A group of parents and school choice advocates in New Orleans are holding a news conference this afternoon to urge lawmakers to expand a private school voucher program for low-income students. The expansion would recognize that some disadvantaged children at better-performing schools may also benefit from private learning options they[Read More…]
Parental Choice
The redefinED podcast — An interview with Ben Austin of the Parent Revolution
“We’re living in a revolutionary moment,” says Ben Austin, executive director of the Parent Revolution, as we begin our interview for redefinED’s inaugural podcast. And the moment to which he refers has been marked by California’s “parent trigger,” a law that has upended the status quo at one Compton school[Read More…]
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Indy Star: Dems should awaken to their history, and their national leadership, on education reform
Indianapolis Star associate editor Russ Pulliam continues to highlight the Democratic heritage to voucher-like education reforms and charter school initiatives, especially so since Indiana Democrats have boycotted their Capitol to put pressure on Republicans to water down a voucher proposal. Last month, Pulliam focused on the story of one former Democratic candidate for[Read More…]
In Georgia, one voucher measure is tabled, another is voted up
There’s been some mixed results this week with Georgia legislation that would enhance the state’s private learning options. The Georgia Senate yesterday tabled SB 87, which would have expanded Georgia’s special needs scholarship to children of military families and to children in foster care. Yet the House, on the same day, passed HB 325 by a[Read More…]
State superintendents call for student-centered reform
The education chiefs from Louisiana, Florida, Virginia, Rhode Island and Indiana published a column today on The Hill identifying education reform as a “national priority and economic necessity” and called for greater educational choices for families: … the goal of all reforms should be to create a student-centered education. Today, America can[Read More…]
Colorado school district readies voucher plan
From today’s Denver Post: After months of study, roiling controversy and emotional debate, the Douglas County school board Tuesday night unanimously approved a groundbreaking plan to help pay tuition for hundreds of students to attend private schools. The pilot program, which will be reviewed each year, would make up to[Read More…]
Equal protection, not equal education
Not long ago, UC Berkeley law professor John E. Coons reflected on the history of one of the most important cases he ever argued and the impact it had on our nation’s public policy. The case was known as Serrano v. Priest, and it struck at the inequalities in school spending[Read More…]
Parent trigger roundup and a big city mayor’s embrace of charters
In California, John Fensterwald’s Educated Guess column has more details on the California State Board of Education’s move to decide against pursuing legislation that would “fix” the parent trigger law, as school superintendents have demanded. More than 100 parents defending the parent empowerment law had traveled to address the board during[Read More…]