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MORE BI-PARTISAN SUPPORT FOR CHOICE.  In a major “get” for ed opportunity supporters, New Jersey Senator and presumptive Democrat Presidential candidate Cory Booker signed on to Senate Bill 213 that re-authorizes the District of Columbia’s Opportunity Scholarship program. The Opportunity Scholarships are the only federally funded program that helps low-income children pay for private school tuition. Booker is co-sponsor with fellow Dems Diane Feinstein (CA) and Republicans Ron Johnson (WIS) and Tim Scott (SC). We congratulate Senator Booker on his courage and sticking to his previous declarations of support for students to find education wherever it best suits them, and not just confined to zip code. As Booker is fond of saying, “I was born on third base…” and he readily acknowledges not everyone was.

MORE EVIDENCE OF BI-PARTISAN SUPPORT.  Prominent California Democrat Gloria Romero, former Chair of the State Senate Education Committee, penned a must read piece dissecting the current anti-charter mania raging on the left coast.  Most of you may not live there, but ideas – both good and bad – that start in California often spread, or in this case metastasize is the more accurate word, to other parts of the country. Romero does a superb job of describing the current fevered-climate as well as debunking anti-voucher canards. Read it and be prepared.

THERE THEY GO AGAIN. The unions are back to default as the West Virginia affiliate of the NEA and their AFT counterpart strike against the ed reform bill that the legislature had almost assured would pass.  Union leaders argued they “had no choice” but to strike.  Really? A bill that would make schools work better for kids by improving opportunities for students to find schools that fit them gives the unions no choice?   It’s students who have no choice…(But we digress.)

BREAKING: TEACHERS STRIKE TO KILL STUDENT CHOICE. West Virginia’s GOP Governor surrenders to another union walkout.

WHY UNIONS REALLY STRIKE. As they continue to cover education system dysfunction,  media outlets around the country are providing space for well-reasoned objections to the teachers’ strikes against their students.  This particular piece in the Philadelphia Inquirer is the best so far. Philly leaders Janine Yass and David Hardy rightly argue that whether they realize it or not, teachers “are not striking to provide a better education for students — they’re striking to keep control over education in the hands of the powerful.”  The solution? “Public education must be redesigned.” Let’s start with money…

EDUCATION FUNDING IS BROKEN. The teachers who are stuck here and in other states with no choice but to follow their union need to be demanding different actions from their union – let’s start with the fact that the state’s method of funding education which the union has secured in law is completely unworkable and counterproductive. Money goes to districts based on archaic formulas, teacher pay scales and pensions are set and individual schools have little flexibility to pay more or better. It’s time for teachers – and the general public – to get schooled on education funding and potential changes that would make a huge difference. For starters, here is a primer on Student Centered funding from ExcelinEd

Another L.A.- centric policy brief is also food for thought for any district.  Look for more about how to fix the real problem with how teachers are paid here in the coming weeks.

TROUBLING CIVICS. A new study released by the Woodrow Wilson Foundation  found that only 25% of the 41,000 Americans tested nationally could pass the US citizenship test. Vermont is the only state that had a majority of its students pass the test. As we argued last year  the knowledge of American history required of applicants for citizenship is impressive. Most high school seniors would be unable to pass it.

OUR ANSWER TO THE WILSON FOUNDATION’S FINDINGS.  I “Americans don’t possess the history knowledge they need to be informed and engaged citizens,” says Wilson’s prez Arthur Levine, about the problem.   Rather than curse that darkness, we decided to light a candle in the form of our “Why America?” project.  This month’s program is on “The Father of our Country and the Women Who Preserved it.”  For more information on our “Why America?” project or any CER efforts please don’t hesitate to contact us.