Thanks to the folks at the conservative political blog Y’all Politics for posting this video of House Education Committee member Rep. Herb Frierson pushing for charter schools.
In an attempt to make a case for charters, Frierson describes himself as a “free market person” and states “I don’t think competiton’s a bad thing”. He goes on to paraphrase Ralph Waldo Emerson in saying “The person who builds the best mouse trap…so shall the world beat a path unto their door.”
Yes, competition in the marketplace is good. I agree.
Evidently, however, Representative Frierson — like so many others — fails to realize that the “free market” of charter school vs. public school is anything but “competition”. According to the proposed legislation, charter schools would play by one set of rules while traditional public schools would play by an entirely different, significantly more stringent set.
Is this the new definition of competition in America?
If so, Ralph Waldo Emerson just vomited in heaven.
