http://www.freerepublic.com/tag/schoolchoice/ en-us Mon, 23 Nov 2009 23:54:44 GMT Focus Forum 15 http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/2393001/posts SAT Rap (Video) Bethany Stotts, November 23, 2009 Can the SAT be cool? The makers of this motivational video certainly try. “Relax” by Charta Squad [Video at link] YouTube user “Elka131” writes that the video is “created by teachers at the Believe High Schools in Brooklyn, NY.” Nancy Griesemer at The Examiner and Eric Hoover at Tweed attribute it to Williamsburg Charter High School (WCHS), which is part of a network of three charters in Brooklyn, NY. WCHS serves a low-income community (79% of students were eligible for a free lunch in the 2005-06 academic year).... AIA-FL Blog http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/2393001/posts#comment Mon, 23 Nov 2009 23:54:44 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2384878/posts More city kids are graduating from high school, but that doesn't mean they can do college math. Basic algebra involving fractions and decimals stumped a group of City University of New York freshmen - suggesting city schools aren't preparing them... "These results are shocking," ... "They show that a disturbing proportion of New York City high school graduates lack basic skills." During their first math class at one of CUNY's four-year colleges, 90% of 200 students tested couldn't solve a simple algebra problem... Only a third could convert a fraction into a decimal. The lack of math skills means the... DAILY NEWS http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2384878/posts#comment Thu, 12 Nov 2009 18:45:24 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/2377548/posts D.C. Exports School Choice Bethany Stotts, November 3, 2009 This week Virginia Walden-Ford, executive director of D.C. Parents for School Choice, will be traveling to Kentucky to a rally supporting state legislation for charter schools. “Ford brings her message the ‘parents deserve a choice so kids can have a chance’ to Louisville this Friday,” states the Bluegrass Institute press release. “She will speak at a rally on Friday at 7p.m. in the multipurpose facility at Midwest Church of Christ, 2115 Garland Ave…..” Walden-Ford has fought hard for the Washington Opportunity Scholarship Program, which provided vouchers for underprivileged students attending the... Accuracy in Academia- Faculty Lounge http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/2377548/posts#comment Tue, 3 Nov 2009 17:56:21 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2374577/posts Attorney General Eric Holder tries to kill a TV ad supporting D.C. school vouchers. President Obama isn't taking kindly to a television ad that criticizes his opposition to a popular scholarship program for poor children, and his administration wants the ad pulled. Former D.C. Councilmember Kevin Chavous of D.C. Children First said October 16 that U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder had recently approached him and told him to kill the ad. The 30-second ad, which has been airing on FOX News, CNN, MSNBC, and News Channel 8 to viewers in D.C., Maryland, and Virginia, urges the president to reauthorize the... Weekly Standard http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2374577/posts#comment Fri, 30 Oct 2009 15:21:00 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/2366878/posts A Charter for Achievement Allie Winegar Duzett, October 20, 2009 While bureaucrats everywhere puzzle over how to make public school test scores look good, one charter school principal has figured out how to make them go up without score keeping gimmicks. Ben Chavis is a unique man with an uncommon background: he grew up as a sharecropper on a Native American reservation in North Carolina, and today he leads and operates an impressive charter school—for fun. Every year, Chavis donates his salary back to the school, and uses the money to take the oldest class of children to visit Washington,... Campus Report http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/2366878/posts#comment Tue, 20 Oct 2009 20:26:26 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/2353398/posts Education and Taxation (video at link) by: Sarah Carlsruh, October 02, 2009 This week’s Conservative Bloggers Briefing at the Heritage Foundation highlighted two hot topics: school choice and taxes. Virginia Walden-Ford, executive director of the D.C. Black Alliance for Educational Options, spoke to bloggers this Tuesday about the D.C. Opportunity Scholarship Program, which, she insinuated, the Obama administration would like to end. This scholarship program, argued Walden-Ford, provides kids the chance to escape the violence at D.C. public schools, adding that “These families come from some of the worst schools in D.C.” Walden-Ford told bloggers that President Barack Obama... Campus Report http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/2353398/posts#comment Fri, 2 Oct 2009 15:23:16 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/2352646/posts Choosing Schools in Nebraska by: Allie Winegar Duzett, October 01, 2009 School choice has long been a topic of debate among those concerned with American education. Should the government have a monopoly over education? Or should Americans instead be allowed to use vouchers to send their children to schools that could compete with the government’s public school system? Paul DiPerna of the Friedman Foundation for Educational Choice recently interviewed 1,200 “likely” Nebraskan voters to see how residents of the state feel about issues with education, including school choice. The study has a 95% confidence level. DiPerna’s study found that Nebraska’s... Campus Report http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/2352646/posts#comment Thu, 1 Oct 2009 17:33:37 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/2336624/posts Bluegrass Blues by: Sarah Carlsruh, September 10, 2009 It turns out that not many parents in the Bluegrass state want their children to attend public school. Paul DiPerna, author of School Choice Survey in the State: Kentucky’s Opinion on K-12 Education and School Choice, found that people are not happy with the current public school system. This August 2009 study is of Kentucky voters’ opinions on their state’s school system. Strategic Vision, a public relations agency, conducted this survey by making live phone calls to a random sample of 1,200 likely Kentucky voters. Its screening questions were such as to... Campus Report