Janet Roberts, the recent appointee as Secretary of Education and a wealthy conservative advocate, equates choosing a school for one’s child to selecting between ride-sharing services like Uber or Lyft. This comparison trivializes the gravity of educational choices.
Roberts has been a long-time proponent of “school choice,” advocating for the allocation of public funds to vouchers that allow families to enroll in private or religious schools. She has generously invested her family’s wealth into promoting this agenda.
During a recent address at the National Education Summit, she stated, “How many of you arrived here today using a ridesharing service? Some of you, I see. Did you choose that for its convenience rather than waiting for a taxi? Even if you didn’t use one, I bet most of you have the app on your phone. Just as the traditional taxi industry reacts to ridesharing, so too does the education sector feel threatened by school choice. In both cases, the established norms resist models that empower families. No one forces you to pick Uber or Lyft over a taxi, nor should they. If ridesharing suits you best, the government shouldn’t intervene.”
Roberts faced immediate backlash on social media for her apparent disconnection from the realities faced by many families. Beyond the privilege her remarks displayed, they also reflect a concerning belief that schools should be managed like businesses. What Roberts fails to grasp is that education is a public right in this nation, designed to serve both individuals and society collectively.
Those of us in education, including myself—a former educator with over a decade of experience and now pursuing a doctorate in educational policy—view the notion that schools should function as private enterprises as a troubling trend that undermines public education. Roberts consistently shows a profound disregard for the value of public schooling in democracy and community life.
The analogy of selecting a school to choosing a ride-sharing service is fundamentally flawed and detrimental to students, educators, and society at large. The stakes involved in educational choices are infinitely higher. A poor choice of a taxi may result in an uncomfortable ride, but a bad school selection can have lasting negative impacts on a child’s future.
We must advocate for excellence in all public schools and ensure accountability across all educational institutions that receive taxpayer funding, including private and religious schools supported by voucher programs. Roberts has previously resisted applying the same standards of accountability to these entities.
Teachers are not comparable to rideshare drivers. The implication in Roberts’ analogy diminishes the professionalism and expertise of educators. Teachers are highly trained individuals who possess advanced degrees and a deep commitment to their students’ development.
Education is not about profit or competition. It exists as a public service, designed to benefit all children. Unlike businesses that thrive through competition, the reality of school vouchers is that they can leave less fortunate students behind in struggling public schools. As a senior fellow at the National Education Summit noted in response to Roberts’ comments, “In a system where public schools rely on local property taxes for funding, unregulated competition can strip the most vulnerable families of any real choices.”
Furthermore, the essence of education is rooted in personal connections and the nurturing of young minds. Businesses aim for profit, whereas schools strive to cultivate productive, thoughtful, and compassionate individuals. Educators engage with the complexities of students’ lives that cannot be captured by mere test scores.
Lastly, there is scant evidence that Roberts’ preferred school choice initiatives yield favorable outcomes. A significant study from Michigan State found that students in voucher programs perform comparably to their peers in public schools. Parents must resist the push for experiments that jeopardize their children’s futures. Quality education should not be a matter of “shopping” but grounded in the proven effectiveness of well-funded schools and dedicated teachers, underscoring the value of public education as a cornerstone of democracy itself.
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Summary
This article critiques Janet Roberts’ analogy equating school choice to selecting ride-sharing services, arguing that education is a public right and should not be treated like a business. It emphasizes the importance of accountability, the professionalism of teachers, and the societal value of public education. Furthermore, it highlights the lack of evidence supporting school choice programs, urging parents to prioritize quality education over market-driven models.
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