This is “school choice” week for those who propose that all parents just take a certain amount of tax money and choose whatever school they want their child to be in. But it doesn’t always work that way. Continue reading Does School Choice Mean that You Choose the School?
Category Archives: Education
Bait and Switch with “Parent Choice”?
A sweeping charter school bill was defeated last year in the Oklahoma Legislature. If passed, they would have allowed investor-owned charters to spring up in direct competition to public schools everywhere, even in the smallest of towns.
The “reform” argument was the same as it has always been when selling “education reform”: Continue reading Bait and Switch with “Parent Choice”?
Here Comes The Money
When it comes to public schools in Oklahoma, the effort to move parents from the status of citizen to consumer has started in earnest, and there is big, big money behind it. Continue reading Here Comes The Money
Education Reformers Engineer a Teacher Brain Drain
Even though experienced teachers as a group have a high degree of love for their students and their work, they are leaving education in large numbers. The teacher brain drain has been happening for about ten years now, and very little grief expressed. Why? Continue reading Education Reformers Engineer a Teacher Brain Drain
Sorry, the Kingdom Will Not Come for Education on Monday
We are always looking for lesser messiahs than The Messiah. A new President will fix it. Yeah, a new governor will make it right. If we can just elect a new attorney general, then…. But it seldom works that way.
Continue reading Sorry, the Kingdom Will Not Come for Education on Monday
Education Reform is Not Disruptive Innovation
Education reformers love to strike a heroic pose as they refer to themselves as engaging in “disruptive innovation”. Thing is, that’s not what they are doing. It’s more like what corporate raiders did in the 1980s. Continue reading Education Reform is Not Disruptive Innovation
I’m Not Counting Barresi Out Yet
Many Oklahoma educators seem to believe that we will just never see our public schools chief Janet Barresi ever again after January 12th. Not so fast.
Continue reading I’m Not Counting Barresi Out Yet
Investors Resist Idea of Society as Stakeholder in Public Education
Parents are key stakeholders in any child’s education. Does that mean that they are the only stakeholders? One upon a time in America most people would say “no”. They would say that it’s all of society. But not anymore. Investors are what has changed that equation. Continue reading Investors Resist Idea of Society as Stakeholder in Public Education
Why Teachers Union Leaders Have to be Tougher
Now, more than in the last 50 years, teachers have to be tougher in fighting for our profession. It’s time to overcome our desire to elect model teachers as our union leaders. Instead, for that particular role, we need model advocates. Continue reading Why Teachers Union Leaders Have to be Tougher
Charter’s Don’t Do It Better or Cheaper
The hard spin that investors put on their own charter corporations is that they do education better, and for cheaper than those bad public schools. But, with some years of experience behind us now, it is clear that charters do neither.
Continue reading Charter’s Don’t Do It Better or Cheaper