Inside DC's School Voucher Movement

I highly recommend the blog by Cato Institute’s education policy analyst, Casey J. Lartigue Jr. His blog combines compelling personal anecdotes and education policy. The stories give the reader the feel of being inside the fight for school choice in DC. In addition, Casey is a fascinating person who really gets why education is the most pressing policy issue for urban neighborhoods.

Weighing NCLB

Alexander Russo has a hard-hitting, and in my humble opinion, accurate, assessment of the implementation and future survival of the NCLB act over at Slate.

Choice in Vegas

Here's one for the "We don't live by the double standard, we invented it" files.


Via Education Intelligence Agency

Union Supports School Choice… for Teachers.

In an effort to reduce turnover in the worst schools, the Clark County School District in Nevada negotiated a provision in the collective bargaining agreement that requires new teachers to remain in those schools for three years. The Clark County Education Association wants the regulation removed. Union President Mary Ella Holloway told the Las Vegas Sun that forcing teachers to stay where they are unhappy won’t improve a school.

EIA applauds Holloway’s sound reasoning, and eagerly awaits her explanation as to why it wouldn’t also apply to parents and students.

Yep, forcing students to stay where they are unhappy has not done much for student achievement.

The Price of Parental Involvement

The New York Times reports on how your taxdollars will get parents "Back-to-School":

In a year of budget cuts, the New York City Department of Education is spending $43 million to hire a parent coordinator in every school, to encourage parents to participate in their children's education. They will be paid $30,000 to $39,000 annually.

Why the middle man? Maybe they need a better scheme. Something like parental participation vouchers, where parents with children in failing schools would each get $1,000 bucks for improving their participation and communication with their child's teacher.

Just kidding.

Parent One or Parent Two?

Kentucky's Lexington Herald-Leader prints a sad but amusing column on the loss of the mother and father labels in Kentucky schools.

For a total of 21 years and two children, I was a father, a dad. My wife was a mother and a mom. Yet now, according to the Fayette County public school system, it has all been for naught. Alas, we are now merely Parent One and Parent Two. That's right, folks. If you've actually read the myriad forms and permission slips emanating from Central Office, you will find that there is no longer any space for mother or father's signature. Instead: Parent One and Parent Two.

The author blames Dr. Seuss:

I realize that a great number of schoolchildren do not live with their biological mother or father. Yet it's a safe bet that most of those kids are living with relatives who have a very clear concept of "mother" and "father." Then again, maybe there are adults would be happier being called simply Adult One and Adult Two.

It doesn't take a crystal ball to see what's coming. "Oh thanks, Billy, how sweet. Honey, look. Billy made a card all by himself. Happy Parent One Day! Thank you!"

It's all the fault of Dr. Seuss and The Cat in The Hat. When things got really out of hand and Parent One was at the door, whom did he conjure up? Why Thing One and Thing Two.