Friday Freakout: How to Debate School Choice with a Public School Superintendent

Today’s freakout comes to us from Twitter, where we were excited to chat with a public school superintendent who is an active fighter of school choice programs.

Dr. Jason Glass is the Superintendent of Eagle County Schools in Colorado. Here are helpful resources to learn more about Eagle County as well as the local debate in his district. Dr. Glass is known for his Twitter savvy and willingness to have public online debates about education reform. We’re pleased that he chose to engage with the Friedman Foundation. Check out our exchange below.

(In a previous Friday Freakout, we actually broke down all of the steps a parent would have to take to effect change via “the democratic process.” Have a read, and you be the judge whether that is a timely, just, and/or logical solution for any struggling family.)

For parents who either have been or presently feel underserved by the public school system, Dr. Glass had a perfect opportunity to provide specific solutions on how public education can meet the needs of every single student—not just most. We’d love to hear them.

To be clear, we do not view school choice as the panacea to solve all of public (or private) education’s ills. But it’s no doubt a tool in the toolkit. Regardless of one’s philosophical reaction to school choice, there’s no denying providing such families the option to access their public school dollars to purchase different educational services is one way to serve underserved students.

Instead, Dr. Glass considered that question as not having “any further benefit” for him. We sincerely hope he changes his mind. If he does, we’ll welcome him with open arms and an open mind.