You decide: What “works” in education?
The Heritage Foundation’s The Foundry Blog shares: Universal School Choice Prevails – For Sweden. Yeah, you read that right. Sweden.
In socialist Sweden, universal school choice allows every parent to choose the best school for their child. The voucher program, which has been in effect since 1992 and was created to tackle the kind of problems plaguing the U.S. educational system, provides families with the opportunity to send their child to any type of school they like – public, private, religious, or even for-profit. Stuart Butler, Heritage Vice President of domestic policy studies, explains in Washington Times:
“These independent schools, like the public schools, get a voucher payment for each child. They compete vigorously with one other because the money follows the child to the school of his or her choice. Schools must satisfy their customers … or lose them.”
Sure it’s still Sweden, so there are some drawbacks- schools must all follow a national curriculum and testing- but perhaps there is something to be learned from this model. Schools are given control over their programs and teaching styles, and are actually being forced to satisfy customers, i.e. families? Now that is an ed reform that makes some sense.
Meanwhile, back here in the States, we have teacher’s unions and others actually blocking the doors to children at a charter school. As in last week. September 2009! Really? Is that what the world is coming to? Are unions so threatened by competition that they’ll have members yell at children simply trying to get into their school so they can actually learn?!
Pathetic doesn’t even begin to describe it…
What works? You decide.
1st Day of School in Virginia
For most students in Virginia, today marks the end of summer and the official start of the school year. We wish all students the best for a very successful school year.
A couple headlines from over the Labor Day weekend:
The Washington Times: Editorial: The public chooses school choice
Another respected poll is out that shows the American public overwhelmingly favors school reforms opposed by the union that is misnamed the National Education Association. On two issues in particular, the public is far ahead of the NEA.
The annual poll, released late last month by Phi Delta Kappa International, a professional association for educators, in conjunction with Gallup, demonstrated strong majority support for charter schools and merit-pay systems for teachers. But the power-hungry union consistently puts roadblocks or stultifying restrictions on these reforms.
National Review Online: President Obama, Inspire Thyself
President Obama will address schoolchildren around the nation today, exhorting them to have the courage and determination to achieve their educational goals, to seek out expert help when they need it, and to not allow their history to determine their destiny.
These are inspiring words that could indeed transform American education — if only the president himself would heed them.
Obama showed a glimmer of courage on education policy during the 2008 campaign. Asked if he supported private school-choice programs such as the one in Milwaukee, Obama responded, “If there was any argument for vouchers it was ‘Let’s see if the experiment works.’ And if it does, whatever my preconception, you do what’s best for kids.”
Labor Day Weekend Headlines
In case you need your school choice news fix this holiday weekend!
Vancouver Sun: Options are expanding for back to school
The Arizona Republic: Arizona’s tuition tax credits make schools accessible
New Jersey Newsroom: Why choice and charter schools matter to New Jersey
Democrats for Education Reform: Huffington promotes school choice
We need more GREAT schools
Hope everyone has a nice Labor Day weekend- and for those who start school next week, hope you enjoy your last weekend of summer!
So Secretary Duncan was out in California this week- invited by Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson to participate in a town hall forum on education, charter schools and education reform. We think it is great that Californians are finally focusing on education reforms- as we saw recently with the Los Angeles schools.
After his own remarks, Duncan took a few questions from the audience. The Sacramento Press reports:
When asked about his opinion on charter schools, Duncan said, “I’m not a fan of charter schools. I’m a fan of good charter schools.”
“What we need in our country is more good schools, and a number of things have to happen; charters are a piece of the solution - never the solution,” he added.
This country doesn’t only need more good schools- it needs more great schools. EVERY child deserves the opportunity to go to a great school.
Taking Sec. Duncan’s first response, that he’s not a fan of charters, just “good” charter schools- well shouldn’t he say the same thing about the public schools? That he’s not a fan of public schools- just “good” public schools? Should parents be forced to settle for an underperforming school? And isn’t that what protecting the status quo does?
