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Special Holiday Commentary 2019

December 18, 2019 By

(with apologies to Clement Clarke Moore)

‘Twas the night before the debate, when all thru’ the house, 

Randi was stirring the Democratic candidates’ house.

The strike signs were hung ‘ron the country with care, 

In hopes that Ms. Warren soon would be there.

 

The union agitators were all snug in their red,

While visions of new contracts danc’d in their heads.

And Bernie in his kerchief, and Joe in his shawl, 

Had just settled in for a 40 minute long explanation of Medicare for all.

 

When out in the Free Speech zone there arose such a clatter,

The media sprang from impeachment coverage to see what was the matter.

Away to the cameras the journalists flew like a flash,

Turned on the microphones and called Dana Bash.

 

The moon on the park where protestors flow,

Gave a lustre of hope to the people made low.

When what to Ms. Klobuchar’s wondering eyes should appear,

But mighty charter school parents marching so near.

 

With zeal in their eyes, moving lively and quick, 

I knew in a moment, Mayor Pete would be sick.

More rapid than unions the charter advocates came,

Senator Bennet took the time to tell them his name. 

 

Now Castro! Now Gabbard! Now Steyer and Williamson!

All missed the chance to just try and listen-some.

To the podiums, to the comfy chairs, candidates all.

Now hustling, bustling and trampling all.

 

As children dream of educational wings to fly, 

Adults create bureaucracies as an obstacle to the sky.

So to Los Angeles the candidates they flew,

With sharpened tongues to get union stew. 

 

And then came a twinkling I heard from New J,

It was he who was once in the choice fray.

As I cleared my head and was turning around,

Through the door Senator Booker came with a bound.

 

He was dressed quite impeccably, from his head to his feet,

Even when Mayor he looked incredibly neat.

A bundle of speeches was flung on his back, 

And he looked just like an old political hack.

 

His eyes, how beady, his forehead like a beagle,

His cheeks like a bassett, his bald head like an eagle.

His droll little mouth spouted words like a troll,

And his teeth, how they glistened as white as the snow.

The charter school supporters he once had at his feet,

And great schools that placed on his head a victor’s wreath.

He was sadly two-faced, but slim around the belly.

And a spine that was probably made from nothing but jelly.

 

Like Warren, he had become a right smug politician,

Hoping to fill his coffers with union donations.

A wink of their eyes, and a twist of position,

Soon told the children they no longer cared for their mission.

 

They had gone back on their words, the prize ever near,

And filled up their PACs, wow, what a bum steer! 

And laying his past as a charter champion aside,

With a nod to being the union’s new bride,

 

Booker sprang to his limo and gave his advance team a whistle,

And away they all flew, like a Patriot missile.

But I heard him exclaim, ere he drove out of sight, 

 

“Suffer the kids in charter schools, Keep their parents out of sight!”.

Filed Under: Commentary, News & Analysis, Writings and Musings

Educating the Candidates

December 13, 2019 By


Educating the Candidates

Education opportunity is the gateway to the future, yet it’s failing all but a third of American students.  Despite it being in the top 5 of issues the public wants to hear, only minutes have been spent in the Debates on this critical issue, aside from the union-sponsored education forum for the Democratic candidates on December 14, 2019. This must change, as must the vocal opposition of the candidates to life-saving educational changes that give parents power, teachers freedom and students the success that will enable them to grow and prosper.  Follow what the growing and influential chorus of ordinary citizens and especially, African-American, Latino and low-income Americans have to say about this and the struggle to make education opportunity the most important issue for 2020.

2.19.2020 | EDREFORM.COM
Presidential Candidates Gamble on Vegas

2.21.2020 | WASHINGTON POST
Elizabeth Warren’s misguided approach to charter schools

2.24.20 | WASHINGTON EXAMINER
Michael Bloomberg, please be different from Democrats on education

"His record authentically aids this effort: Though imperfect, it is clear that Bloomberg’s tenure as mayor of New York led to educational gains."

2.21.20 | SPECTATOR
Bloomberg’s education policies deserve much more scrutiny

He got grilled about everything else on Wednesday — why not this?

2.25.20 | NY TIMES
Charter Schools in Surprise Political Fight as Trump and Democrats Turn Away

Public charter schools, long protected as a bipartisan way to expand school choice, are suddenly in a political battle as both parties shift to other priorities.

2.20.20 | CNN
Democratic debate in Nevada

Here's who won the Nevada debate. Analysis by CNN's Chris Cillizza

2.25.20 | BREIT BART
Bloomberg Silent as Sanders, Warren, and Klobuchar Support Minnesota #RedforEd Strike

The #RedforEd movement took another step forward last week in its efforts to politicize the 2020 presidential election when the 3,600 members of the St. Paul Federation of Educators (SPFE) voted to authorize a strike.

12.14.19 | ABC NEWS
2020 presidential hopefuls weigh in on public education ahead of December debate

Seven Democratic presidential candidates, including many who have qualified for the next debate, traveled to Pittsburgh on Saturday to weigh in on public education and share their perspective plans.

2.20.2020 | POLITICO
American Federation of Teachers urges members to support Biden, Sanders, Warren

The move was a pointed rebuke of former New York Mayor Mike Bloomberg.

12.28.19 | DAILY CALLER
TULSI GABBARD PRAISES SCHOOL CHOICE, CHARTER SCHOOLS

"I think school choice is important, where the quality of a child’s education or the choices that are available to them and their families are not limited based on your zip code”

12.20.19 | WASHINGTON TIMES
SAY IT AIN'T SO, JOE BIDEN

"Mr. Biden seems to have forgotten that he used to support school choice in general and charter schools in particular. In fact, one of his younger brothers, Frank, is a former executive in a company that developed charter schools."

12.18.19 | THE 74 MILLION
‘IF WE DON’T FIGHT FOR OUR CHILDREN, WHO ELSE IS GOING TO DO IT?’ CHARTER ADVOCATES TO CONTINUE DEMOCRATIC DEBATE PROTESTS THURSDAY IN LOS ANGELES

12.18.19 | SEA COAST ONLINE
LETTER: A CHARTER SCHOOL HELPED MY SON, DEMOCRATS SHOULD STOP OPPOSING THEM

"Charters exist to give kids like my son a chance when other alternatives failed. We are not alone. There are hundreds of families like mine across New Hampshire who are seeing their children succeed in charter schools. Democrat legislators want to take that choice away from us. That should sicken us all."

12.17.19 | THE 74 MILLION
PARENTS WANT DEBATE MODERATORS TO ASK DEMOCRATS WHETHER THEY SUPPORT BLACK AND LATINO FAMILIES ON PUBLIC SCHOOL CHOICE

"We — the parents of The Oakland REACH — are calling for that to change in this sixth debate, the final one of 2019, on Thursday in Los Angeles. We want a substantive discussion of K-12 education, focused on quality for all kids."

12.18.19 | PROSPECT
THE EMERGING DEMOCRATIC SUPPORT FOR TEACHERS UNION

"A decade ago in the 2008 primary, teachers unions were not nearly as popular. The hit documentary Waiting for “Superman” portrayed teachers unions as greedy bureaucrats holding back students, and Democratic candidates called for accountability.

A decade later, Democratic candidates seemed to be distancing themselves from previous positions they had taken in opposition. They now embrace teachers unions and present themselves as allies, at least publicly."

12.13.19 | WASHINGTON POST
DEMOCRATS ARE MOVING ON FROM CHARTER SCHOOLS. WHO WILL THEY LEAVE BEHIND?

"The political discourse is far removed from the conversation taking place over dinner tables where families of color, whose children disproportionately attend school districts with scant resources, have sought to escape schools they believe will fail their kids. They cannot afford to wait, they say, for politicians to create a system that works for them."

12.18.19 | BROOKINGS
EDUCATION MAY BE PIVOTAL IN THE 2020 ELECTION. HERE’S WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW.

