Recently, a short clip featuring State Auditor and Democrat Gubernatorial candidate Rob Sand was posted in an Instagram reel. In the video, Sand criticized political duopolies, arguing that when people are limited to only two options, there is little incentive for improvement or innovation.
A duopoly doesn’t work. When there are only two options, they don’t have to innovate. They don’t have to offer a better product. They don’t have to offer a better service. All they have to do is convince you that your only other option is worse.
Sand was speaking about political parties, but the principle he outlined applies well beyond elections. At its core, his argument is about competition and incentives — or the lack of them — when people have limited choices.
That same logic is especially relevant when discussing education.
For many Iowa families, particularly those without the financial means to move or pay private tuition, the education system historically did not resemble a duopoly at all. It was a monopoly. Families were assigned to a single public school based on their ZIP code, with little or no ability to seek alternatives if that school was not a good fit for their child.
When families lack options, schools face fewer incentives to adapt to the diverse needs of students. Innovation becomes harder, responsiveness declines, and parents have little leverage when concerns arise — not because educators don’t care, but because the system itself limits flexibility.
Policies such as open enrollment and education savings accounts have begun to change that dynamic. They allow families, especially those without significant resources, to access more than one option and to seek an educational environment that best meets their child’s needs.
If a lack of competition is concerning in politics because it discourages improvement and accountability, it is worth asking why education should be treated differently. The stakes are at least as high, if not higher.
Applying the same reasoning consistently leads to a simple conclusion: expanding educational options empowers families and encourages systems to better serve students. That principle should unite Iowans, including Rob Sand, across political lines.