Education

Oklahoma GOP Voters Prefer School Choice Over Same Old, Same Old

September 2, 2014

Patrick B. McGuigan

Two all-but-sainted gentlemen have stepped up to lead an Oklahoma exodus.

Although neither has put it this way, “Let our children go” could be their mantra. These guys believe that in education policy, taxpayer resources should follow children, not bureaucratic dictates.

God bless Tulsa businessman Bob Sullivan and Oklahoma City media titan Russell Perry.

A public opinion survey, conducted by The Tarrance Group for the Oklahoma Federation for Children (OFC), found overwhelming support for all forms of parental choice in education among likely Republican primary voters [see below].

Previous polls have documented support for school choice among all electoral elements, to be sure, but the Grand Old Party (GOP) now exercises such dominant control at the state Capitol that the views of those primary voters are darn near dispositive when it comes to policy, at least for now.

To put it charitably, conservative Republican electoral victories have not always led to conservative public policy.

This year, for example, the Republican-controlled Legislature voted down expanding public charter schools to rural areas—even though 67 percent of GOP primary voters support the idea, Tarrance found.

That’s not all. Support for charters was 84 percent among rural Republicans. And yet, it was a cluster of rural GOP legislators who doomed the idea’s chances in the 2014 legislative session.

What do numbers like this mean in the real world of public policy?

In an interview, Scott Jensen of the American Federation for Children (AFC), OFC’s national parent, told me: “The Republican primary voters are more aggressive than those who represent them. Within that framework, even more impressive and affirming to us was that rural Republicans voting in the Republican primary were so supportive of school choice in all its forms.

“The number one issue is that not all the Republicans are supportive of choice, and some who are sympathetic are not aggressive in support. Those legislators tend to be responsive to the largest interests, the concentrations of power among their constituents. These include school district officials, members of school boards, superintendents, and teacher union members.”

Jensen worked for Wisconsin Gov. Tommy Thompson when the latter pushed historic school choice measures in the 1990s. He is a happy warrior, bringing to the fray a welcome honesty about what is required to advance the ball.

Jensen, a former House Speaker in Wisconsin, came to the Sooner State in July to unveil the Tarrance data. The polling company (established by Lance Tarrance, a supporter of Ronald Reagan throughout his career) knows our state well. Current clients include James Lankford’s U.S. Senate campaign.

For choice supporters, optimism seems justified. Consider:

The survey found a remarkable 75 percent of GOP voters support educational choice. Specifically: “Do you favor or oppose educational choice, which is giving parents the right to use the tax dollars associated with the education of their children to send their children to the public or private school of their choice?”

Even in households that include a public school employee, 61 percent of those surveyed backed choice, while only 34 percent opposed.

Among GOP primary voters who backed Joy Hofmeister for state superintendent, 69 percent favor educational choice, while only 25 percent oppose.

An overwhelming 76 percent of the primary faithful support the Lindsey Nicole Henry Scholarships for Students with Disabilities program, an existing choice program for youngsters with special needs. Among Hofmeister voters, 72 percent back the Henry Scholarships, while only 20 percent oppose.

As for the purest form of school choice—Education Savings Accounts (ESAs), proposed but not yet enacted in Oklahoma—it’s not surprising that support is a bit weaker. Still, two-thirds of Republican primary voters are in support. Among Hofmeister voters, support outweighs opposition by a margin of 57 percent to 33 percent.

OFC jumped into four primaries this year, helping to win two. They worked on both sides of the partisan divide, backing both Democratic state Senate candidate Anastasia Pittman of Oklahoma City and Republican incumbent Sen. AJ Griffin of Guthrie.

The group is working in a handful of runoff races this fall, and will be helping school choice supporters in November.

Nothing is inevitable, of course. Opponents of school choice are feeling their oats a bit these days, having rebuffed expansion of public school charters to rural realms. Oklahoma’s education establishment was successful this past session in opposing the moderate proposed next step for charters.

But as pundits of the Left sometimes put it, the unions and other foes of school choice are on the wrong side of history.

Forgive this old historian and journalist a memory.

In the early 1990s, I reviewed with Lance Tarrance polling data about our state in terms of the right-to-life issues. I’d come to value his insights during my years in the nation’s capital city. That day, he told me: “By the time you look at all the cross-tabs in opinion surveys and anti-abortion sentiment here, Oklahoma is probably the most pro-life state in America.”

Humbly submitted, in conclusion: Republican politicians who defy the remarkable strength for school choice among their most likely voters will sow folly, and reap the political whirlwind.

They will lose, and deserve to do so.

Patrick McGuigan (M.A. in history, Oklahoma State University) is editor of CapitolBeatOK.com. He is the editor of seven books on legal policy, and the author or co-author of three books, including Ninth Justice: The Fight for Bork. Last year the Washington Post political blog, “The Fix,” designated McGuigan one of the three best political reporters in Oklahoma.

Do you favor or oppose educational choice, which is giving parents the right to use the tax dollars associated with the education of their children to send their children to the public or private school of their choice?

Favor/strongly.........................................56%
Favor/somewhat.........................................19%
UNSURE (DNR).........................................5%
Oppose/somewhat.........................................8%
Oppose/strongly.........................................12%

Now I’d like to read you two viewpoints on this issue. Please tell me which one comes closest to your own. [Read and rotate alternatives.] Some people say that educational choice programs give parents the power to choose the school that works best for their child and put pressure on all schools to do a better job educating children. Other people say that educational choice programs rob public schools of the funds they need to improve and allow a select few students to get a better education while other students are trapped in failing schools. Which viewpoint comes closest to your own?

Power to choose.........................................72%
Rob public schools.........................................18%
BOTH EQUALLY (DNR).........................................*
NEITHER (DNR).........................................3%
UNSURE (DNR).........................................7%

Please tell me if you agree or disagree with this statement: “A child should have a right to the best education today and should not have to wait for their assigned public school to improve.”

Agree/strongly.........................................69%
Agree/somewhat.........................................18%
UNSURE (DNR).........................................4%
Disagree/somewhat.........................................4%
Disagree/strongly.........................................4%

As you may already know, in 2011 the State of Oklahoma created “Equal Opportunity Education Scholarships.” This program provides up to a 75 percent state tax credit for businesses and individuals that donate to organizations giving scholarships to children to attend the school of their parents’ choosing, including at private schools. Would you say that you favor or oppose this program?

Favor/strongly.........................................41%
Favor/somewhat.........................................32%
UNSURE (DNR).........................................11%
Oppose/somewhat.........................................8%
Oppose/strongly.........................................9%

In 2010, the State of Oklahoma created the Lindsey Nicole Henry Scholarship for Students with Disabilities. This program allows the parents of a child with special needs to use the public funds allocated for the education of their child to send them to the school of their choice, including private schools. Would you say that you favor or oppose this program?

Favor/strongly.........................................46%
Favor/somewhat.........................................30%
UNSURE (DNR).........................................10%
Oppose/somewhat.........................................6%
Oppose/strongly.........................................9%

Some states are considering giving parents the chance to customize their child’s education through Education Savings Accounts or ESAs. The state puts the funds it would have spent on a child’s behalf into a bank account the parent controls. The parent can then use these funds to purchase the education that best meets their child’s needs from a wide variety of sources including public schools, private schools, virtual schools, institutions of higher education, or other nonprofit education providers approved by the state. Any funds not used in a school year could be carried over for future education including college. Would you say that you favor or oppose Oklahoma having a program like this one?

Favor/strongly.........................................37%
Favor/somewhat.........................................28%
UNSURE (DNR).........................................9%
Oppose/somewhat.........................................10%
Oppose/strongly.........................................17%