Friedman Foundation Survey: “Virginia’s Opinion on K-12 Education and School Choice “
We’ll post more on this later today, but in case you missed it yesterday, we were honored to joined the Friedman Foundation, Virginia Walden Ford and many other state and national education organizations in releasing the latest in the Friedman Foundations Surveys in the State series.
To read more: Virginia’s Opinion on K-12 Education and School Choice
Coverage of the “DC School Choice 6″
Yesterday, we told you about a dramatic stand taken in DC by several leaders in the school reform movement. We fully support the “DC School Choice 6″ for their actions to bring attention to not only the situation in DC, but the need for all kids in this country to have access to a high quality education that best meets their needs.
The events in DC received some great press coverage.
Watch this great video from the House Republicans:
The Washington Times also has a good article with another wonderful video:
Voucher advocates face up to police
“You may not lock us up, but we’ll be back,” Mr. Chavous said. “We will make sure that we do everything in our power to give our children the education they deserve. I am disgusted by the fact that they can go to great lengths to stop or muzzle the voice of freedom.
“It is fundamentally wrong for this administration not to listen to the voices of citizens in this city.”
Fox News even ran a full piece on the action. In it, Secretary Duncan gives the same old song and dance about not just saving 1 or 2% of the students. Fine, Mr. Duncan- then give all students a choice and a chance and don’t teach even 1 or 2% that it is okay to lie by extending a chance at a better education only to take it away and send them back to unsafe and failing schools. You wouldn’t risk your own kids’ education in the DC public schools- why would you force that upon other families?
Some updates from this morning and the “DC 6″ (Updated)
We posted this morning that there were some exciting things taking place today on the school choice front.
We’ll share some of our own thoughts on this later, but we did want to share some of the news coming out of this event.
Ed is Watching has a great update: Thank the D.C. 6 for Taking a Stand for D.C. Scholarship Students. He writes:
While many eyes today were on Obama’s address to schoolchildren from Arlington, Va., which ended up being a lot less controversial than originally reported, a truly exciting education-related event was happening just a few miles away.
Leading advocates of school choice and opportunity for the neediest kids made a real stand in support of the D.C. 216 who had their private tuition scholarships revoked by the U.S. Department of Education. To make a strong public statement, they went beyond making speeches from a podium or talking to a news reporter.
You can read online the full press release issued following this morning’s standoff at the US Department of Education.
The Washington Post also shares a quick update.
These leaders took a stand this morning, fighting for the new civil rights issue of our time: education. We firmly believe that we can no longer sit idly by and allow special interests to limit us to an outdated educational model that is not working for too many families.
—–
Update: Wanted to share another great update from the Heritage Foundation’s Dan Lips over at National Review Online: Civil Disobedience for Educational Opportunity
He includes a great quotation from former DC Councilman Kevin Chavous:
“Each and every child is entitled to equal access to the American Dream. Each and every child is entitled to a high quality education. And it is shameful if we give them anything less. That is the last civil-rights challenge for our country. That is why I stand here. That’s why those of who are here before you dedicate our lives to this cause. That’s why you don’t have to arrest us, because we ain’t going nowhere.”
Florida’s success
Florida has served as a leader in the area of educational options, and the results are paying off- for students and for taxpayers.
As Virginia Walden Ford notes in this post for the Heritage Foundation’s blog, The Foundry:
And now growing evidence shows that school reforms that incorporate school choice can deliver real progress. One place where this is becoming increasingly clear is Florida, a state that is a national leader in offering families school choice options. In Florida, a decade of aggressive education reforms has led to remarkable progress in improving students’ academic achievement on the National Assessment of Educational Progress. Since 1998, Florida students have improved by 32 percent in the percentage of 4th grade students scoring “basic” on the reading exam as well as a 54 percent increase in those scoring “proficient.”
What’s most inspiring about this story is that the greatest academic gains have been made by Florida’s African American and Hispanic students. For example, Florida’s Hispanic students now outscore the statewide average of all students in 15 states on the 2007 fourth-grade reading exam. Florida’s African American students also beat the statewide average of all students in Louisiana and Mississippi, and they are close to passing other states.
Ms. Walden cites the new Heritage study that shows just how Florida has achieved this success. Hopefully, Florida’s success will help other states, like Virginia, provide the same kinds of opportunities for all students, so that they may all have the opportunities to avhieve success.
D.C. Mother, Parent Activist Honored with National Award for Education Reform
WASHINGTON, Aug 11, 2008 (BUSINESS WIRE) — Washington, D.C. parent and activist Virginia Walden Ford has been honored with the John T. Walton Champions for School Choice Award, the highest accolade bestowed by the national nonprofit Alliance for School Choice.
The award recognizes Ms. Walden Ford’s contributions to education reform in the District.
As a single mother, Virginia Walden Ford took up the cause of school choice after her son received a private scholarship to escape a failing D.C. school. Since then, she has worked to mobilize thousands of District parents in support of school choice, culminating in the successful passage of the D.C. Opportunity Scholarship Program by the U.S. Congress in 2004. She is also the author of the book Voices, Choices, and Second Chances.
As president of the D.C. Black Alliance for Educational Options (DCBAEO) and executive director of D.C. Parents for School Choice, Ms. Walden Ford–along with her sister and advocacy partner Harrietta Fowler–was instrumental this year in mobilizing parents in support of renewed Congressional funding of the program through the 2009-2010 school year.
