Last evening in Skokie a star-studded panel of nationally known experts held a panel discussion as part of the Education Revolution tour. The event was held at the North Shore Center for the Performing Arts and featured a panel that included former Speaker of the House Denny Hastert, political analyst Dick Morris, and syndicated radio talk show host Michael Medved all offering their opinions on American education and school choice. The discussion was moderated by Illinois Policy Institute CEO John Tillman.
Tillman opened the program noting that all of the personalities on the stage earned their livings by expressing their opinions and introduced them as “two talkers and a Speaker.” Throughout the evening his witty observations and insights kept the conversation flowing as he asked the panelists questions of his own and several presented by audience members. In fact, Tillman’s familiarity with the subject matter and command of facts and figures probably would have served him better as a panelist than as the moderator. Like the panelists, he contended that education would be better served if we let public money follow the child into a school of his parents’ choosing instead of forcing children into schools determined by location.
Dick Morris offered a political perspective on the subject matter although his appearance was cut short by a commitment to appear via satellite later in the evening on On the Record with Greta Van Susteren. Morris contended that American education was “flatlining” with no discernable improvement in reading and math scores despite billions of dollars poured into schools. He disputed the myth that school choice would be harmful to children left behind in failing schools, contending that after a period of adjustment, the competitive dynamic would force public schools to change and improve.
Regarding education in Illinois, Morris suggested that the best thing for the state might be to declare bankruptcy which would allow it to abrogate existing contracts with the powerful Illinois Education Association and Illinois Federation of Teachers. In any case, he contended that school choice would be coming here in only a matter of time because of the state’s poor financial position. Once legislators realize that it costs about $11,500 to educate a student in public schools but only $7,800 to educate them in a private or charter school, they would warm to the idea. He proclaimed that, “The era of school reform is over. The era of school choice has begun.”
Michael Medved was perhaps the most erudite on the subject and the least doctrinaire. He shared the story of his mother, a public school teacher who was cared for after a stroke by the excellent health care benefits negotiated by her union. As long as the debate about unions is over teachers salaries and benefits, he contended, conservatives would lose. Instead, we must focus on the corrupt policies of unions that protect incompetent and underperforming teachers. Medved also discussed other shortcomings in an educational system that only seems geared toward preparing children to go to college, a choice that simply is not right for everyone. He noted that at Microsoft, 25% of all employees are foreign born and the majority of them came from two trade schools in India that trained them to be software engineers. These are highly technical, well-paying positions for which a college degree is not necessary and yet American schools cannot fill the demand of industry. He argued that the educational establishment should treat the choice of attending a trade school with more respect and that, “The purpose of education at every level should be to prepare people for the world of work.”
Like the others, Hastert favors competition from school choice and praised home schooling but noted that either of these options “disenfranchises very powerful people” in the educational establishment. Importantly, he discussed how critical parental involvement is in student achievement, noting that at some of the best charter schools parents are required to sign contracts outlining their own commitment to their children’s education. Unfortunately, that kind of involvement cannot be legislated. He also bemoaned the futility of pushing national solutions on local problems like education. Finally, he mentioned the pernicious effect that drugs have on our schools and postulated that until schools were drug-free, children could not get the education they deserved.
Education Revolution held similar events in cities across America featuring radio personalities from Salem Communications and education experts from each local market. This event was presented by National School Choice Week and AM 560 WIND and sponsored by a coalition of conservative organizations including Americans for Prosperity, Education Action Group Foundation, Education Breakthrough, Smart Girl Politics, and The Foundation for Educational Choice. Approximately 600 people attended.
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