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Parents In Charge News

2005-04-05T05:49:00.000-07:00

Check out our new home page for Parents In Charge News at PICNews.typepad.com.

Mayoral campaign turns into Trivial Pursuit game

2005-04-04T09:49:00.000-07:00

L.A. Daily News - Chris Weinkopf: "Back in 2000, Villaraigosa helped to defeat Proposition 38, which would have given California families vouchers and, thus, the sort of educational opportunity Villaraigosa considers crucial for his own kids. As a result of the initiative's failure, many parents who would also like their children 'to understand the role that faith plays' in their lives must make great personal sacrifices, choose home-schooling or reluctantly send their kids to a secular and too often failing LAUSD campus.
For these parents, who pay steep taxes to support the LAUSD, the 'best education' that the Villaraigosas have obtained for their own kids remains out of reach."

House members continue to weigh school-choice bill

2005-04-04T09:37:00.000-07:00

The Sun News | 04/04/2005 | House members continue to weigh school-choice bill: "In Milwaukee, where about 15,000 use vouchers to attend private schools, graduation rates improved by 25 percent after the city's school-choice program was created, school-choice advocate Eric O'Keefe told legislators at the hearing last week."

Vouchers lack votes in House

2005-04-04T08:25:00.000-07:00

Vouchers lack votes in House: "Supporters of the measure believe some legislators changed their minds because of intense lobbying. Clint Bolick, president of the Phoenix-based Alliance for School Choice, said SB 1506 is facing an avalanche of criticism because it is the most far-reaching of any choice legislation.

'This bill is the most ambitious of the school-choice proposals. It's not surprising that even though Arizona is poised to make history . . . that some legislators would get cold feet because the special interests on the other side are aiming most of their fire at this,' Bolick said. "

Poll: 55% back school vouchers

2005-04-04T08:07:00.000-07:00

Poll: 55% back school vouchers: "More than half of Hoosiers think the state should give families tax money to shift children out of failing public schools and into the public, private or parochial schools of their choice, according to a poll for the Indianapolis Star and WTHR (Channel 13)."

Maryland and Virginia students deserve more choices

2005-04-01T06:10:00.000-08:00

Maryland and Virginia students deserve more choices - The Washington Times: Editorials/OP-ED - April 01, 2005: "The Children Scholarship Fund of Baltimore, a private organization that funds school-choice scholarships, is funding tuition scholarships for 495 students from low-income families to attend 94 different private schools this year. Still, the scholarship organiztion in Baltimore currently has more than 2,000 children on a waiting list for scholarships.
How much longer must these children have to wait? It's time city and state leaders work to deliver real school choice for Baltimore. "

Education tax credits

2005-04-01T06:07:00.000-08:00

Education tax credits - The Washington Times: Editorials/OP-ED - April 01, 2005: "In the House of Delegates, I will work with other reform-minded legislators to liberate those who feel trapped in a failed system. What we need is a law that allows taxpayers who do not send their children to a public school to receive a property-tax refund (for an amount no larger that the percentage of their property tax that currently goes to their local public school) or an equivalent tax credit on their state income taxes. "

Stupidity trickling down (US)

2005-04-01T05:56:00.000-08:00

Thomas Sowell: Stupidity trickling down: "If education provides anything, it should be an ability to think -- that is, to weigh one idea against an opposing idea, and to use evidence and logic to try to determine what is true and what is false. That is precisely what our schools and colleges are failing to teach today.
It is worse than that. Too many teachers, from the elementary schools to the graduate schools, see their role as indoctrinating students with what these teachers regard as the right beliefs and opinions. Usually that means the left's beliefs and opinions."

National Wealth Tax to Fund Education?

2005-03-30T08:31:00.000-08:00

National Wealth Tax to Fund Education?: "The problems that beset public education are deep and inherent, rooted in the very nature of any enterprise that obtains its revenue not from willing payers, but from taxes. Throwing more money at public education can no more solve its problems than sending more foreign aid to North Korea can end its inability to feed its people."

Assessing the KIPP Schools -- a New Perspective

2005-03-30T08:27:00.000-08:00

Assessing the KIPP Schools -- a New Perspective (washingtonpost.com): " KIPP provides children with the motivation and opportunity to excel that they might not have in their regular public schools. Our evidence is also not inconsistent with the notion that regular public schools might have a great deal to learn from KIPP's philosophy and strategy.' "

S&P Opens A Rating Service On Schools

2005-03-30T08:24:00.000-08:00

S&P Opens A Rating Service On Schools (washingtonpost.com): "The site calls this the Instructional Spending Allocation Index, which measures the proportion of increased spending over time allocated for instruction and provides a way to track money raised with the intent of improving student performance. "

Why do teachers fight school choice? Fear it will work?

