School Choice

Commentary

Arizona Tax Credit Program Offers Lessons for Other States

School Reform News (Heartland Institute), December 1, 2009 When two Arizona newspapers this summer investigated the student tuition organizations (STOs) that distribute funds to needy students to attend private schools in the state, they opened the state’s school choice efforts up to attack. The list of groups and individuals that ...
Charter Schools

Who’s Afraid of Charter Schools?

On November 12, parents of children at Gratts Elementary in Los Angeles received a flier, in Spanish, warning that if they signed a petition to convert their neighborhood school into a charter school they would be deported. This threat, though bogus, teaches parents and policy makers a lesson about the ...
Education

Support for School Choice is Strong in Virginia

Findings like these are bad news for traditional opponents of parental choice in education, including teachers union leaders. “All of this stuff about, ‘We need vouchers so we can send our kids other places, we need to provide choices, we need charter schools,’ all of it is simply an attempt ...
Commentary

Give “American Education Week” Some Real Meaning

This week the National Education Association is sponsoring American Education Week. According to the NEA’s website, the purpose of the week is to emphasize, “the importance of providing every child in America with a quality public education from kindergarten through college, and the need for everyone to do his or ...
Commentary

North Carolina Group Sues for Equal Funding for Charters

School choice advocates have brought a lawsuit in North Carolina seeking funding equity in public education. The North Carolina Institute for Constitutional Law filed a complaint on September 21 on behalf of seven charter schools challenging the state’s funding formula, seeking the ability to request money from the state in ...
Commentary

Race To The Top is About More Than Money

SACRAMENTO – California is scrambling for federal Race to the Top grants but there is more at stake than money according to state Sen. Gloria Romero, who held an informational hearing on October 14. “I’m open to having discussions on accountability and what works,” said Sen. Romero in the hearing. ...
Crime

Time for Parents to Overthrow School Safety “Czars”

Similarly The Detroit News reported numerous shootings in or around the city’s public schools this year, acknowledging that “for each high-profile shooting, there are hundreds of assaults and other violent crimes on school campuses that go unreported each year.” Furthermore, the Detroit Police Department reported that they have responded to ...
Commentary

Duncan Wrong Again on School Choice

Freedom Politics, October 6, 2009 As grassroots momentum builds to save the Washington, DC school-choice voucher program from the congressional chopping block, U.S. education secretary Arne Duncan continues to dig in his heels in opposition. His comments betray a fundamental misunderstanding of how the education market works and what parents ...
Commentary

The Moment of Truth for Secretary Duncan

Scheduled speakers at the “Save School Choice” rally organized by the “Put Kids First” coalition included U.S. Senator Joe Lieberman (I-CT), House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-OH), former U.S. Education Secretary Margaret Spellings, D.C. Councilman Marion Barry, former D.C. Councilman Kevin P. Chavous, Pennsylvania State Senator Anthony H. Williams (D-Philadelphia), ...
Charter Schools

Louisiana Lifts Limit on Charter Schools

Just in time to be considered for federal Race to the Top funds, Louisiana legislators removed the state’s cap on charter schools. State Rep. Walt Leger III (D-New Orleans) introduced the bill and added an amendment to remove the charter cap, previously set at 70 schools statewide. “We applaud the ...
Commentary

Arizona Tax Credit Program Offers Lessons for Other States

School Reform News (Heartland Institute), December 1, 2009 When two Arizona newspapers this summer investigated the student tuition organizations (STOs) that distribute funds to needy students to attend private schools in the state, they opened the state’s school choice efforts up to attack. The list of groups and individuals that ...
Charter Schools

Who’s Afraid of Charter Schools?

On November 12, parents of children at Gratts Elementary in Los Angeles received a flier, in Spanish, warning that if they signed a petition to convert their neighborhood school into a charter school they would be deported. This threat, though bogus, teaches parents and policy makers a lesson about the ...
Education

Support for School Choice is Strong in Virginia

Findings like these are bad news for traditional opponents of parental choice in education, including teachers union leaders. “All of this stuff about, ‘We need vouchers so we can send our kids other places, we need to provide choices, we need charter schools,’ all of it is simply an attempt ...
Commentary

Give “American Education Week” Some Real Meaning

This week the National Education Association is sponsoring American Education Week. According to the NEA’s website, the purpose of the week is to emphasize, “the importance of providing every child in America with a quality public education from kindergarten through college, and the need for everyone to do his or ...
Commentary

North Carolina Group Sues for Equal Funding for Charters

School choice advocates have brought a lawsuit in North Carolina seeking funding equity in public education. The North Carolina Institute for Constitutional Law filed a complaint on September 21 on behalf of seven charter schools challenging the state’s funding formula, seeking the ability to request money from the state in ...
Commentary

Race To The Top is About More Than Money

SACRAMENTO – California is scrambling for federal Race to the Top grants but there is more at stake than money according to state Sen. Gloria Romero, who held an informational hearing on October 14. “I’m open to having discussions on accountability and what works,” said Sen. Romero in the hearing. ...
Crime

Time for Parents to Overthrow School Safety “Czars”

Similarly The Detroit News reported numerous shootings in or around the city’s public schools this year, acknowledging that “for each high-profile shooting, there are hundreds of assaults and other violent crimes on school campuses that go unreported each year.” Furthermore, the Detroit Police Department reported that they have responded to ...
Commentary

Duncan Wrong Again on School Choice

Freedom Politics, October 6, 2009 As grassroots momentum builds to save the Washington, DC school-choice voucher program from the congressional chopping block, U.S. education secretary Arne Duncan continues to dig in his heels in opposition. His comments betray a fundamental misunderstanding of how the education market works and what parents ...
Commentary

The Moment of Truth for Secretary Duncan

Scheduled speakers at the “Save School Choice” rally organized by the “Put Kids First” coalition included U.S. Senator Joe Lieberman (I-CT), House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-OH), former U.S. Education Secretary Margaret Spellings, D.C. Councilman Marion Barry, former D.C. Councilman Kevin P. Chavous, Pennsylvania State Senator Anthony H. Williams (D-Philadelphia), ...
Charter Schools

Louisiana Lifts Limit on Charter Schools

Just in time to be considered for federal Race to the Top funds, Louisiana legislators removed the state’s cap on charter schools. State Rep. Walt Leger III (D-New Orleans) introduced the bill and added an amendment to remove the charter cap, previously set at 70 schools statewide. “We applaud the ...
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