"The public opinion around charters is also nuanced. Support for charters among white Democrats is plummeting according to recent poll data, but many Black and Hispanic Democrats remain in favor. Brookings’s Jon Valant argued that the growing opposition to charters among white Democrats could have significant consequences for families of color."

12.10.19 | EDUCATION POST
DEMOCRATS ARE FINALLY TALKING PUBLIC EDUCATION, BUT YOU PROBABLY WON’T BE INVITED TO THE TABLE

Education Post Writer Zachary Wright writes about the irony in the not-so-public education forum "This isn’t about talking to parents and American families. It’s a presidential audition for an endorsement worth tens of millions of dollars"

12.13.19 | WITF
Presidential forum organizers want education to be a key election issue

Concerns from Charter school supporters about the democratic stances on charters -""If they are successful in calling for a moratorium in charter schools, what is a viable option for the thousands of families that are on waiting lists for specific reasons, trying to escape their public school district?” she asked. “What is the next viable option? What are they going to suggest that these folks do?”"

12.13.19 | WITF
Why Is NBC Taking Sides In The Public Education Debate?

Writer Peter Cook (Correcting The Record on Eduction Reform) - "Upcoming education forum is a PR stunt organized by the teachers unions and organizations they fund"

12.11.19 | EDUCATION POST
I’m Waiting for Democrats to Stop Using Progressive Talking Points and Start Listening to Parents

"The question for Saturday is this: Are any of the candidates willing to listen to voters who are unwilling to toe the union line? Are they willing to show true leadership, even when an issue doesn’t fit into a neat ideological box? Are they capable of seeing beyond the privileged (White) influence of special interest groups and speak to those most disenfranchised?"

12.14.19 | Reality Check with Jeanne Allen
A Reality Check on the Democratic Presidential Candidate Education Forum

The ever entertaining Michael Musante joins Jeanne as her new co-host in this special edition of Reality Check, talking to and about those who help children succeed in public charter schools, innovative institutions that will be maligned and misrepresented this weekend in Pittsburgh, when MSNBC airs the union-organized candidate forum on public education.   Hear veteran charter school educator Melanie Ward from Propel Schools (@PropelSchools), Brian Smith (@smith_brian_d), founder of Catalyst Charter School and David Hardy (@davidphardy)of Boys Latin & Excellent Schools PA ponder why any politician – existing or aspiring – would want to deny parents the power to make choices. 

 
 
 
 
 
Filed Under: Education 2020

Charters Challenge Candidate Forum

December 13, 2019 By

Charter Schools in Pittsburgh & Leaders throughout Pennsylvania Unite

Issue strong message to special interest sponsors of “Public Education Forum 2020” and the Democratic candidates ignoring parental demands

WASHINGTON  12.13.19 — Charter school leaders in Pittsburgh, joined by others throughout Pennsylvania, and by key state democratic officials issued strong statements today challenging the Democratic candidates for president who will be in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, this Saturday, December 14, 2019, at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center for the “Public Education Forum 2020: Equity and Justice for All.” Sponsored by unions and other interest groups, the Forum has sparked strong responses from the Pennsylvania charter school community, with its unfounded attacks upon the substantive work being carried out throughout the state and right in the city where the forum will be held.

“We call on the candidates to remember those who won’t be there: the thousands of parents from underserved communities tragically forced to watch their children suffer academically because of a failed system that refuses any real reform,” said representatives of 5 of the city’s charter schools in a statement, speaking on behalf of the state’s 143,000 charter school students and their parents.

“The Democratic Presidential candidates have been summoned to demonstrate their allegiance to the unions and special interests who they believe hold the key to their nomination,” said CER Founder & CEO Jeanne Allen. “Not invited were any charter or reform minded voices to participate in this nationally televised forum where Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf is expected to attend and criticize the very charter schools he has tried to keep from operating.” 

Many charter educators will be on the ground in Pittsburgh to make their voices heard, including Dara Ware Allen, PhD, CEO and Principal, City Charter High School; Dr. Tina Chekan, CEO/Superintendent, Propel Schools; Jon McCann, CEO, Environmental Charter School; Vasilios Scoumis, CEO, Manchester Academic Charter School; Brian Smith, Founder & CEO, Catalyst Academy Charter School; William C. Wade, Ed.S., CEO, Urban Pathways K5 College Charter School; and David Zeiler, CEO, Provident Charter School. They have issued the following statement in response to the Public Education Forum this Saturday.

“As eight potential future presidents gather here in Pittsburgh this Saturday and are hosted by some of the nation’s most powerful special interests, we call on the candidates to remember those who won’t be there: thousands of parents who want a high quality school and choose a public charter school in lieu of their underperforming assigned neighborhood school.  Hoping for a school to improve is not an equitable option for our students, many of whom are African American or from economically disadvantaged communities.  Such families deserve alternatives but do not have the means to move or explore non-public school options.  Our public charter schools provide life-altering opportunities to children for whom educational success would likely be denied.

“It is a disheartening irony that the tagline of this weekend’s forum is ‘equity and justice for all’ when parents, the most important constituency, are excluded from the conversation.  Regardless of zip code or background, all families deserve a system of high-quality schools and the power to choose the best school for their child.  Candidates should be committed to supporting what’s working well for students, whether that is in a traditional or public charter school.

“Our communities need champions of change who will fight for accountability, transparency, and innovation—not empty promises and pandering. As student performance lags and opportunity gaps widen, the candidates should aim their fury at the systems enabling this disparity, not the schools that parents are choosing. The nation will see if a profile in courage emerges—all he or she must do is pledge to put students first.”

David Hardy, Executive Director, Excellent Schools PA, Founder of Boys Latin Charter School, and CER Board Member is a passionate advocate for school choice and leader in organizing voices. “Much like in Washington, charters schools in Pennsylvania are under vicious assault for committing the unpardonable sin of promoting educational excellence by putting students first—and not caring what teachers’ unions have to say about it. This weekend, we can expect to hear the candidates pander to the public education industry by slinging mud at the very schools and innovators who are doing what the current system is failing to do: teach our children, challenge them rigorously, prepare them for tomorrow. In the very city that is hosting this forum, the facts have made clear that public schools are sentencing far too many students to futures hamstrung by hardship. It is time for those who claim to believe in fairness, equality, and opportunity to join the revolution already underway and support policies that help charter schools give life to those values each and every day.”

Charter leader from Mastery Charter Schools, Sharif El-Mekki  anticipated the topics that would be discussed during the forum saying, “When the presidential candidates take the stage in Pittsburgh this Saturday, they better be ready to demand answers from their hosts. As the Keystone scores show, Pittsburgh’s public school system is a heartbreaking disaster that is only getting worse. Despite the district spending an astounding $25,000 per student, proficiency in each subject is plummeting. The students are failing to learn because of a stubborn status quo that, by resisting real change and real accountability, is trampling on these children’s futures, most often Black, Latino, and poor students. I implore the candidates: use your voices and your platforms to support marginalized students who are being mis-educated and trapped in schools and systems steeped in inequity. We need presidential candidates with the courage to demonstrate real leadership by embracing and championing solutions that are actually proven to make a difference in the educational futures of children. We need presidential candidates crafting and championing plans that will be the difference between realized dreams and lifelong nightmares; a path towards educational justice. Anything less is unpresidential.”

Also in support of charter schools and actively working to break down barriers are Pennsylvania state representatives. Among them:

PA State Senator and Democratic Whip Anthony Hardy Williams (D-Delaware County, Philadelphia County) said, “While I am pleased to see education reform finally get the national attention it deserves this weekend, we must remember that there are many players at the table when it comes to fulfilling every child’s right to a quality education—including charter schools and the parents who fight so hard for them. Throughout the Philadelphia region, like so many places across the nation, charter schools are leading the way in performance, accountability, and innovation. At a time when the status quo is failing thousands of our students, especially those in underserved communities, charters give all families hope that equal opportunity is possible.”

 
 

Founded in 1993, the Center for Education Reform started with a simple premise—to achieve excellence in education. The first laws supporting charter schools, school choice offerings and even state standards were owing to CER’s leadership.

