Lucy Wolski: Status quo bias preventing educational growth in Northfield

To The Daily Sun,

This spring, I attended the Annual School District Meeting for Winnisquam Regional, where members of my community gave testimony about much needed capital improvement. Some aired mistrust for the school board and budget committee while voting down a bond to renovate the schools. Some cited dismal student test scores while voting down proposed career and technical education centers.

Why won’t my community vote to improve the school’s future?

Perhaps, without even realizing it, we are experiencing status quo bias. Status quo bias is the inner force that guided some residents of Pompeii to stay, even though ash was spewing from Vesuvius. It’s the preference to stay exactly where you are rather than to make a change. In an attempt to avoid possible losses and regret, we cling to the way things are, and miss out on a better future.

How will high-quality public education manifest without getting past status quo bias?

If we truly want education reform, then we should vote for candidates who back progressive policies to help build opportunities for our current students and future citizens. Dilapidation isn’t OK, and privatizing choices won’t fix our schools.

The worst thing we can do is diminish public education funding and hope for the best. Instead, we should support policies that aim to create better education regardless of the zip code. Consider whether or not status quo bias is influencing your decisions. Think about what could be gained if we abandoned complacency and embraced investment in our public schools.

Lucy Wolski

Northfield