What about the 216 children in DC who have been denied their scholarships from the DC Opportunity Scholarship Program- scholarships they were promised, only to have them revoked by Sec. Duncan? Don’t they deserve a good school? Surely Sec. Duncan is aware of the state of DC public schools- he himself admitted he moved to Arlington instead of DC to ensure his own children could go to a good school.
Sec. Duncan is right- charter schools are a piece of the solution to creating more great schools in this country. Sure, not every charter school works perfectly- but is that a reason not to try? Not every public school works perfectly either- yet this hasn’t seemed to stop anyone from continuing to give them more and more money even when they don’t perform.
What Sec. Duncan seems to really miss in all this is the opportunity to say that CHOICE is a part of the solution. If the administration is serious about real reforms- don’t just tweak around the edges; don’t cave in from pressure from the unions; don’t placate the status quo with more money. Demand real change. Demand real results. And give parents a real say in the education of their children. Lip-service to “parental involvement” won’t produce results, put some real control back in their hands.
There’s no silver bullet here to fix education in this country. But a vibrant system of diverse options seems like a pretty solid start. Then you have a market that can truly force out the bad schools- be they public, private, charter, etc- and give parents real alternatives that can help their children to succeed.
VIDEO: Mayor Villaraigosa: Historic Moment For Los Angeles School System
Great things happening in LA- and great to see the Mayor standing up for real school reform to bring much needed change to the school system. Other elected leaders throughout the country should take notes.
Mayor Villaraigosa writes in part:
I can’t thank you - the students, parents, teachers, and all those who supported the school choice motion - enough for your dedication and hard work to ensure its passage. We couldn’t have done it without you.
You said loud and clear - “We want reform in our schools.” You held town hall meetings, took to the streets and the airwaves to spread the message that we’re tired of the status quo of failing schools and we want something better for our kids.
And because of you and your efforts, the School Board voted overwhelmingly to open over 250 schools to outside operators with a proven track record of success.
Today, we can rejoice and celebrate one of the most comprehensive school reform efforts to ever hit LAUSD.
We still have work to do, but with you as our continued partners in this effort, I am confident that we will succeed in our efforts to fundamentally transform our system of public education.
Read the full letter and watch the video online at Brentwood Blogged.
And I thought the idea was to reward success…
Okay, so I’ve mentioned before, my mom is an educator in the public school system. And for as long as I can remember, she’s talked about education methods that reward success- positive reinforcement and all that.
Sadly, while the teachers might “get it,” bureaucrats do not. Instead of rewarding success and embracing those innovations that improve education for children, they fight them tooth and nail.
Christina Martin, a policy analyst for the School Choice Project at Cascade Policy Institute, takes a good look at this in: Who Want to Punish Success? Bureaucrats, Not Parents.
She writes:
Yet, school boards like Portland Public Schools’ grant charters to few applicants, in spite of the evident demand for more charter schools. What happens when schools like Corbett succeed far beyond their peers? Parents want more, and bureaucrats become afraid. Instead of fearing change, bureaucrats should embrace the opportunity to give Oregon what it wants and needs: more school choice.
Sadly, it isn’t just happening in Oregon, but in schools and school systems throughout the country. It is time to give all families more school choice.
September- Back to school and campaign season
It’s hard to believe it is already September, but the cooler weather this morning is certainly making it feel like back-to-school time already. Out this morning, I saw the signs up at the local middle school announcing back-to-school nights this week as students prepare to return next week.
The National Post in Canada has an interesting back-to-school article this morning from Malkin Dare, president of Society for Quality Education, “A chance to choose.” The article examines the situation in D.C., before discussing the state of education in Canada, and the lack of options available to most parents.
Of course, there’s nothing wrong with President Obama sending his kids to such a fine school; it’s perfectly normal for him to want his children to get the best education possible. Yet there is something wrong with the fact that this same President is also working hard to prevent other parents from having the right to get the best education possible for their own kids. In fact, President Obama is trying to kill the Washington school voucher program, a project that gives poor children an opportunity to escape their appalling inner-city schools.