Today CER works to bring about every opportunity possible to expose learners at all levels, from K through Career, to the best innovations America can provide, a goal we know from our history is boundless.

Filed Under: Education 2020, Press Releases, Breaking News

Charter Schools & the Election

December 10, 2019 By

Everything You Ever Wanted To Know About Charter Schools & Why The Candidates (And Others) Are Wrong

December 2019

With three well respected reports demonstrating dismal and shocking performance by American education in just the past few weeks, the public should expect that candidates for president (and others) might focus on what truly can be done to arrest the decline of American education . They should work to understand and appreciate the nation’s more than 7,000 charter schools which were created to address the failures of traditional public schooling in all too many towns, cities and states. But as the debates continue, and multi-million dollar funded unions and others hold forums to assess which candidates will please them the most, we know that only true justice allows the free pursuit of excellence that will allow all students to achieve their dreams.  Charter schools are making that possible for millions. Just look at the diversity and plethora of those who concur, representative of the millions daily fulfilling the promise of great education for all.

11.19.19 | Education Post
Our Children Need Better Politicians

“Leading Democrats running for president have all but said they will outlaw school choice, charter schools and parent power—a promise likely to unjustly trap millions of kids on the margins in education dead zones where their great potential will be lost to poor preparation...

“If we love our children as more than props in labor disputes, more than pawns in ideological struggles, and more than nameless, faceless units in classrooms, we will find a way to work with those we differ with politically but agree with on one cardinal truth: the unsurpassable worth of every child...”

Chris Stewart, @citizenstewart
Activist | Child Advocate |@edu_post CEO | @8BlackHands1 co-host | Writer | Speaker | 2014 Bush Fellow | 2019 Pahara Fellow | #HowAreTheChildren

12.6.19 | The National Interest
ELIZABETH WARREN TELLS POOR PARENTS TO FIX THEIR OWN SCHOOLS

“Warren is telling parents stuck with low-performing neighborhood schools that the state should not allow their kids to attend good schools, and instead they themselves should take responsibility to fix the neighborhood schools. It’s the parents’ job to raise money, spend volunteer hours, and, apparently, implement the schoolwide reforms that allow the charter sector to do so much better at teaching poor kids...”

Jonathan Chait, @jonathanchait
Writer for New York magazine

10.23.19 | New York Daily News
ELIZABETH WARREN FAILS KIDS OF COLOR

“There is no place in America where charter schools receive the same funding as their district school counterparts, a fact made more acute because charter schools typically pay for their own facilities, which further drives down the amount that can be spent on things like teacher salaries — about which, as a former teacher, the senator apparently cares. If equalization is the goal, the answer should not be to lift funding for one group of poor kids in district schools while sacrificing the rest on an altar of imperfect collectivism...”

Derrell Bradford, @Dyrnwyn
Ed Reformer, School Choicer, Gamer, Writer, Photographer. Not Being a Shark 4 Status Quo Remoras. E.D. @ NYCAN. E.V.P. @ 50CAN.

12.4.19 | the74million
SHULS: WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO HOLD CHARTER SCHOOLS TO THE ‘SAME STANDARDS’ AS TRADITIONAL SCHOOLS? TO WARREN & CHARTER PARENTS, VERY DIFFERENT THINGS

“Charter schools are public schools. They are funded in much the same way as traditional public schools, via local, state and federal tax dollars. With rare exceptions, charter schools must teach the state standards, and their students must complete state-required standardized exams. They are not allowed to discriminate in admissions and must hold lotteries to admit students when they are oversubscribed...”

James V. Shuls, @shulsie
Asst. prof. educational leadership and policy studies at @UMSL; Program director of @UMSLlead; Fellow at @Showme, @Edchoice, & @HammondInst

12.4.19 | Washington Examiner
2020 DEMOCRATS ARE SCHOOL CHOICE HYPOCRITES

“These politicians must deal with a huge dilemma: they claim to want to help disadvantaged populations but are fighting against giving those groups more educational options. This dilemma is only magnified by the hypocrisy of candidates who had the privilege to exercise school choice for their own families actively seeking to stop private school choice programs that give the less fortunate the ability to do the same...”

Corey DeAngelis, @DeAngelisCorey
Director of School Choice at @ReasonFdn; Adjunct Scholar at @CatoInstitute; Executive Director at @EF_Institute

Tommy Schultz, @Tommy_USA 
National Communications Director, American Federation for Children @SchoolChoiceNow

11.28.19 | Detroit News
Jacques: Elizabeth Warren Wrong on Michigan Charter Schools

“As you know, in Michigan, charter schools don’t have to meet the same standards as public schools,” Warren said.

“First of all, charter schools ARE public schools,” countered Dan Quisenberry, president of the Michigan Association of Public School Academies, in a statement. “And to be clear, charter schools not only have to meet all the same standards as traditional public schools, they have to meet quite a few more.”

Ingrid Jacques, @Ingrid_Jacques
Deputy Editorial Page Editor & columnist @detroitnews

1234.19 | the74million
74 Interview: Howard Fuller on Schooling Elizabeth Warren About Charters, African-American Families, School Choice & Her Education Plan

“What we’re trying to establish — so that everyone is absolutely clear — is that the attack on charters, and the attack on [school] choice more generally, is an attack on self-determination of black and brown families who need these options for their children, No. 1...”

Howard Fuller , @HowardLFuller
If there is no STRUGGLE, there is no PROGRESS. Power concedes nothing without a DEMAND. It never did and it never will. (Frederick Douglass) 

11.26.19 | New York Times
Minority Voters Chafe as Democratic Candidates Abandon Charter Schools

“Charter schools, which educate over three million students, are publicly funded and privately managed — and often are not unionized. Nationally, the schools perform about the same as traditional neighborhood schools. But charter schools that serve mostly low-income children of color in large cities tend to excel academically. And bipartisan support in Washington has allowed charters to proliferate, with their waiting lists swelling into the hundreds of thousands. ​”

Erica Green, @EricaLG
Translating education policy & politics to real life in the @nytimes D.C buro.@baltimoresun bred, with the nerve to walk my own way.

Eliza Shaprio @elizashapiro
I write about New York schools for The New York Times.

11.19.19 | Wall Street Journal
The Big Lie About Charter Schools

“To begin with, charters themselves are public schools. The only difference is that they are operated independently of district bureaucracies, with more freedom to design their programs and choose their teachers but also more accountability. If charters fail—if their students fall too far behind—they are usually closed.

The same arguments made about charter school funding don’t make sense in other contexts. When a family moves out of a district, the district loses state and federal money for its child’s education, but no one accuses the family of draining funds from the district. When parents move their child to a private school, no one accuses them of sabotaging public schools...”

David Osborne, @OsborneDavid
Author Reinventing America's Schools, Reinventing Government & others. Dir. of Progressive Policy Institute Project on Reinventing America's Schools @ppi

11.13.19 | NY Daily News
Democrats need a charter-school education: Presidential candidates’ plans could most harm black and Hispanic kids

“Despite all this evidence that schools like ours are uplifting the very people and families Democrats purport to care the most about, many candidates talk about charters as if they are the enemy of public education. This could not be further from the truth. Public charter schools like ours are part of the public school system. We share space, we share resources, and we partner to help all kids succeed.

Among us, we have worked with thousands of traditional public school teachers and guidance counselors to share our work on literacy, math and college access. We don’t let labels get in the way of working together. When candidates threaten charter schools, they threaten the rich collaboration that is advancing student achievement in traditional public schools as well.”

Brett Peiser, @BrettPeiser
CEO, Uncommon Schools.  And Dad.

Dacia Toll, @achievement1st
All children, regardless of race or economic status, deserve access to a great education. We operate 37 public charter schools in NY, CT & RI.