http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/2336624/posts#comment Thu, 10 Sep 2009 19:50:22 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/2324039/posts Community Organizes for Vouchers by: Anthony Kang, August 25, 2009 On August 20th, dozens of elementary students and parents gathered in front of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) in a daytime vigil organized by D.C. Parents for School Choice as part of their SaveThe216 campaign to save the D.C. Opportunity Scholarship Program (OSP). The D.C. OSP is part of a three-sector education initiative for public schools, charters schools, and OSP participants. The program, which provides low-income children with scholarships of up to $7,500 allowing parents to choose the education they believe is best for their children, was passed... Campus Report http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/2324039/posts#comment Tue, 25 Aug 2009 15:11:30 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2304099/posts Members of the activist homosexual community have decided to advance their cultural revolution, in spite of the rights of parents, by using children and the willing administration in some school systems. The Pacific Justice Institute is representing the parents in that area, free of charge. Rather than deal with the specific incident, I want to address the broader problem, the growing failure in some public school districts to respect parental rights. I also want to affirm the Catholic teaching on the primary role of parents in the lives of their children and in education. The Church is in favor of... Catholic Online http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2304099/posts#comment Thu, 30 Jul 2009 01:38:46 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2150563/posts Education: Barack Obama's choice for education secretary tried to run Chicago schools like a business. As with most monopolies without competition, the result was an inferior product at high cost.Arne Duncan, CEO of the Chicago Public Schools since 2001, has garnered much praise for his efforts to improve them. But his efforts have largely amounted to pouring new wine into old bottles with little to show for them. Duncan holds a degree in sociology, not education. He supports higher teacher pay and more training but has done little to loosen the teachers' unions' grip on education. Like the UAW, these... IBD Editorials http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2150563/posts#comment Thu, 18 Dec 2008 01:38:20 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2298245/posts Democrats have promised to make college education another taxpayer-financed entitlement, but some post-secondary schools appear to be more favored than others. Specifically, for-profit institutions are becoming political targets, notwithstanding their generally strong educational record. Often called career colleges, for-profit schools don’t rank with the Ivies for prestige. But schools like Devry or Kaplan that specialize in computer technology, physical therapy and other tangible skills provide a valuable service in training young and even not-so-young people to compete in our information economy. The Wall Street Journal http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2298245/posts#comment Wed, 22 Jul 2009 14:43:24 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2279171/posts June 25, 2009 Dear xxxxxx, As we decide which gubernatorial candidate to support, the fact that Deeds and McDonnell have voting records is significant. Kaine, having come to the Mansion by the way of local government, had no state level voting record to back his words. Deeds and McDonnell have shown their true stripes as they have voted over many years and many session in the Virginia General Assembly. The VEA Fund (formerly known as VEA-PAC) has not recommended a candidate, so I find myself in the delightful position of being able to discuss the positions the candidates are taking... http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2279171/posts#comment Thu, 25 Jun 2009 14:52:04 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/2265571/posts School of Future Shock by: Alana Goodman, June 05, 2009 At Philadelphia’s School of the Future (SOF), textbooks have been replaced with laptops and high schoolers are taught core curriculum through technology-based programs like YouTube and instant messenger. SOF is a charter school in the Philadelphia School District serving mostly low-income students, and was created through a 2006 partnership with the Microsoft Corporation. But the school, once hailed as “the next big thing” by National Public Radio, is struggling to live up to these high expectations. SOF’s original goals were to supply each student with a laptop computer that he... Campus Report http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/2265571/posts#comment Fri, 5 Jun 2009 16:02:29 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2264528/posts Milwaukee is home to America’s most vibrant school-choice program: More than 20,000 students participate, almost all of them minorities. They have made academic gains and boast higher graduation rates than their peers in public schools. They even save money for taxpayers. Inevitably, Democrats in the state capital are trying to eviscerate the Milwaukee Parental Choice Program. They’ve wanted to gut school choice for years, at the behest of teacher-union patrons who believe education should be a government monopoly. Until recently, Republicans have stood in the way. That changed following last year’s elections. Now, for the first time since the advent... National Review http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2264528/posts#comment Thu, 4 Jun 2009 12:18:24 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2253846/posts TWO VIDEOS: http://anchorsnews.com/2009/05/shock-parents-outraged-as-obama-cuts-scholarship-recipients-for-african-americans/President Obama said that he would allow students currently enrolled in the program to finish up through high school, but that no new students would be allowed to enter the program. Thus, a president who exercises school choice himself, has consigned thousands of low-income students to attend massively underperforming D.C. public schools. http://anchorsnews.com/2009/05/shock-parents-outraged-as-obama-cuts-scholarship-recipients-for-afric http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2253846/posts#comment Tue, 19 May 2009 13:27:38 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/2251686/posts