Posted on 04/15/2025 4:51:15 AM PDT by MtnClimber
In less than three years universal school choice policies have been adopted by 14 states, all Republican leaning. Given the growing desire of education reformers to make similar progress in America’s more liberal bastions, the recently formed Blue State Action Coalition asked Andy Rotherham, co-founder of Bellwether Education, to host an April 2 webinar on “How to Talk to Democrats about School Choice.” Joining him were two people who have had a lot of experience trying to work with the Left on improving America’s K-12 schools: Ashley Berner, Associate Professor of Education at Johns Hopkins University, and Chris Cerf, former New Jersey Commissioner of Education.
Here is a summary of the tips they offered school choice believers trying to engage a political liberal on the subject:
Do not start off by talking about the right of every family to choose its child’s school.
As much as this idea appeals to conservatives and libertarians, political liberals have a longstanding and sincere fear of turning K-12 education into an unregulated marketplace. Instead, begin with the one thing everyone left and right can agree on. As Cerf described it, “We want all children to graduate from high school having mastered, at minimum, the foundational skills necessary for a successful and fulfilling life.”
It’s hard to argue that the $900 million America currently spends each year on primary and secondary education is achieving anything close to this goal, and from there you can make a persuasive case for choice based on measurable outcomes. In other words, if your position is that providing families with a range of educational options, both public and private, has been shown to improve student learning while also equalizing opportunity, it is difficult for a Democrat to keep a closed mind on the policy.
(Excerpt) Read more at americanthinker.com ...
Not if the money flows with the student to the school of choice. It will force schools to work harder to provide a quality education instead of babysitting and indoctrination, in order to keep the school afloat. The better schools will grow and the weaker school will fail. But with competition the vast majority of schools will work harder to provide a quality education as you can bet that the administrators of low performing schools will work their a$$ of to keep their jobs.
No, it really doesn’t. “Good schools”, or schools with a smart and orderly parent base, won’t want outside students. “Bad schools” are largely schools without such a parent base. But shipping the students from “bad schools” to “good schools” will just spread the “badness” to the “good”. Kids don’t need to be shipped around before and after schools. Public schools should be as simple, small and local as possible. If parents want something else, they should come up with that on their own.
Talking to Democrats is entirely pointless and a waste of breath.
Not true!
Big difference between the dog and a Liberal, the dog can learn, the Liberal can’t or prefers not to...
“Choice” is about competition. There is competition in choosing a life-mate. Choice in where to work. Choice in choosing a car to buy.
All suppliers of services or products must be forced to operate in a competitive environment. That environment can still be regulated to ensure the minimum standards are applied to all. But, there MUST be competition.
Without it, the State will tell you who your children will marry and then decide which of your grandchildren to abort.
The reason it is difficult is that the teachers unions spend billions spreading misinformation and they have an army of over 3 million teachers recruiting people to their side.
What does the pro choice lobby spend?
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