11.10.19 | New York Post
Warren’s ginormous school-choice hypocrisy

“People who can afford it also exercise choice by moving to communities with good public schools, as Warren appears to have done. A similar search for her daughter turned up just one record, which showed Amelia attended Anderson High School in 1987. Although it’s not a private school, US News and World Report ranks Anderson among the top high schools in the country.

“Warren’s family’s educational situation is vivid proof of the need for school choice. In the same year, one child went to private, the other went to public. One size does not fit all.”

Corey DeAngelis, @DeAngelisCorey
Director of School Choice at @ReasonFdn; Adjunct Scholar at @CatoInstitute; Executive Director at @EF_Institute

10.16.19 | Project Forever Free
Time for Democrats to Recognize the Progressive Roots of Charter Schools

“As reform-minded Democrats attempt to put children first, union-backed Democrats block them. They betray America’s children — particularly those whose parents lack the money to move into a district with strong public schools or send their children to private schools.”

David Osborne,@OsborneDavid
Author Reinventing America's Schools, Reinventing Government & others. Dir. of Progressive Policy Institute Project on Reinventing America's Schools @ppi

Emily Langhorne @EmilyLanghorne
Associate Director, Reinventing America's Schools, @ppi; former high school English teacher

11.26.19 | Education Post
The System Is Winning. For Now.

“Those who wish to be president on the Democratic side want the most economically insecure families to wait for better schools. A fix is coming, they promise, like they promised for years. More money, more services, more staff in the same system of miseducation will make it all better. No need for expanding school choices, or for improving and diversifying the teaching profession, or for improving and modernizing our standards and curricula to better serve the needs of each and every child.

Be patient.

But how patient would middle-class people be if their kids were falling years behind in school? What do they do when the system isn’t working for their kids? Warren’s case is instructive. When the public system didn’t work for her son she put him in a private school.”

Chris Stewart, @citizenstewart
Activist | Child Advocate |@edu_post CEO | @8BlackHands1 co-host | Writer | Speaker | 2014 Bush Fellow | 2019 Pahara Fellow | #HowAreTheChildren

11.27.19 | redefinED
HOWARD FULLER WENT DOWN TO GEORGIA LOOKING FOR A PARTY’S SOUL TO HEAL

“Warren claimed a few different times that she doesn’t oppose charter schools; she “just wants them held to the same standards.” Charter schools, however, because they are public schools, teach state standards and give state tests and get rated by the same metrics in all states.”

Matthew Ladner, @matthewladner
writer for @redefinEDonline

11.22.19 | FOX News
Warren told pro-school-choice activist she sent her kids to public school, campaign says otherwise

“In a video that was originally uploaded on social media, Sarah Carpenter (@LadyTenn) of the Powerful Parent Network challenged Warren's opposition to charter schools, at one point saying: "We are going to have the same choice that you had for your kids because I read that your children went to private schools."

"My children went to public schools," Warren told Carpenter.

However, a yearbook obtained by The Washington Free Beacon showed Warren's son Alex attended Kirby Hall School during the 1986-1987 school year. The online publication reported that the school currently charges nearly 5,000 per year for tuition, up from ,700 in 1995, the earliest year for which records are available.”

Joseph A. Wulfsohn, @JosephWulfsohn
Media Reporter @FoxNews. Formerly@Mediaite,@FDRLST,@DailyCaller. Send tips, hate mail, love letters to joseph.wulfsohn@foxnews.com

11.22.19 | Chalk Beat
‘I’m going to make sure I got it right’: What Elizabeth Warren told charter activists after protest at Atlanta event

“Warren’s education plan, which she released last month, proposes limiting charter schools in a number of ways. It promises to ban for-profit charter schools and eliminate federal funding for new charters. Warren’s plan also seeks to limit who could authorize charters — the kind of change that could threaten existing schools, though one that it’s unclear whether a president could pull off. It’s a reflection of a growing skepticism about charter schools among Democrats, though two recent polls show black and Hispanic Democrats tend to be more supportive.”

Matt Barnum, @matt_barnum
Ed policy reporter and wannabe wonk @chalkbeat; fake stats vigilante 

11.20.19 | Eduwonk.com
Do Charter Schools Harm Traditional Public Schools?

“In a separate brief, Mathematica looked at the effects of school choice on racial and economic integration. They concluded, “Among the studies with charter schools, 2 studies found that charter schools increased integration, 5 found no effect on integration, and 3 found that they decreased integration. Most studies we reviewed that found effects on integration tended to report small effects.”

Chad Aldeman, @ChadAldeman
I write about education policy for @Bellwethered and @TeacherPension. Iowa native and Hawkeye fan.

11.22.19 | Project Forever Free
Parents at Elizabeth Warren Rally Are Done Being Ignored and They’re Fighting Back

“Did any of these reporters attend schools that had single digit reading and math proficiency for decades? Do any of them plan to enroll their own children in schools where under 10 percent of black boys read on grade level? Would any of them leave their child in a neighborhood school where they were relentlessly bullied, miserable every single day, or a witness to gang violence on a regular basis? 

No. They wouldn’t.”

Erika Sanzi, @esanzi
Very imperfect mom of 3 sons, wife, former educator, chief editor at @projforeverfree, Senior Visiting Fellow at Fordham, http://goodschoolhunting.org

11.6.19 | Washington Post
Elizabeth Warren, I urge you to see charter schools for the partners that they are

“We are great admirers of your commitment to make this same dream achievable for all Americans. So it was disheartening to hear that your education platform includes eliminating federal funding for charter schools. MESA and other high-performing, high-quality charter schools like it could not operate without this funding. There is, perhaps, an assumption that all charter schools have wealthy donors who can make up funding shortfalls. But as a community-based school serving low-income families, we rely on federal dollars to pay teachers, purchase basic necessities and serve our students. Last year, MESA raised just under 5,000 privately; some parents associations in wealthier parts of New York City raised more than million. It is hard to see how depriving schools like MESA of federal funding helps further your goal of reducing inequality.”

Arthur Samuels, @arthur_samuels
Co-Founder and ED of @MESACharter. Father.  Husband.  Mets Fan.  New Yorker.  Tweets my own.

10.28.19 | Washington Post
Children Are Losers in Elizabeth Warrens Plan for Charter Schools

“The losers in these political calculations are the children whom charters help. Charters at their best offer options to parents whose children would have been consigned to failing traditional schools. They spur reform in public school systems in such places as the District and Chicago. And high-quality charters lift the achievement of students of color, children from low-income families and English language learners. Research from Stanford University’s Center for Research on Education Outcomes found, for example, that African American students in charter schools gained an additional 59 days of learning in math and 44 days in reading per year compared with their traditional school counterparts.”

Washington Post Editorial Board

10.23.19 | Detroit News
Jacques:Warren's costly school plan prioritizes unions over kids

“Since the U.S. Department of Education was formed 40 years ago, it has grown into a behemoth that gobbles 0 billion a year, but hasn’t led to better academic results.

Warren’s solution? Double down.

“There is certainly no constitutional basis for the federal government to be involved in this way,” says Mary Clare Amselem, a policy analyst in the Heritage Foundation’s Center for Education Policy. “More spending on education simply has not moved the needle at all.”

Ingrid Jacques, @Ingrid_Jacques
Deputy Editorial Page Editor & columnist @detroitnews

10.22.19 | staging.edreform.com
CER: AFTER WRONGFUL ATTACK ON CHARTER SCHOOLS, ELIZABETH WARREN SHOULD SKIP TEACHERS’ STRIKE

“Warren’s attack is especially disturbing considering that her home state charter schools have done undeniable wonders for student achievement. Her plan is a direct attack on all of those student achievers. We will not allow truly progressive policies that improve education, and the lives of so many families, to be replaced in the name of radical politics. Charter schools give students the choice to pursue their dreams, regardless of race, religion, or hometown, and we should stand by any choice that enables students to succeed.”

Jeanne Allen, @jeanneallen
Education maven. Entrepreneur. Innovation strategist. Ed Opportunity champion. CEO of @edreform. ????Mother of 4 amazing young adults. Proud Italian-American. ????????????????