DC Vouchers Rhee-Visited by: Bethany Stotts, May 15, 2009 On May 5, D.C. Schools Chancellor Michelle Rhee told a symposium on innovation in education that she doesn’t care whether education providers earn a profit if they are effective. “Textbook companies, food service companies, they all don’t do a whole lot of great stuff but they all make a ton of money off of kids,” she argued. Rhee later added that for her the “bottom line” for her is a) “what is this organization going to deliver,” b) “what guarantees are they going to make,” and c) “how are they going... Campus Report http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/2251686/posts#comment Fri, 15 May 2009 16:39:52 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2246696/posts Fighting to save the District's popular school-voucher program, some 1,000 parents, pupils and politicians gathered near Mayor Adrian Fenty's office on Wednesday to protest Congress' plans to end school choice in Washington. That same day, the Senate approved a $4,500 voucher for cars, encouraging citizens to trade in their old automobiles for newer ones that burn less fuel. So, Congress thinks that vouchers for schools are bad, but vouchers for cars are good. Slashing school vouchers spares teachers' unions from competition. On the other hand, car vouchers are supposed to boost demand for cars built by the United Auto Workers.... Washington Times http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2246696/posts#comment Fri, 8 May 2009 04:49:21 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/2246377/posts I celebrated too soon. I heard that the President had changed his mind about school vouchers in D.C. and I was all set to cheer a great "change." Then of course, I hear that he has only suggested that the children already in the program continue to be covered until they graduate high school.*sigh*  Not the ringing endorsement I had hoped for, and wrote about in March. ( http://www.lovehateoprah.com/lovehateoprah/2009/03/is-the-president-getting-wise-to-school-choice.html )But not all hope is lost, I think. After all, Barack Obama has promised to "fund what works." Yes, I can be an eternal optimist in some respects. Here is my latest pie-in-the-sky... Clearly Nebulous http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/2246377/posts#comment Thu, 7 May 2009 20:43:37 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2245924/posts "This afternoon, more than 1,000 students, parents, and concerned citizens gathered across from city hall to rally in support of the D.C. Opportunity Scholarship program. A number of prominent D.C. leaders spoke, including former mayor Anthony Williams and former councilmember Kevin Chavous....." The Corner on National Review http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2245924/posts#comment Thu, 7 May 2009 08:10:59 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2245493/posts President Obama will seek to extend the controversial D.C. school voucher program until all 1,716 participants have graduated from high school, although no new students will be accepted, according to an administration official who has reviewed budget details scheduled for release tomorrow. The budget documents, which expand on the fiscal 2010 blueprint that Congress approved last month by outlining Obama's priorities in detail, would provide $12.2 million for the Opportunity Scholarship Program for the 2009-2010 school year. The new language also would revise current law that makes further funding for existing students contingent on Congress's reauthorization of the program beyond... Washington Post http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2245493/posts#comment Wed, 6 May 2009 18:17:49 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2245635/posts Supporters of a celebrated school voucher program in Washington rallied near the mayor's office Wednesday to save the scholarships from being slashed by Congress -- nearly 40 percent of whose members send their own children to private schools. An estimated 1,000 parents, children and community leaders attended the afternoon protest in Washington's Freedom Plaza, where they called on D.C. politicians to help preserve a federal school choice program that currently assists more than 1,700 students with scholarships worth up to $7,500. "Several years ago many of us in this good city worked very hard to get a program going with... fox news http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2245635/posts#comment Wed, 6 May 2009 21:56:26 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/2244808/posts In this 'must see' and very 'powerful' video, Obama voters slam Obama for destroying a very successful school choice program in the name of politics. The parents are furious and plan to ask Obama he is doing this when they marched for him... can he take this wonderful program away. Watch, http://www.butasforme.com/2009/05/05/scholarship-students-nail-obama/ http://www.butasforme.com/2009/05/05/scholarship-students-nail-obama/ http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/2244808/posts#comment Tue, 5 May 2009 20:39:55 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2244584/posts Washington, D.C.'s school voucher program for low-income kids isn't dead yet. But the Obama Administration seems awfully eager to expedite its demise. About 1,700 kids currently receive $7,500 vouchers to attend private schools under the Opportunity Scholarship Program, and 99% of them are black or Hispanic. The program is a huge hit with parents -- there are four applicants for every available scholarship -- and the latest Department of Education evaluation showed significant academic gains. Nevertheless, Congress voted in March to phase out the program after the 2009-10 school year unless it is reauthorized by Congress and the D.C. City... WSJ http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2244584/posts#comment Tue, 5 May 2009 16:23:08 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/2244493/posts In the recently passed Omnibus Spending Bill, there was a lot of spending and little cutting. Not much cutting, but one important cut that affects the poorest families in Washington, DC. Why would liberals, who claim to be the party of the working poor and the party of social justice, be against a program that only helps the poorest kids in the worst schools? That’s a good question. Why Mr. President? The Right Voice http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/2244493/posts#comment Tue, 5 May 2009 14:35:00 GMT