Promoting School Choice the Wrong Way

A prominent advocate of this cause has done it a disservice by exploiting right-wing rage to advance it

The culture war is being fought on multiple fronts, but arguably none has generated as much rage on the far right as schools. Critical race theory, gender-inclusive policies, trans issues, and Covid-related closures have fueled a moral panic that is poisoning our politics.

One prominent school choice advocate, Corey DeAngelis, frustrated by the slow pace of education reform, decided to go “rogue” and exploit this rage and panic to advance his cause. He became a right-wing hero. But, recently, due to an exposé of his youthful indiscretions, he fell from grace with his new allies—even as he had squandered the goodwill of his previous ones.

My latest video tells the story of his contrasting strategies to promote school choice to highlight why choosing the right means to promote the right ends is important. It's a story we should all internalize, especially in the age of shifting coalitions and alliances, as we strive to maintain and cultivate a more open, free, and liberal society.

Watch it below or on YouTube.

© The UnPopulist, 2024

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