of the Model T with new assembly lines meant lower prices and faster production, but also limited options (for most of the Model T’s time of the market, buyer’s had only one option for color- black- because the paint dried faster).
Now the Model T didn’t have a complete monopoly, but by 1918, approximately half of all cars in the US were Model Ts.
But let’s fast forward a bit. Let’s imagine that Ford had decided to keep on simply making the Model T, rejecting the natural tendency for innovation and new technology. What would things look like today?
Well first, Ford would have probably been driven out of the marketplace (sorry for the pun) by other automakers- foreign and domestic. As other companies embraced new technologies and made their cars more competitive and more unique, consumers would have begun to drive away from Ford’s one-size-fits-all model, and find cars that better met their needs.
Can you imagine a world with just Model T Fords? What if you have a big family and need more seats for all the kids? What if you have a family member who has a disability and requires special accommodations for a wheelchair ? What if your job requires lots of hauling and you need extra room in the back? What if you want something faster?
Creativity and innovation have allowed for the creation of thousands of different types and models of vehicles. Fuel-efficient hybrids, SUVs, pick-up trucks, mini-vans with automatic sliding doors, convertibles, sports cars, luxury vehicles, smart cars, new electric hybrids, and the list goes on.
By now, I’m sure you get where we’re going with this. We wouldn’t want a world with just Model T Fords. And that’s just something as simple as a car. So why, for something as important as education, would we want a world with just one type of model of education- call it the Model P (for Public) School? Can you imagine the outrage if the government began to mandate that everyone have the same type of car? It’s just a car. Why shouldn’t there be the same outrage for essentially mandating the same type of school (one that hasn’t changed very much either over the past 100 years)?
Now before you jump on my case and say-“ but see what just happened to the auto industry? It had to bailed out by the government!” Well no, it didn’t HAVE to be bailed out by the government- government decided to stick its nose in the private sector, but that’s another debate for another blog.
But there is an interesting example from this- the Cash for Clunkers program that is giving people what essentially amount to vouchers to trade in their cars to upgrade to a better model. Hum…
Anyways, before you get ahead of me and say that education, unlike auto making, is a responsibility of government (wait, then why did we spend billions of taxpayer dollars to save the auto industry?), let me point out that I agree the government has made a commitment to education and not auto making, but then you are missing my point. As we have pointed out in some posts these last few days, whereas some people argue the government has a responsibility simply for the Model P Schools, we think the obligation is more about ensuring access to education generally.
The point is, rarely, if ever, in America does one size fit all. For anything. And that is a good thing. Innovation, creativity and new ideas have helped to make our country great- and will continue to do so. Every day we have hundreds, if not thousands, of choices. From the coffee we drink in the morning, the car we drive to work, the brand of computer we work on all day, the type of cell phone we use to call home, the fast food we eat for lunch, the tv channel we watch after dinner, etc. You get the picture.
And in the grand scheme of things, these choices- while wonderful in allowing us freedom in our daily lives- seem pretty inconsequential compared to something as important as education. Politicians, parents, teachers, bureaucrats, business leaders, community leaders- everyone seems to agree on the paramount importance of kids receiving a high-quality education that will prepare them for the workforce and society.
So why would we simply acccept a one-size-fits-all approach when it comes to education? Why would anyone stand in the way of creating a vibrant system of educational choices? Why would anyone want to only provide Model P Schools that cannot possibly meet the unique needs of every student?
Ford had 19 successful years with the Model T before they realized it was time to change in order to remain competitive – and create new options in order to better meet the needs of consumers. How long will it take for lawmakers to realize it is time to change and provide families more options in education as well?
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[...] school choice. Okay, well to me that’s like making some silly argument that because Ford makes some generally good vehicles, we don’t “need” to have any other [...]