10.22.19 | staging.edreform.com
CER NEWSWIRE: Warrens Plan, Chicago Strike

“NO FOR-PROFIT CHARTER SCHOOLS.  That’s because there’s no such thing! Sanders and Warren think this is a great talking point to corral people.  After all, no one should make money off the backs of kids, right? So teachers should not be paid? Providers of bus transportation, textbooks and technology should contribute their time and resources? Let’s be clear - this isn’t utopia and everything in life costs money. Non-profit charter schools like all other public entities can buy whatever resources they need to do the job, including companies who will hire, train and manage all their operational needs. So Warren wants to get rid of the ability for educators to do what every other social sector in the US can do - hire competent people. Good one”.

CER Newswire

12.10.19 | Education Post
Democrats Are Finally Talking Public Education, But You Probably Won’t Be Invited to the Table

“So now, instead of attending an inspiring, hopeful and long-overdue discussion on the need to radically overhaul our inequitable education system, we are being forced to live-stream this circus wherein a nearly all-White panel talks about educational realities that aren’t their own.

Not for nothing—the only person of color scheduled to attend, Cory Booker, is a charter school supporter. Charter schools are more highly regarded among Black and Latinx Americans than Whites.”

Zachary Wright, @zfwright
2018 @usedgov Teacher Fellow Finalist-2013 Phila.TOY- Contributor @edu_post -Teacher Educator-Special Needs Parent. All views my own

7.22.19 | FOX News
Joseph Lieberman: School choice is a winning policy, so why don't Democrats support it?

“The Democratic Party that I joined a long time ago was on the side of the average American with dreams of rising higher and higher, rather than the elites who have already made it. Supporting school choice is a good way for my fellow Democrats to show they still embrace that priority.”

Senator Joseph Lieberman, @JoeLieberman
Former United States Senator (I-CT)

12.11.19 | FOX News
Student touts Trump's push for school choice: 'Everything changed' for me after receiving private scholarship

“Blanks experienced firsthand the impact of school choice on his life, saying that prior to receiving the Seize First private school choice program scholarship, he struggled in the public school system and his energetic-social personality was constantly viewed as a distraction in the classroom.

“Once I received the scholarship and attended Tree Life Christian in Columbus, Ohio, everything changed," Blanks said.”

Walter Blanks Jr, @ChozenOne14
Communications Associate | American Federation for Children @SchoolChoiceNow | Fighting to give all kids #EducationFreedom

11.27.19 | NBC News
Biden should back school choice. Democratic voters want it and his opponents reject it

“But most of the Democratic presidential candidates won’t support choices like these for lower-income parents. Nearly the entire primary field has opposed or refrained from backing any proposed model beside the standard public school system.

"The irony is that while Democratic politicians slap down school choice proposals, Democratic voters are clamoring for them. A 2017 Gallup poll found that providing federal funding for programs that allow students to attend any private or public school was one of only a handful of issues with majority support from Democrats and Republicans. And a poll this year by Beck Research (a Democratic polling firm) found a majority of all Democrats (56 percent) support programs that put at least some education dollars in parents’ hands, with supermajorities of support among key segments of the party’s base: 67 percent of African Americans, 73 percent of Latinos and 75 percent of millennials.”

Andrew Cuff
Researcher for the Commonwealth Foundation

7.31.19 | Washington Examiner
Will every Democratic candidate abandon pro-school choice Democrats like me?

“I wonder how these millions of students, families, and teachers feel, as contenders for the Democratic presidential nomination essentially tell them that they shouldn’t have a choice in where to send their child to school and that their only option should be the traditional public school in their neighborhood, regardless of whether that is what’s best for their child.

What these candidates all failed to mention is that the students who attend charter schools have better academic outcomes, are more likely to graduate from high school, attend and persist in college, and have future higher earnings.”

Krista Kaput @MinneKrista
@EdAlliesMN Research Director and @HHHSchool MPP student I Former High School Teacher I @EPFP_MN Coordinator 

9.16.19 | Washington Examiner
Democrats love school choice, except when they're running for president

“Elizabeth Warren wrote a detailed section in a book about the promise and benefits of school vouchers, especially for those in struggling schools. Joe Biden spoke movingly on the Senate floor about the life-saving impact school choice could have on children living in the inner-city. Cory Booker was even on the board of the largest school choice organizations in the country alongside now-Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos.

Now that they’re all running for president, these candidates have flip-flopped on the issue while they attack DeVos, an ardent supporter of educational options for low-income families. These candidates are doing this at the behest of teachers' unions while turning their backs on their own Democratic constituents who support educational choice.”

Tommy Schultz, @Tommy_USA
National Communications Director, American Federation for Children @SchoolChoiceNow / Fighting to give all kids #EducationFreedom / @Stanford

10.7.19 | the74million
Jeffries: New Poll Finds Voters Favor Innovation, School Choice, Fair Funding and Accountability. The Democrats Should Listen

“Despite attempts to make public school choice a polarizing issue in this election, 8 in 10 Democratic primary voters support expanded access to public school choice options, including public charter schools.”

Shavar Jeffries, @shavarjeffries
Husband, father, civil-rights lawyer, and President of Democrats for Education Reform (@DFER_news)

6.13.19 | Dallas News
Democrats who are pro-choice should also support school choice

“But here's one thing he didn't say: Charters are also popular among racial minorities, a key Democratic constituency. According to 2018 data compiled by Education Next, 47 percent of black Democrats support charters and 29 percent oppose them; similarly, 47 percent of Hispanic Democrats back charters, and 35 percent oppose them. By contrast, only 27 percent of white Democrats support charter schools and 50 percent are against them.”

Jonathan Zimmerman
Education and History Professor at the University of Pennsylvania

11.2.19 | Washington Post
Letter to Elizabeth Warren: Before making decrees on charter schools, talk to parents

“Children of parents such as Nikia need good schools now. The best charter organizations appear to be supplying some of those schools. Why should their growth be curtailed? Most charters are no better, and are sometimes worse, than traditional schools. But a significant number have much to offer. According to a Stanford University study released in 2017, 41 percent of charters that are part of nonprofit networks or charter management organizations do better than nearby traditional public schools in math, and 37 percent do better in reading.”

Jay Mathews
Education columnist for The Washington Post

3.27.19 | FOX News
There’s nothing progressive about strangling charter schools

“THE MOST enduring — and unforgivable — civil rights offense in our country today is the consigning of so many poor, often minority children to failing schools. Among the more promising efforts to deal with this urgent issue have been public charter schools, which give poor families the choice in their children’s education that more prosperous parents take for granted. That makes all the more distressing the bid by some Democrats to blame charter schools for all the ills of public education.”

Editorial Board
The Washington Post

11.25.19 | Education Post
I Spit Out My Coffee When I Read Cory Booker’s Op-Ed: Nine Theories That Explain His Change of Heart

“I gasped as I opened the op-ed section of the New York Times and read Senator Cory Booker’s column repudiating his regressive stance on public charter schools. Until he entered the Democratic presidential nominating contest, Booker was one of the nation’s most eloquent supporters for school choice, with his hometown of Newark the proofpoint for the impact of a high-quality charter sector on a struggling school system. But when he entered the primary he hopped on the Sanders/Warren anti-choice wagon, dissolving into a vegan mush of (un)progressive platitudes.”

Laura Waters, @njleftbehind
Writes about N.J., N.Y., and national education policy and politics. She is the mother of four and served 12 years on her local school board.

11.27.19 | NJ Left Behind
Top Democratic Candidates’ Disrespect for Parents of Color Has Me Wondering If I Fit Into This Party Anymore

“I’ll indulge myself further by hoping that our leading Democratic candidates (all white) will rethink their elitist, racist positions that betray families red-lined into long-failing districts in order to curry favor with fat-pocketed union leaders and status quo defenders.”

Laura Waters, @njleftbehind
Writes about N.J., N.Y., and national education policy and politics. She is the mother of four and served 12 years on her local school board.

