Republicans Should Stop Pandering about Charter Schools

“I have no idea why Republicans and the GOP media fall over themselves rallying to the cause of those who hate them and who would never vote for them, no matter what.”

During the last few weeks, the New York Post and other assets of the Murdoch media empire have been lamenting the poor treatment of racial minorities in New York State and, more particularly, in the Big Apple. This is supposedly owing to the apparent unwillingness of Governor Kathy Hochul and her Democratic administration to cough up sufficient funds for charter schools. The Post has been particularly upset about this miserliness and keeps reminding the Governor and the Democrats how important it is for the advancement of minorities that they be given an educational choice outside of the public school system, which is “failing them.” Presumably the Republicans would set all this right by lavishing public subsidies on those valuable institutions attended primarily by ethnic minorities. After all, according to the Post, 60% of New York City parents, presumably mostly nonwhite, want “more charter schools.”

Two points seem relevant here. One, charter schools are not private schools since they are heavily subsidized by federal and state governments. What is called “school choice” (and what many Republicans peddle as a private alternative to a unionized and now radically leftist public educational system) requires taxpayer money, even if these schools provide those who avail themselves of this opportunity with an alternative to other publicly-funded schools. Although Randi Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers, and her fellow public school lobbyists may see charter schools as a competitor, both draw on the public sector and depend on tax dollars.

Two, I have no idea why Republicans and the GOP media fall over themselves rallying to the cause of those who hate them and who would never vote for them, no matter what. In the gubernatorial race in November, then-Congressman Lee Zeldin, the Republican candidate, who strongly pushed school choice and assistance for charter schools, lost the black vote, which rushed in the direction of his opponent, Governor Hochul. The victorious Democratic Governor made no secret of her close alliance with Weingarten and the public school union and kept her distance from the advocates of school choice. If black voters are as eager to have charter schools as the Republican media insists is the case, then they could have voted for the candidate who promised them this supposedly treasured benefit. Not unexpectedly, the black vote broke overwhelmingly for the anti-charter school side. The last time I checked, black citizens were not exactly flooding into the GOP, whatever counter-narratives Republican outlets may now be pushing.