AUSTIN — Today, the Texas Public Policy Foundation released a report by Center for Education Freedom Director Kent Grusendorf on the detrimental effects government monopolies have on schools. The paper, Are Government Monopolies Inherently Inefficient?, explores how the quality and efficiency of schools, along with teacher pay, would improve with school choice.
“Education is one of the most important things which state government does, yet we entrust this critical function to an economic model which is inefficient because it holds compulsory monopoly power over Texans,” said Grusendorf. “In the early years of our state’s history, different types of schools operated side-by-side. Diversity provided many opportunities to Texas children and teachers. Now almost every school in Texas is operated under the same rules. Such a system isn’t efficient, and more importantly, it doesn’t meet the needs of Texans.
“There is only one proven way to dramatically improve public education: school choice for all. Only by allowing freedom of choice will schools have the proper incentives and tools to do what is necessary to satisfy their customer base. When we do so, teachers will be better paid and enjoy better working conditions, another 38,000 students will graduate from high school each year, the Texas economy will boom, and most importantly, Texas children will be better prepared to compete in the world economy.”
To read the full report, visit: http://txpo.li/are-government-monopolies-inherently-inefficient
The Honorable Kent Grusendorf, Director of the Center for Education Freedom at TPPF, represented Arlington in the Texas Legislature for twenty years, focusing on education. Serving on the House Public Education Committee and various Select Committees, he played a significant role in crafting legislative responses to the Edgewood I, Edgewood II, Edgewood III, Edgewood IV, and West Orange Cove school-finance court decisions.
The Texas Public Policy Foundation is a non-profit, free-market research institute based in Austin, Texas.