Law uses the term “right(s)” in various ways; in its most common version, the concept includes a sub-species called “power(s),” a word that I will deploy here: We say that a scoutmaster has the right and power to expel (or not) the miscreant young Henry from Troop 40; my drill[Read More…]
Tag: parental power
A modest musing about parental school choice
An expansive power of parents over their own children has been recognized by the U.S. Supreme Court since the 1926 decision in Pierce v. Society of Sisters. There, Oregon had attempted to make education in State schools compulsory; the court unanimously reaffirmed the independence and supremacy of the parent. This[Read More…]
John Podesta: Ed reform movement not yet on solid ground
Recent election outcomes offer a snapshot of what people really think about education reform, said John Podesta, chairman and founder of the Center for American Progress. And lawmakers, advocates and opponents of school reform should all take note. This month’s stunner – the ousting of Indiana public schools chief Tony Bennett, who[Read More…]
Time for broader debate on school choice
Much has been written on school vouchers that assumes they are primarily about economic efficiency and increasing the private sector’s role in education – a notion of educational choice that is widespread, understandable … and grossly incomplete. Fifty years ago, the 18th Century idea of subsidized parental choice was reintroduced[Read More…]