Archimedes was right

I first made the assertion here almost a generation ago, when I was not yet 50 years old. And although I’ve remodeled my thinking during that time on a number of issues, on this one I’m more emphatic than I was back then.

The great battles waiting for biblical Christians are not over homosexual marriage or abortion or pornography on the internet. The crucial debates aren’t over racism or immigration or justice for the poor.

The most telling discussions in the years ahead, just like those in the years immediately behind us, will be over who has the right, and the freedom, to educate our children. All the other issues will more or less fall in line if we get that one right.

Archimedes was right on target when he observed: “Give me where to stand, and I will move the earth.” But the opposite is also true: Take away your footing, and you’ll not be able to move anything at all.

By that standard, the people of Nevada have just gained one of the best footholds any citizenry has ever known. Early in June, Gov. Brian Sandoval signed into law the nation’s first-ever universal school-choice program.

What better footing could any family find than one providing such robust educational encouragement?

Let those words sink in. Set aside all thought of scholarships, vouchers, and charter schools. Think of this instead: Starting in the fall of 2016, the state of Nevada will establish an education savings account (ESA) for every student currently enrolled in a local public school. Into that ESA, the state will annually deposit an amount equal to 90 percent of what the state would otherwise give to that student’s public school. This year, for example, the deposit—in the form of a debit card assigned to the student and his or her family—would be something in excess of $5,100 per student.

Here’s where the fun begins. If the student is happy with his or her experience at the local public school, the whole amount on the debit card can go to that school. If the student, however, prefers a local Christian school, the $5,100 will make a pretty good dent on the tuition there. Or the student may mix and match, spending some at both schools—maybe taking a morning literature course at one and a chemistry course at the other. Heritage Foundation researcher Lindsey Burke claims in National Review that “online learning, special education services and therapies, books, tutors, and dual-enrollment college courses will all be covered. It’s an à la carte education.”

If all that weren’t enough, there are special touches. If you don’t use the total credit this year, the unused portion can be rolled over for later use. Students with special needs or from low-income families get 100 percent credits rather than the basic 90 percent.

Admittedly, and regrettably, the new program is not yet available to students already enrolled in non-public schools. Only students who have been in a public school for at least the previous 100 days are eligible.

Accountability tools are built into the ESA option, including regular testing in math and reading. But such safeguards are reported by observers to be unobtrusive, purposely staying out of the way of the program’s main goal, which is to promote student-driven education.

Nevada is already one of the nation’s fastest growing states. But such growth will only accelerate when families discover this new program. Quality private schools will flourish. Homeschooling may well benefit. Public schools, sensing the competition, will improve.

What better footing could any family find than one providing such robust educational encouragement? I predict that they will swarm in by the thousands—all carrying pry bars of enormous length and proportions. And the pry bars just may be found to have been inscribed by Archimedes himself.

And then, we maybe should begin asking, what other states will begin following Nevada’s example? And might we expect also that Nevada will widen its thinking to include all its students, and not just those now in public institutions?

Email jbelz@wng.org