Supporting all schools of all kinds

After our painful closing/merging of 12 excellent Catholic schools last week, I found refreshing the perceptive observations of respected New York Times journalist David Brooks.

Brooks calls for a “revolution” in our national policy, and laments the ideological lockdown of healthy debate by our political leaders. He mentions shrinking enrollments (the main reason we had to make our neuralgic decision last week), academic regression (certainly not a problem for us), rising absenteeism, worsening discipline problems and surging inequality — none of which are problems for us, as reasons for his alarm.

While I wish he would have given a salute to charter schools and our Catholic schools — as the Daily News editorial of the same day did — he rightfully calls for innovative thinking in the crucial area of education.

While our Catholic schools receive widespread acclaim — I recall former President George W. Bush calling our inner-city schools “One of the best anti-poverty programs we got” — rare are the national and local leaders who promote them. As I’ve mentioned before, usually the only time I hear officials in Albany, City Hall, or D.C. rise to their defense is when they complain about a closing in their district, or call to ask my help in getting a child they know into one of them.

Yes, a predictable chorus of criticism arises every time we have to close one of our effective and beloved schools: the “stinginess” of that “awful” archdiocese — which, by the way, invests $46 million a year into them, thanks to generous benefactors — we’re only interested in money to settle lawsuits, and our pastors just want to get rid of a school in their parish, to name a few.

The main reasons our enrollment has declined are, as Brooks accurately observes, fewer children and shifting demographics — which are challenges even for the government monopoly schools, but we also have the added difficulty of our hard-working parents struggling to afford them, even given our highly subsidized low tuition and generous scholarships.

As more than 60% of states now recognize, the solution is just and simple: Tuition vouchers, liberating parents to use the staggering amount they pay in education taxes to send their kids to the school of their choice. As to the chant by government monopoly teachers’ unions that such an equitable solution harms public schools, studies show that such provisions actually increase healthy competition, accountability, and quality in all schools.

Instead, many of our political leaders have a knee-jerk resistance to such reform, leading to the litany of deterioration Brooks outlines.

One of the geniuses of our great country has always been respecting diversity of thought and providing a level playing field for all. That’s why you’ll find no bigger cheerleader than I am for our public and charter schools, and other faith-based schools as well. I want them all to succeed because that is what is best for our children and the future of our city, state, and nation.

As enlightened, progressive education reform advocates remind us, “It’s all about our kids! Children first! Where they go to school is not the question.” Fair accessibility to all schools certainly is.

Please, help us in the ardent desire of our parents and students not to close any more of our splendid schools!

Dolan is archbishop of the Archdiocese of New York.