Also quoted in above article… 

“I’ve been in this Black body for 48 years and have seen some things so it’s not surprising that our collective Blackness (and Brownness) has no value to the Dem party when we dare question the party line. The media, all too eager to push the narrative, discounted our voices, cheapened our agency, and disrespected the individual fight of each mother and grandmother in their respective communities.” 

Versia Wilson Hawkins
Parent, Blogger, Nashville TN

10.26.19 | Boston Herald
Warren’s education plan limits school choice

“Affluent parents have little doubt about which schools are best for their children, and they are willing to pay exorbitant home prices to ensure that their children can go to those schools. Increasing support for charter schools gives lower-income parents that same ability to choose.

Warren is right that all Americans should have access to “a great public education.” She doesn’t seem to understand that offering parents and students more choice is a good way to provide it.”

Karl W. Smith
Syndicated Columnist

12.8.19 | AZ Central
Sen. Elizabeth Warren asked black women to hold her accountable, so they did

“Desperate to reverse these numbers, Warren delivered a speech on the rights of black women, admitting her privilege and asking minority voters to hold her accountable.

"Within minutes, they held the Massachusetts senator accountable. A large group of African American women interrupted the event, condemning Warren’s hostile stance toward school choice.

"Despite being just 13% of the U.S. population, black Americans make up 26% of charter school enrollment. Another 33% of charter students are Hispanic. Compared to public schools as a whole, charters are simply more diverse.”

Jon Gabriel, @exjon
Undisputed king of stuff. Editor-in-chief, @Ricochet. Contributor, @azcentral. Swimming the Bosporus.

12.5.19 | US News
Elizabeth Warren: Parents Should Do More if They’re Unhappy With Their Kids’ Schools

"To me it's disrespectful and it's disgusting," said Keri Rodrigues, who is the founder and president of Masachusetts Parents United, a group that's pushed for the expansion of charter schools in the Bay State. "This is a woman who promotes herself to being so connected to the working class and so connected to the people. It's just such a blatant lack of understanding about the lives of real people."

Keri Rodrigues, @radiokeri
Matthew, Miles & David's Mom. AKA: EduMom, Mom-in-Chief @MassParents. Mother. Servant. Activist.

Lauren Camera, @laurenonthehill
Senior writer @usnews. EdWeek, Spencer Fellow, CQ Roll Call alum. Love that dirty water. Send me fun things and tips: lcamera@usnews.com

 

 

Filed Under: Education 2020

Newswire – December 10, 2019

December 10, 2019 By

TIS THE SEASON TO BE (JOLLY) HEARD  Like Shakespeare, we try not to repeat ourselves, but an event in 4 days is too important not to mention again. A reminder that the entire blob/aka industrial complex/aka cartel of anti-ed reform groups is uniting to interview the Democratic presidential candidates next Saturday, December 14th, in Pittsburgh, and on the docket already are plans to tear apart charter schools. It's a full day forum and will be broadcast live.  Charter school advocates, particularly those in Pittsburgh where district schools spend $25,000 per student and among the dismal stats only 19.5 percent of 8th graders are proficient in math! take exception to the negative narrative being created by the candidates about charters in Pennsylvania and elsewhere. Just ask Propel Schools which since 2003 have served thousands who don’t have great schools at their disposal - and has a MUCH higher math proficiency rate! We could go on, and will, but watch @edreform on Twitter and Facebook to follow the counter effort in Pittsburgh this weekend.

EVERYTHING YOU’VE ALWAYS NEEDED TO KNOW… but the candidates neglected to ask. So let’s tell them the real story behind why parents want power, children need choices and charters are a life saving ed reform that has transformed education for millions since they began in 1991. CER’s handy dandy Education & the Election page collates in one place all the best articles, data and responses to the candidate folly going on now. Read, nominate an article for inclusion, and spread it around  - so that everyone knows what you know...and acts on it.

LEFT COASTERS DON’T NEED TO FEEL LEFT OUT. Grass roots action for excellence and opportunity in education isn’t just happening in Pittsburgh. The Freedom Coalition for Charter Schools and education freedom hero Dr. Howard Fuller, fresh off his schooling of Senator Elizabeth Warren at the Democrat Presidential debate in Atlanta, have announced another rally to present the truth about charters at the upcoming debate on December 19th in Los Angeles. As with the Pittsburgh rally, this really needs to be an “all hands on deck” event. For more information visit the Freedom Coalition – link above. Also like Pittsburgh, these brave folks are on the front lines of our battle. Don’t let them be alone!

EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITY’S LIGHT CONTINUES TO SHINE BRIGHTLY.  Given the contentious politics of the day it would be easy to be Eeyores, the perpetually gloomy donkey in “Winnie The Pooh” stories. But that would mask the almost daily good news about non-traditional education around the country. Our latest example is Shikellamy Virtual Academy in Sunbury, PA. which was named “Academy of the Month” by the National Education Foundation. The academy provides a more rigorous curriculum than outside cyber options and offers a virtual lab at the high school. As one student put it; “I love this, and it gives me an opportunity to work while I am in school. The flexibility of this is exactly what I needed and I am just learning so much more at my own pace.”  Let’s hope some of the anti-parent choice zealots in Pittsburgh are listening.

JUST IN TIME FOR HANUKKAH AND CHRISTMAS. Jeanne’s latest "Reality Check" podcast  with John O’Neill, Annapolis graduate, former Supreme Court law clerk and author of  The Fisherman's Tomb. It is the story of the search for and ultimate identifying of the tomb of the Apostle Peter – a pivotal figure for both Judaism and Christianity. But you don’t have to be  Christian or Jewish to be enthralled by this historical detective tale of intrigue, fascinating archaeological finds and ultimate confirmation of the burial site. Give a listen.

LIGHTING A CANDLE FOR SCHOOL CHANGE.  New York City and its newspaper “The Times” usually present a pretty critical picture of the need for education transformation but a bright candle was lit and a whole bunch of politicians got schooled on how bad our schools are despite billions spent on improving them over the last 20 years when Times Reporter Dana Goldstein, pulled no punches in both a column "It Just Isn't Working" and the paper’s The Daily Podcast. Both are critical run-downs on how billions of dollars can return essentially zero results.

 

Founded in 1993, the Center for Education Reform aims to expand educational opportunities that lead to improved economic outcomes for all Americans — particularly our youth — ensuring that conditions are ripe for innovation, freedom and flexibility throughout U.S. education. We’re always delighted to hear from our readers...suggestions, questions and even the occasional complaint!

 
Filed Under: Newswire Weekly, Newswire Tagged With: , , ,

Newswire – December 5, 2019

December 5, 2019 By

SHARPEN YOUR (PENCILS) SWORDS. The entire blob/aka industrial complex/aka cartel of anti-ed reform groups is uniting to interview the Democratic presidential candidates next Saturday, December 14th, in Pittsburgh. It's a full day forum and will be broadcast live.  

According to PennLive, “The organizing coalition for the Democratic candidates forum includes national groups such as the American Federation of Teachers, Alliance for Educational Justice, Center for Popular Democracy, Action Journey for Justice Alliance, NAACP, National Education Association, Network for Public Education Action, Schott Foundation for Public Education and the Service Employees International Union.

“At least six Democratic presidential hopefuls will attend a nationally televised education forum in Pittsburgh next weekend, according to published reports.

"Event organizers have said confirmed candidates to the day-long forum, in which candidates will appear in a series of individual question-and-answer sessions, include Bernie Sanders, Elizabeth Warren, Joe Biden, Pete Buttigieg, Amy Klobuchar and Tom Steyer. Two more candidates are considering attending the forum, organizers told TribLive.com. “

Charter school families, students and advocates need to sharpen their swords to defend their honor, integrity and most importantly, these critical education opportunities. OnePA which is helping organize the effort says charter schools will be a big topic, especially since Keystone State Governor Tom Wolf in August pledged to the unions he’d rein in charter school freedoms. Watch @edreform on Twitter for more to come on this and other topics.

