Mr. Gibbons’ Report Card: ‘We didn’t have no choice’

Thelma Harper

Sen. Thelma Harper (D-Nashville) argued against the proposed Opportunity Scholarship program this week in the Senate Ways and Finance committee. Her testimony included this gem (at about the 1:01:05 mark):

“Hell, you didn’t have no choice when I came along. You went to public schools and you just went to public schools and that’s what we should be doing now. We should put whatever money that they need … We shouldn’t even talk about no choice. Hell, we didn’t have no choice. Not at all. You shouldn’t have no choice now. You should take care of public schools.”

Sen. Harper may have missed the positive effects school choice, via charter schools, is already having for Tennessee’s students.

But imagine if legislators before Sen.  Harper maintained such an admiration for the status quo in education as she does now:

“School buses? We didn’t have school buses, we had Conestoga  Wagons.”

“Small Classrooms? We only had one room.”

“Guidance counselors? That was a foot-long paddle with the teachers name on it.”

“Reduced price lunches? Why, hamburgers only cost a nickel.”

“Air conditioning in school? We called that opening a window.”

Sen. Harper may not have had school choice when she was a young girl, but times have changed, in many cases for the better.

Grade: Needs Improvement

Osceola County School Board

Not every school board in Florida wants to sit on its hands when it comes to helping students in struggling charter schools improve. Osceola County School District is stepping in at Acclaim Academy Military Charter School – which faces automatic closure for receiving two consecutive F’s – to ensure the school remains open and students can finish the year without major disruptions.

That is good news for students, especially graduating high school seniors. The district has yet to decide if it will continue operating the charter or allow a different operator to take over. At the very least, the district is vetting the principal and teachers to ensure they are capable of continued employment as educators.

Hopefully the district can find a way to turn the school around. At the very least, it’s encouraging to see the district’s leadership looking out for the well-being of students in the charters it supervises because, as School Board Chairman Tim Weisheyer said (according to the Osceola News-Gazette),  “… we know it’s the right thing to do for these kids.”

Grade: Satisfactory

Kyle Henderson

Kyle Henderson is a senior pastor at First Baptist Church in Athens, Texas and he opposes school vouchers on two fronts. One is legitimate, the other bigoted. First, he’s worried that by accepting vouchers his faith-based school will open the doors to micromanagement from the government. “Depending on the state for funds is a death sentence for free religion and vibrant faith.”

It is a common concern, and research has found that private school leaders do worry about regulations accompanying school choice programs, especially those that might threaten their schools’ identity. That’s not reason to oppose school choice for others, though. In fact, there is little evidence to date that vouchers or tax-credit scholarships would allow states to dismantle the religious beliefs and practices of private schools.

The big reason is because the state provides the money to the parents and students (or, in the case of tax-credit scholarships, creates programs encouraging private donations) and parents are free to choose among schools of different faiths. While excessive regulations may discourage schools from accepting those students, their participation is always voluntary. If schools detect a government “grab to control faith-based schools,” as Henderson fears, they can always decline vouchers. That gives states an incentive not to be intrusive if they want families to have options.

Later on, however, Henderson strays into more troubling territory. After noting one of the largest recipients of North Carolina’s voucher program is an Islamic school, he states, “Where public funds are diverted to faith-based schools, all faiths will have access to the funds.”

Yup, that’s how the government avoids violating the rights of its citizens. “Separation of church and state” means the government can’t discriminate against the parents and students who wish to attend a faith-based school that happens to adhere to a faith other than his.

Grade: Needs Improvement