Time and time again when legislation comes up we hear the “local control” argument. More often than not, it’s when the state or federal government propose legislation that infringes on freedom and limits opportunity. Sometimes, it happens when the state or federal government proposes legislation that increases liberty and freedom, and expands opportunity.
In case number one, local control is better than the alternative. You have more freedom under this scenario. You have opportunity, you have liberty.
Under case number two local control is not better. Local control, in these cases, limits your freedom. It limits your opportunity.
In particular, we’ve heard this argument on the Learn Everywhere program. The Learn Everywhere program, put simply, forces school boards and school districts to accept for credit some programs approved by the Department of Education.
Opponents of this program say that local control is more important, that your local school board should have the choice to accept these credits or not. They’re wrong.
Local control when it inhibits your liberties is a net negative.
Students should have the opportunity to learn where they please and have that experience count towards their mandated government education credit tally. The mandated credit tally, in and of itself, is silly, but that’s where we are right now.
In this case, the Department of Education is absolutely right to force local school boards to accept these credits, and give the control to whom it belongs – students and parents.