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If you are just now hearing about yesterday’s blockbuster speech by President Obama on education reform you will want to click here. There are forty articles embedded in the text, many reporting yesterday’s news. Sadly the cheering subsided as local news in DC announced the loss of their voucher program (reported by Mark Lerner, DC Charter School Examiner).
I want to point out that America may both be slumming the bottom of academic performance compared to the rest of the world’s developed countries AND have the honor of dragging behind accepting school choice.
So why is it that the USA has been so reform-phobic anyway?
Finland, who is the world’s education leader has great academics with all the toppings—merit pay, vouchers, and choice.
Sweden, who until recently was a socialistic country, was the second country in the world to add public funded school vouchers (1992). Yes, that is the word socialistic in the same sentence as vouchers. Sweden also has union agreements with teachers in both private and public schools.
You see, unions and school choice can co-exist if the focus is on the child.
But somehow I don’t think that school choice supporting unions look like this (write-up by Ed Hayes, Chicago Public School Examiner).
Colorado has been a red state in national elections for many years. It has also been hailed the 9th strongest state in Charter School law. When the state of Colorado turned blue on the television screen during this past election I had to look twice. However new democratic leadership must not be the end-all to charter school and academic choice issues.
Thankfully the days when liberal politicians have to deny their fancy for school choice are on the way out. Hopefully moments of division for sake of policy rather than students will become extinct, not regurgitate like yesterday’s voucher vote in DC. We can’t take one step forward and one step back if we want to make effective change.
A charter school funding bill is scheduled for state senate tomorrow. Looks like District of Columbia is making room for Colorado to catch up in the rankings of charter school law? **Can I hear it for the “A” Laws—honor roll?
**Just realized that sound gooberish. Obviously charters as public schools are not affected by vouchers. However, I hope for the kids in DC that Tuesday's voucher results is not a sign of a trend. I love DC for their charter law efforts and vouchers.
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