Learning Matters: Reporting you trust on education stories that matter

November 10, 2011 at 4:31 pm
Joan Jaeckel says:

A parent’s right to choose the kind of education their child will receive is a fundamental principle and human and civil right. The fact that competition ensues in the wake of choice is a secondary benefit to the system. Choice brings not only competition, choice also brings collaboration and mutual learning. The war between reformer and the status quo will abate when we begin to frame educational choice as a parental civil right and principle of freedom and democracy rather than an yardstick to make the average, hard-working teacher look bad.

And, if parents choose a anti-Darwin school? If the national tests included a science component, then the school would not be able to continue to operate if the science scores dipped too low for too long.

Nazi propaganda? If one actual example exists of a public - or even private - school in America, at this time, that offers pro-Hitler propaganda to students, let’s look at it in the light of hate speech. Otherwise, why solve a problem that does not in fact exist?

November 10, 2011 at 8:52 pm
lovemystudents says:

state-initiated, state-funded segregation

November 16, 2011 at 1:14 pm
Julie says:

The top 5 Indiana voucher-recieving private schools are all at least 95% one race. As America becomes more diverse, do we really want to create more opportunities to divide our citizens? I hope that voucher parents are seeking better education and not running from something.

May 17, 2012 at 7:41 pm
Shane says:

to lovemystudents: Segregation is when you live on the wrong side of the tracks and cannot go to the good school on the other side because your parents cannot afford to rent (or buy) on the other side. If there ever was a post- civil rights era social justice issue in America, this is it.

Did you notice, 85% of the initial enrollees benefit from free or reduced lunches as well? Who do you think this program helps most? The wealthy can afford private schools anyway and are already free to segregate themselves as much as they want. Finally, poor parents will no longer have to struggle to pay tuition to the landlord in good school district.

Or maybe standing strong with teachers’ unions to avoid competition is more important to you than improving education and lives.