Best for kids or best for bureaucracies?
Our apologies for being a little late in posting this letter to the editor of the Washington Post, from Chris Braunlich, Vice President of the Thomas Jefferson Institute for Public Policy. Mr. Braunlich has been closely involved with School Choice Virginia from the beginning, and here he explains “Why Virginia Needs Charter Schools.”
Charter schools are an important part of a vibrant system of parental choice in education. As we have argued many times, education should not be limited to a one-size-fits-all model. A diverse state, with students with diverse learning styles and interests, requires diverse educational models to give every student the right environment they need to succeed.
Sadly, the Virginia Education Association- the teacher’s union- continues to stand opposed to giving students and families educational choices. We believe that all teachers want their students to be successful- so why is the union that supposedly represents these teachers standing in the way of educational choices that could help all students to succeed?
Mr. Braunlich writes, in part:
Particularly disappointing was Ms. Boitnott’s preoccupation with arguing what’s best for bureaucracies, rather than what’s best for kids. She cited a recent Rand study but ignored its conclusion that charter high school students are eight to 10 percentage points more likely to enroll in college than their traditional public school counterparts.
Last year, more than 17,000 Virginians did not graduate on time. Among at-risk students, nearly 30 percent of students disappeared between ninth and 12th grades. In places such as Petersburg, more than 40 percent of all students dropped out.
Quality charter schools have demonstrated effectiveness in helping those students succeed. Shouldn’t the teachers union focus on bringing quality charters into the commonwealth, rather than finding new excuses to keep them out?
Comments
One Response to “Best for kids or best for bureaucracies?”
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.
As a proud Virginia public school teacher, I can honestly say the VEA does NOT speak for me. They are so far out of touch with teachers and education in this state it is shameful. I think charter schools are great options and I know many of my students would benefit from them.