Families who benefit from expanded school choice options – charter schools, virtual schools, vouchers, tax credit scholarships – are increasingly being portrayed as pawns in a coordinated campaign to privatize public schools. That’s especially troubling given that the voices of those families are so rarely included in the conversation.

The latest example: Statements from a movement to end high-stakes, standardized testing.

United Opt Out National, which led an effort over the weekend to “occupy” the U.S. Department of Education in Washington, D.C., says it wants to “end Wall Street Occupation of Education.” Among its goals: An end to "the use of public education funds to enact school 'choice' measures influenced and supported by the corporate agenda."

This story in The Florida Independent about the group’s efforts (a Miami-Dade teacher/parent is among the group’s leaders) focused most specifically on its concerns about for-profit charter schools. But by referencing vouchers and tax credit scholarships, the story suggested those options were also part of a plot to undermine public schools.

That kind of characterization about school choice is happening more and more as newspapers and TV stations echo the emotional story line that gets repeated the most. (more…)

Louisiana:  State Superintendent John White: Teachers are soldiers in fight for social justice. (Baton Rouge Advocate) State House passes bill for program similar to tax-credit scholarships. (New Orleans Times Picayune.) Voucher and charter school proposal rolls through state Senate committee. (Shreveport Times.)

South Carolina: State House passes major expansion of school choice, including tax credit scholarships for low-income students and students with disabilities. (Associated Press)

New Hampshire: State House passes tax credit scholarship bill, but Gov. John Lynch has "real concerns." (Nashua Telegraph)

Oregon: Op-ed: Expanding school choice will promote student responsibility. (News and Herald) (more…)