One of my favorite Christmas shows growing up was, and still is, Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer (1964). Hermey the Elf stands out because the path he wants to follow is very different from the other elves. Hermey wants to be a dentist instead of a toy maker.
Hermey needed a choice.
Hermey the Elf, D.D.G. (Dental Do Gooder) (PRNewsFoto/American Dental Association)
Hermey’s dilemma reminds me of my time working in public schools. There were many students who just didn’t fit into the public education mold. The student was too energetic, too quiet, too advanced, or had a whole host of differences that didn’t fit the mold. In short, they were Hermey.
Just like Hermey, these students often feel like misfits. They feel dumb because they can’t keep up, or they feel bad because they have a difficult time following the arbitrary rules in schools.
Conformity is what leads Hermey and the students in public schools to feel helpless. Hermey ran away, and, looking at absenteeism numbers, many other students are choosing to run away from public schools.
Schools like Roots Charter School in West Valley were created to specifically work with high school students who have been kicked out of every other school. They work hard to meet their individual needs, but because they are a charter school, they have to conform to the standards set by the government.
The real tragedy for the public school students is that there are other options out there, but those options have to compete with the giant government-run public schools.
Education spending accounts can make these options more viable. Education spending accounts allow parents to take the state portion of education tax dollars to build an education that fits their individual child.
Education spending accounts have been used by parents to unbundle their child’s education. What that means is that families don’t have to commit to attending any one institution full time for their education. Many families in Utah will take private music lessons, be taught English and literature at home with their parents, meet with a group from the neighborhood for science, join a community theater group, and take a math class from the local public school.
Utah’s law says that “Parents have the primary responsibility for the education of their children.” Why? Because the Utah legislature understands that parents know their children best. Parents know when their child is struggling or thriving.
Education spending accounts support this truth.
Hermey didn’t fit the elf mold in Rudolph. But that didn’t mean he wasn’t a productive member of the community. You see how his dental skills help other elves at the end of the movie. But we don’t have to force kids to fit the mold. We can support families in finding the right path for their children. Hermey wasn’t a misfit, and neither are the children of Utah.
Education Policy Analyst
Jon is the Education Policy Analyst at Libertas Institute. He previously taught fifth and sixth grade and served as an elementary principal in Weber School District for 14 years.