One such horrifying Washington school is the Francis-Stevens education complex, which is where Obama’s girls would be expected to go if he didn’t have the resources to send them to private school. Last year only about half of the students at the complex were proficient in reading, and even fewer were proficient in math.
We agree- we fully support any parent who is able to make the best educational choices for their children. It is a wonderful thing for a parent to be involved in their child’s education and make choices to give that child the best opportunity for success, which is why we believe ALL parents should be able to make those choices. We have noted before the hypocrisy of some who would make those choices themselves but then actively stand in the way and oppose providing those same choices to other families- families just like theirs who only want a good, safe education for their children, but sadly do not have the same financial means to afford it.
Dare continues:
In practice, however, there is a large subclass of Canadian families who are unable to access any of these options. They tend to be lower-income, lower-education families who are stuck with their assigned public school.
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Perhaps these students would do better if government policy gave their parents a chance to choose better schools for them. It might offset the other disadvantages they face.
…
It’s time for attitudes to change.
It is time for attitudes to change. It is time for parents to stand up for their children. It is time to let politicians know that families demand (and deserve) more than the status quo.
While we’ve finally started to see some Virginia candidates begin test the waters and discuss education reform and parental choice in education, up in NJ, this is becoming a key issue in the Governor’s race. Chris Christie, who is challenging incumbent Jon Corzine has made his support for school choice and expanded charter school options very clear.
In a press release yesterday, Christie announced:
Every child in New Jersey deserves an opportunity to attend a quality school and receive a world-class education. Charter schools, such as the Learning Community Charter School, provide New Jersey’s parents and their children with much needed choice when their local schools and school districts fail at giving their students a high-quality education. It is vital to the future of New Jersey to ensure every child receives a high-quality education regardless of geography or socioeconomic status.
And he’s not just paying lip-service to the issue. Christie’s press release goes on to lay out 4 specific reforms for education in NJ. We applaud Mr. Christie for making education reform- and parental choice in education- a key issue in his campaign for Governor- and pledging real reform for NJ families. We hope that Virginia’s candidates will take notice and follow this lead- Virginia’s families deserve representation that will stand up for them and bring real reform to education in Virginia.
Monday morning education news
Hope everyone had a great weekend. While some Virginia students are already headed back to school, we’re still about a week away for most families. So as we enjoy the final days of summer, here are a couple quick headlines to start the morning.
- Philadelphia Magazine: Is This the Best School In Philadelphia?: Cynics say urban education is hopeless. With some old-fashioned ideas, North Philly’s KIPP School is proving them wrong.
- iSurf Hopkins: School choice would bring quality - and accountability
- Hartford Courant: School Year Begins Today: Amid Hopes for More Success
- NOLA.com: State: 19 seek charter schools
- WNED-AM 970 News: Hoyt Calls on Paterson to Push School Reform
- Jacksonville.com: Duval charter schools give students new outlooks
Friday must-reads: Post urges Obama to re-think vouchers and other news
More Friday headlines:
- DC Charter Schools Examiner: D.C. Mayor puts kids in public school and gets school choice at the same time
When D.C. Mayor Adrian Fenty took over DCPS a couple of years ago he promised to move his two sons from private to public school. Turns out he stuck to his word although it proved difficult for the press to obtain this information. The reason? Mr. Fenty did what all arrogant politicians do and put his children not in the neighborhood school, West Elementary, at 14th and Farragut Streets that has failed to make AYP for a couple of years, but instead enrolled them at a much better institution, Lafayette Elementary, which is located in Chevy Chase, and whose students score over 90 percent proficient or above in both reading and math.
We think that it is wonderful that Mayor Fenty and his wife were able to make the best choices for educating their sons. But it is beyond frustrating that ALL families don’t have this same choice.
- Appeal Democrat: Our View: A step toward school choice
Even if parents prefer their children attend lower-performing charter schools, their choice should prevail. To assert otherwise assumes that arbitrary standards must dictate, rather than parental rights. There may be myriad reasons parents prefer alternative programs. That decision should rest with them, not with bureaucrats or politicians and not with unions. That’s about to be the case in Los Angeles. Next, we hope, the rest of the state.
