The Sconi

Corey DeAngelis, a former doctoral student who studied Milwaukee's pioneering experiment in school choice, has become a full-time advocate for the concept. His upcoming book, "The Parent Revolution: Rescuing Your Kids from the Radicals Ruining Our Schools," chronicles the recent surge in school choice — a movement that DeAngelis believes was sparked by teachers unions' actions that incited parents. He notes that states are now not only allowing families to use state school aid as they see fit but also extending this choice to parents of all income levels.

DeAngelis recently spoke with Patrick McIlheran, policy director at the Badger Institute, about the future of school choice in Wisconsin and across the nation.

McIlheran noted how the pandemic changed the dynamics of school choice, attracting more attention to it. DeAngelis agreed, attributing this shift to teachers unions' overreach during the pandemic which awakened parents to their role in their children's education.

He pointed out that unions were threatening safety strikes in 2020 and using fake body bags, coffins, and tombstones to protest returning to work. This situation revealed another dimension of school quality beyond standardized test scores: whether a school's curriculum aligns with family values.

DeAngelis emphasized that seeing their children being indoctrinated with radical ideologies in classrooms motivated parents more than anything else to fight for systemic change. He highlighted that since 2021, 11 states have adopted universal school choice, marking more significant victories for school choice in three years than in the preceding three decades.

Discussing his book further, DeAngelis explained how exit and voice are crucial ways to improve an organization. He argued that bottom-up accountability is essential and that giving families the power to choose schools aligns better with their needs and values. This shift also exerts competitive pressure on public schools to improve — a trend backed by studies on private school choice in Milwaukee and nationwide.

He also noted that school choice could decrease the likelihood of families needing to switch schools if public schools focus more on academics rather than left-wing ideology.

DeAngelis believes that school choice levels the playing field, putting parents in control. If parents are dissatisfied, school boards and districts would have a stronger incentive to listen to them rather than dismiss or silence them.

When asked about teachers unions' opposition to parents, DeAngelis suggested it stems from a paternalistic belief that they know better than parents and that the government should control children's education. He further argued that there is no such thing as a values-neutral school as curriculum choices inevitably introduce bias.

Reflecting on his first study on school choice, DeAngelis found substantial evidence suggesting that Milwaukee's school choice program significantly reduced crime rates among participants. He suggested this might be due to schools competing based on character development and parents choosing schools for their culture, specialized mission, or religious education.

Finally, DeAngelis expressed optimism about the future of the school choice revolution despite the constant need to activate new generations of parents. He believes social media has brought unprecedented transparency into classrooms and exposed teachers unions' tactics.

Corey DeAngelis will be hosted by The Wisconsin Institute for Law and Liberty at a book signing event later this month. Patrick McIlheran is the Director of Policy at the Badger Institute.