We should all demand better public schools, whether we have children in them or not. We should demand that we get our money's worth and we should demand that they not teach inappropriate material. But that all has nothing to do with a parent's decision on where to send his child. The former is a public political problem. The latter is about choosing what is best for one's own family.
As far as the option of private or parochial education not being available to all, pretty much every private or parochial school has tuition assistance for for the indigent. If you have too much money to qualify for such programs, it's a matter of priorities. A lot of parents who "can't afford it" seem to be able to afford a lot of other nice things. They just choose these things over the well-being of their own children.
I agree wholeheartedly. It is important to distinguish between addressing the political (and social) problems of the public schools and deciding what is best for one's family.
As far as the option of private or parochial education not being available to all, pretty much every private or parochial school has tuition assistance for for the indigent. If you have too much money to qualify for such programs, it's a matter of priorities. A lot of parents who "can't afford it" seem to be able to afford a lot of other nice things. They just choose these things over the well-being of their own children.
What you say may very well be true in most cases. However, I would add two caveats.
First, not all areas have suitable private or parochial schools. (The Catholic school in my town, for instance, comprises Kindergarten through eighth grade; there is no Catholic high school.)
Second, private schools are not always better. Some private schools adhere to the same questionable philosophies of education as do the public schools.
One more point: Homeschooling (which is often promoted here) may be a superior way to educate children, but it is not practical for all families. For instance, as one poster has already pointed out, a single parent may not have the luxury of staying home to educate his or her children.