I couldn’t put it better myself. Parents’ choices should prevail. Period.
- Washington Post: Beach Reading for Mr. Obama: Useful literature on school vouchers
…we enthusiastically support public school reform and quality charter schools, too. But vouchers are an answer for some children whose options otherwise are bleak. In Washington, they also are part of a carefully designed social-science experiment that may provide useful evidence for all schools on helping low-income children learn. Why would a Democratic administration and Congress want to cut such an experiment short?
That says it all. Let’s make all schools better- let’s make education better. And when something is working, like the DC Opportunity Scholarships, why wouldn’t we all embrace it as positive change for our students?
Choice in L.A. and editorial board support for school choice?
Sorry no new posts yesterday- we were in Richmond most of the day for a wonderful meeting of many of our coalition partners to update everyone on school choice efforts in Virginia. We greatly appreciate everyone taking the time to attend and participate- and a special thank you to those folks who drove several hours to attend the meeting. We did share some updates on Twitter yesterday- if you aren’t following us already, we hope you will check it out!
We do have some very exciting projects that we’ll be announcing in the coming weeks, so we hope you encourage you to stay tuned.
In other news, a few headlines from around the country on the education reform front:
The Press-Register: ACT results show the need for choice
It’s about time that Alabama and Mississippi provided educational alternatives for minorities who live in low-income urban centers.
School choice programs have taken root in Milwaukee, Washington, D.C., and other cities. In some cities, children from poor families can use publicly funded vouchers to attend private schools. Thirty-nine states have charter schools — independent public schools that have been freed from most bureaucratic regulations.
Polls show most blacks support school choice, including voucher programs. Again, this isn’t surprising, given that many black children are trapped in failing public schools.
The shame is that Alabama and Mississippi are in the minority of states that provide little or no choice for parents. Alabama doesn’t even allow charter schools. Mississippi’s charter school law, which severely restricted charters, expired in July.
Consumer choice drives competition, innovation and quality in the private sector. Parental choice would shake up the education establishment and become a powerful force for change.
Alabama and Mississippi need to unleash that force for the benefit of students who are falling by the wayside in the current system.
The Citizen-Times: Shrink achievement gap through choice in education
Waiting lists are a familiar theme for North Carolina’s public charter schools, which currently remain capped at 100 despite waiting lists reportedly in excess of 15,000 families. While all public charter schools in Buncombe County reached expected growth goals last year, the county still has only three public charters. The Obama administration’s strong endorsement of public charter schools, particularly those targeting the achievement gap, compels North Carolina to demonstrate progressive charter school policies to compete for federal funding. More importantly, the state has a moral obligation to its children, especially those from poor and working-class families.
All in all, it should come as no surprise that North Carolina parents–regardless of race or income–are increasingly concerned about their children’s education. After all, a sound educational system is the cornerstone of a sound economy. Until our state embraces true school reform, you can expect to see a continued push for more parental school choice and quality options for all children in North Carolina.
Los Angeles Times: Vote could open 250 L.A. schools to outside operators
In a startling acknowledgment that the Los Angeles school system cannot improve enough schools on its own, the city Board of Education approved a plan Tuesday that could turn over 250 campuses — including 50 new multimillion-dollar facilities — to charter groups and other outside operators.
The plan, approved on a 6-1 vote, gives Supt. Ramon C. Cortines the power to recommend the best option to run some of the worst-performing schools in the city as well as the newest campuses. Board member Marguerite Poindexter LaMotte dissented.
The vote occurred after a tense, nearly four-hour debate during which supporters characterized the resolution as a moral imperative. Foes called it illegal, illogical and improper.
The action signals a historic turning point for the Los Angeles Unified School District, which has struggled for decades to boost student achievement. District officials and others have said their ability to achieve more than incremental progress is hindered by the powerful teachers union, whose contract makes it nearly impossible to fire ineffective tenured teachers. Union leaders blame a district bureaucracy that they say fails to include teachers in “top-down reforms.”