FAILURE. AGAIN. We expect that again the negatives about charters will outweigh the positives, which remains baffling given the paltry results the majority of traditional education is getting, no matter what one’s income. With more than half of all funding every state raises and spends going to education, and with education spending at all levels at an all time high , we’re truly shocked that more people aren’t informed about the most recent controversy - namely dropping US performance on International Assessments.

 

The bi-annual Programme on International Student Assessment (PISA) by the OECD which reveals much more information about how and how much students work,  student well-being and more. And of course, non-developing countries are far worse than the US. But you’d think we’d be able to be at the top and be helping all get a leg up… but we apparently can’t even help ourselves. HELLO??   What few words we could muster after the disappointing news was put into a statement for the media and is posted here. But alas, it was a one day story, while far less foundational issues to our country are dominating the papers. 

TALKING TURKEY. Just like turkey isn’t just for Thanksgiving…the opportunity to talk informally with family and friends about the critical things going on with education isn’t either. But especially with candidate forums being organized by people who know so little about what’s really happening in education, you’re going to need all the information you can get.  So if you didn’t have a chance to see or use our Turkey Talking Tips for Thanksgiving, check them out now!

LET’S GIVE ‘EM A REALITY CHECK. Cory Booker tells Dems to stop being dogmatic on charters when the reality is why wouldn’t we be dogmatic for something that works! As the New York Times reports, black parents in particular are angry  that their opportunity to use their education tax dollars as they see fit is being attacked, when anyone with money does the same thing daily. Says Chris Stewart, “How patient would middle-class people be if their kids were falling years behind in school? What do they do when the system isn’t working for their kids? Warren’s case is instructive. When the public system didn’t work for her son she put him in a private school. Ambitions for higher office have recast her as a champion of public schools who gets her education policy wholesale from unions and Diane Ravitch, the ranking leader of the unreform movement (and another private school parent turned public school zealot).”  Indeed.

SPEAKING OF REALITY CHECKS...Anyone who wants to hear straight from the people running innovative schools, researching them, developing them or attending them, listen to what people who really know how charter schools and other innovative forms of education work - all in one place for you here.  

 

AND NOW FOR SOME GOOD NEWS ...The Lighthouse Christian School, a school of choice in Madison, Wisconsin, is the highest ranking of  80/80 schools — those with 80% students of color and 80% students in poverty.  Overall, it ranks 8th of 45 schools in Madison, WI and in all of Dane County, Lighthouse ranks 24th of 120. The school’s report card score is in the very top category of “significantly exceeds expectations.”  Noteworthy for a state with the largest racial educational gaps in the country.

Then there’s the Chattanooga Girls Leadership Academy which has been named Tennessee's Charter School of the Year by the Tennessee Charter School Center in recognition of their STEAM curriculum and creative programming. 

Finally, kudos to North Carolina’s Charter Teacher of the Year, Ashley Bailey, a biology teacher at Roxboro Community School.  The second educator from the school to win the Charter Teacher of the Year award, Bailey will now be included in a group of nine teachers under consideration for North Carolina’s state teacher of the year.

 

Founded in 1993, the Center for Education Reform aims to expand educational opportunities that lead to improved economic outcomes for all Americans — particularly our youth — ensuring that conditions are ripe for innovation, freedom and flexibility throughout U.S. education. We’re always delighted to hear from our readers...suggestions, questions and even the occasional complaint!

 
Filed Under: Newswire Weekly, Newswire Tagged With: , , ,

International Test Results Confirm Need for Education Revolution in U.S.

December 4, 2019 By
American teenagers being surpassed by other nations’ students in math, science, and reading

WASHINGTON — The Center for Education Reform (CER) issued the following statement today in response to the results of the most recent Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) exams revealing that U.S. scores are generally unchanged since 2000 and are significantly behind those of China and elsewhere.

“These PISA results are further proof of the spectacular failures of our current education system,” said CER founder and CEO Jeanne Allen. “Despite more and more government spending on the status quo over the last two decades, our students are showing no real improvements in critical subjects. Worse, their peers in places like China, our nation’s fiercest economic competitor, are only excelling faster and farther.”

The PISA exams evaluate a representative sample of approximately 600,000 15-year-old students in 79 countries and education systems. The latest scores are from PISA’s 2018 test, which focused on “the core school subjects of reading, mathematics and science.” Compared to the 64 countries that administered the test in both 2015 and 2018, the United States ranks 30th in math, 8th in reading, and 11th in science. While U.S. rankings have slightly improved, actual test scores by American students have remained flat.

According to U.S. News & World Report, “The results largely mirror the top-line findings in the most recent results from the National Assessment of Education Progress, also known as NAEP or the Nation's Report Card, which last month showed math and reading scores dropping for fourth- and eighth-grade students in the U.S.” CER’s official response to the shocking NAEP report can be read here.

CER’s Allen added: “Just as troubling as seeing our students fall behind their Chinese counterparts is seeing how, among the American participants, students with socioeconomic disadvantages are badly struggling to keep up. This tragic trend must be reversed, but the only way to create lasting change is with bold solutions that break down existing barriers to universal opportunity. Through our innovative proposals, we at CER are fully committed to fostering a nationwide education revolution to ensure that every American student can realize academic excellence regardless of their background, financial status, or zip code. America’s future global leadership literally depends on it.”

A snapshot of overall worldwide student performance can be viewed here. A detailed assessment of the United States’ results can be viewed here.

 
 

Founded in 1993, the Center for Education Reform aims to expand educational opportunities that lead to improved economic outcomes for all Americans — particularly our youth — ensuring that conditions are ripe for innovation, freedom and flexibility throughout U.S. education.

Filed Under: Press Releases

Newswire – November 26, 2019

November 26, 2019 By

 

WE GATHER TOGETHER As the great hymn says, to ask for God’s blessings and also to give thanks.  Listing all we are thankful for would fill books. So as to not keep you from your preparations for the feast, here are just a couple of tidbits for which WE GIVE THANKS…

FOR THE FREEDOM COALITION FOR CHARTER SCHOOLS who successfully WOKE the sleeping media. Today’s Gray Lady (aka The New York Times) has done the noble thing of covering this critical story about African-American and Latino parents and community leaders whose demands for real power over the education of their children have all but been ignored by the party they traditionally support.

FOR THE COURAGE OF SARAH CARPENTER(@LadyTenn), a vocal Memphis parent and leader of Memphis Lift and her members who forcefully got the attention of Senator Elizabeth Warren at the Atlanta debate. Chanting “we want to be heard,” the group which included CER favorite Dr. Howard Fuller eventually got an audience with Warren who was a supporter of charter schools…before she started running for President and did a “180” reversal. The Senator now essentially wants to “freeze” charters, though to her credit she promised the demonstrators  she would "re-read" her plan.  As Carpenter explained to a hostile (surprise!) media, “I’m not against [Warren] ― I’m against her education plan...We’re going to blow social media up because ... Black women vote, y’all.”  All we can add is “you go girl!”

 

FOR THE POSSIBILITY THAT THE BLAINE DISCRIMINATION LEGACY MAY BE ERASED. One of the most important education-related court cases in the past 50 years - Espinoza v Montana  - will be heard in the Supreme Court on January 22nd. Besides being important symbolically by erasing an ugly anti-Catholic bigotry, a win for Espinoza in the case would provide true choice to hundreds of thousands of American kids. Our website gives a full rundown on the case and its importance.

FOR OUR VETERANS and active military, who have secured America’s freedoms through 243 years. The powerful story of these men and women was the subject of this edition of Reality Check w/Jeanne Allen. Jim Roberts, President of the American Veterans' Center, (@AVCupdate) discusses why we must never forget.  Kudos as well to California Community Colleges which are leading the way to remedy the problem that many colleges don’t credit vets for their skilled training. Also in the good news department is the introduction  of the Education Savings Accounts for Military Families Act, legislation pending in the U.S. Senate that would provide more meaningful education choices to the kids of military families. Our thanks - and kudos to Senators Ben Sasse, Tom Cotton and Tim Scott for introducing this common sense bill.

FOR INFORMATION THAT IS POWER. We are thankful that independent organizations like The Nation's Report Card provide objective data about our students’ progress, and didn’t sugar coat its recent findings on the abysmal state of grade-level proficiency among America’s students and for The ACT which reveals the sad truth that “college readiness continues to decline.” We’re not thankful that English and math results are the lowest they’ve been in 15 years but information is power and we can only act when we know the problem.

WE ARE BEYOND THANKFUL for the wonderful, dedicated supporters and friends who helped us make it through our first 26 years.  Much has been accomplished, but much remains to be done.

 

And please designate The Center for Education Reform as your charity when shopping through  AmazonSmile.

 

LASTLY, WE ARE THANKFUL FOR AMERICA. We are unapologetic believers in American exceptionalism. CER’s mission is to help all of our country’s students become exceptional themselves.  Ponder George Washington’s prayer at Valley Forge as you gather together with friends and family. And from all of us at CER, our very best wishes for a blessed and joyous Thanksgiving.

 

Founded in 1993, the Center for Education Reform aims to expand educational opportunities that lead to improved economic outcomes for all Americans — particularly our youth — ensuring that conditions are ripe for innovation, freedom and flexibility throughout U.S. education. We’re always delighted to hear from our readers...suggestions, questions and even the occasional complaint!

 
Filed Under: Newswire Weekly, Newswire Tagged With: , , ,

60 Days Away: Education Discrimination Goes to Court in Historic Case

November 21, 2019 By

In Espinoza v. Montana, parental control & educational opportunity on the line as Supreme Court decides constitutionality of state’s “Blaine Amendment”

CER announces awareness campaign to educate public on Blaine Amendments’ controversial origin, what’s at stake for students & families

 

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Center for Education Reform (CER) issued the following statement today by CER founder and CEO Jeanne Allen to preview the forthcoming case of Espinoza v. Montana Department of Revenue, to be heard by the U.S. Supreme Court on January 22, 2020, and to announce a new pro-Espinoza public awareness campaign to be conducted over the next two months. Read more about the case here.

“The countdown has begun to one of the most monumental education cases of this century. In two months, the Supreme Court will confront the Blaine Amendment’s long record of being used in Montana and 36 other states to threaten parental rights when it comes to providing children the best education possible. Between now and then, CER will be working to shine a bright light on the Amendments’ dark past in order to educate the public not only on the Amendments’ shocking original intent, but also on how they continue to harm our nation’s most vulnerable kids to this very day.

“There are many dimensions to this case, from parental choice to equality of access to religious liberty and First Amendment concerns, and our awareness campaign will convene voices from various communities to explore each of them. We know that the ramifications of this case’s outcome will extend far beyond the borders of Montana, and that this battle is about far more than mere abstract themes. The nation deserves to know the real-word consequences at stake. Mainly, if each state’s Blaine Amendment is ultimately stuck down, then potentially millions of American students will be given new opportunity to receive a quality education without fear of having it taken from them.”

GET INFORMED:
From CER

Text of amicus brief filed by CER in support of Espinoza

Podcast featuring CER founder & CEO Jeanne Allen and Attorney Paul Clement, author of CER’s pro-Espinoza amicus brief

“The Problem With The Blaine Amendment” by Jeanne Allen (The Huffington Post, August 2017)

From other sources

Comprehensive background on Espinoza v. Montana Department of Revenue (Institute for Justice)

FAQ about Blaine Amendments (including history and current status) (Institute for Justice)

Report by U.S. Commission on Civil Rights: “School Choice: The Blaine Amendments and Anti-Catholicism” (government document)
 

The above material and more can be found at CER's Online Blaine Information Headquarters.

Stay up to date with the latest news about Espinoza and the Blaine Amendments by following CER on Facebook and Twitter!

 
 

Founded in 1993, the Center for Education Reform aims to expand educational opportunities that lead to improved economic outcomes for all Americans — particularly our youth — ensuring that conditions are ripe for innovation, freedom and flexibility throughout U.S. education.

Filed Under: Press Releases

Newswire – November 19, 2019

November 19, 2019 By

MUCH TO BE THANKFUL FOR

Thanksgiving may officially be over a week away, but we find ourselves counting our blessings a bit early and we wanted to share our gratitude with you.


PARENTS AND KIDS FIGHTING BACK. There may have been a chill in the air but the over 1,300 attendees at the  "Open Doors - Unlock Opportunity" in D.C. last Thursday provided plenty of warmth and enthusiasm. A combination call to action for Mayor Bowser to release empty surplus former DCPS buildings for use by public charter schools, celebration of D.C. charter schools and student excellence awards with a prize pool of over $20,000, the event made us thankful that these parents, teachers and students heeded Frederick Douglas’s words that Power concedes nothing without a demand. It never did and it never will. And Demand they did.

 
 

AFTERWARDS… RECOGNIZING TALENT.  We’re proud - and a little in awe - of the winners of the Student Achievement Awards at the Open Doors rally.  We thank these talented students as well as their teachers and parents:  Amari Romney, Richard Wright Public Charter School, for the video “My School is Wonderful”; Cadence Robinson, Center City Public Charter School -Shaw Campus, for the sculpture “We Are Shaw”; Mekedim Gossaye, Yosan Hagos, Edwin Lopez Martinez, Fernando Castillo Diaz and Tewodros Addis of Center City Public Charter School, Brightwood for the rap “What Would I Do If I Did Not Have You?. Congrats also to Statesmen College Preparatory Academy For Boys for having the highest attendance at the event.  

SPEAKING TRUTH TO POWER. There is no greater power seeking to destroy charter schools than the so-called progressive candidates running for President, but the intrepid and truly progressive Dr. Howard Fuller is making sure they hear the truth. Fresh off his rousing speech before 1,300 boisterous charter school students and supporters at the “Open Doors” rally in Washington, D.C. last week (see above), civil rights activist  Dr. Howard Fuller will be in Atlanta, Ga., demonstrating loudly for charter schools outside the democratic presidential debate tomorrow.

Fuller is the co-founder of the Freedom Coalition for Charter Schools, and the lead organizer of the rally that will gather outside Tyler Perry Studios in Atlanta on Wednesday night. The purpose?  “We are tired of their threats to take away public charter schools as education options from families who need and want them the most. When candidates like Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders turn their backs on public charter schools, they are also turning their backs on Black and Latino children and families, the largest population of these schools. We are not going to stand for it anymore.” As the kids say, “True that!”

SPEAKING TRUTH TO POWER, TAKE 2. Given the recent disastrous results from The Nation's Report Card it is clear that the truth is an education establishment that is failing a large majority of our students.  Journalist John Stossel reports on the situation in Philadelphia -  sadly not an anomaly - where the establishment is  ignoring the heartfelt desires of parents to put their kids in schools that actually educate. A brief flashback to the 60’s…”All we are saying, is let charters teach.”

HISTORY COMES ALIVE.  Music may have “charms to soothe the savage breast”, but history has information and inspiration to show us the truth of Issac Newton’s phrase  that we can see as far as we do “because we stand on the shoulders of giants”.  Fox & Friends co-host and best-selling author Brian Kilmeade (@kilmeade) joins Jeanne Allen on this week’s  Reality Check to talk about his latest book, “Sam Houston and the Alamo Avengers: The Texas Victory that changed American history”  and his other books on leading figures in American history. Knowledge of American history and civics is as vital for kids as knowledge of the “Three Rs”. CER has plans to increase that knowledge in our schools...stay tuned.

 

Founded in 1993, the Center for Education Reform aims to expand educational opportunities that lead to improved economic outcomes for all Americans — particularly our youth — ensuring that conditions are ripe for innovation, freedom and flexibility throughout U.S. education. We’re always delighted to hear from our readers...suggestions, questions and even the occasional complaint!

 
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