2005-03-30T08:04:00.000-08:00

The Union Leader and New Hampshire Sunday News - 30-Mar-05 - Fergus Cullen:
Why do teachers fight school choice? Fear it will work?: "Stripped of all the false arguments, only the real reason for Estabrook's and the teachers unions opposition to school choice remains: They are afraid it might work.
If parents have more choices, they might send their children to places other than the local public school, threatening the education establishment's monopoly, job security and benefits packages. Their opposition has nothing to do with what's best for parents and kids."

Multiculturalism lecturer supports school choice

2005-03-30T07:55:00.000-08:00

Multiculturalism lecturer supports school choice - The Good 5 Cent Cigar - News: "Fuller said parental choice, which includes giving parents the resources to home-school their children or obtain school vouchers, offers low-income students the ability to obtain a better education. In general, school vouchers provide money to parents so they can withdraw their child from a failing public school and send them to a school of their choice.

'Parental choice is much more than vouchers,' Fuller said. 'Vouchers are financial mechanisms to get to certain schools.'"

School voucher expansion pitched

2005-03-30T07:47:00.000-08:00

School voucher expansion pitched: "The program would cost about $81 million a year. But Husted said the state would save money because scholarships would be less than the $5,400 per pupil payments districts receive.
'What we don't want to accept is academic failure,' Husted said. 'For students that are in underperforming schools, we want to continue to give them opportunities to improve their academic futures, which means the opportunity to live a better life.'"

Hearings to begin on tuition tax credit (SC)

2005-03-29T10:10:00.000-08:00

The State | 03/29/2005 | Hearings to begin on tuition tax credit: "House lawmakers this week begin hearings on one of the most controversial questions facing the Legislature whether to give tax breaks for private school tuition.
It will be the first time this year that lawmakers have officially discussed the bill backed by Gov. Mark Sanford but they already have heard lots about it."

Choosing choice: Scholarship bill passes first test (NH)

2005-03-29T10:02:00.000-08:00

The Union Leader and New Hampshire Sunday News - 29-Mar-05 - Choosing choice:
Scholarship bill passes first test: "The bill, SB 131, ought to pass easily. It would create a limited number of scholarships parents could use for private or parochial school tuition. Those scholarships are less than the per-pupil cost of educating a child in public school. The portion of each child's per-pupil allotment not converted to a scholarship will remain in the public school. In this way the bill does not, as school choice critics charge, siphon off dollars from the public schools. It allows a few parents to siphon their kids from the public schools, but leaves a solid chunk of their money behind. "

School tax credit bill is vetoed

2005-03-29T09:52:00.000-08:00

School tax credit bill is vetoed: "'This bill is an excellent way to expand opportunities for low-income children at no cost to the state,' said Clint Bolick, president and general counsel for the Alliance for School Choice, a national advocacy group based in Phoenix. 'We're hopeful this setback will be momentary and that the Legislature and the governor can come to some accord on expanding education opportunities through the corporate tax credit.'"

Parents need the right to pick children's schools

2005-03-29T09:25:00.000-08:00

Newsday.com - Opinion: "Today, most parents are economically forced to pick the public school. Why shouldn't more Long Island parents be free to choose their child's school and have their fair share of education tax funds directed to that school?

Educationally, all students would benefit, because competition forces all schools to improve."

Companies' tuition tax break vetoed

2005-03-29T09:20:00.000-08:00

Companies' tuition tax break vetoed: "Gov. Janet Napolitano yesterday vetoed a proposed new corporate income tax break for companies that make donations for private school tuition scholarships."

It's time to give school choice a chance

2005-03-28T13:12:00.000-08:00

Star-Telegram | 03/26/2005 | It's time to give school choice a chance: "When shopping for groceries, you have an endless number of choices. Some of us prefer to eat what tastes good, some of us prefer to eat what's healthful. Others choose to dine somewhere in between. But the bottom line is that we all have a choice. We are not forced to pay for something that we don't want. Shouldn't we all have a choice on something so much more important?"

The bad news about the dropout rate

2005-03-28T13:05:00.000-08:00

The bad news about the dropout rate: "Mr. Bonsteel replied, 'The real solution is school choice,' which is advanced by his group. He pointed to the research of Jay Greene of the Manhattan Institute, who found that in 2003 Milwaukee public schools had a dismal 39 percent graduation rate compared to a much better 67 percent rate in the city's pioneering voucher schools."

Napolitano needs to bend a bit in dealing with new Legislature

2005-03-28T13:02:00.000-08:00

East Valley Tribune | Daily Arizona news for Chandler, Gilbert, Tempe, Mesa, Scottsdale: "But she should also recognize that Arizonans are too far down the school-choice road to buy the teachers-union bogeyman that vouchers will destroy public schools. She should be willing to bargain on a voucher bill and an expansion of the state's private school scholarship fund tax credit, which a federal judge declared constitutional on Thursday. "

Federal judge tosses Arizona school tax-credit case

2005-03-28T12:55:00.000-08:00

firstamendmentcenter.org: news: "U.S. District Judge Earl Carroll on March 24 granted a motion by school-choice advocates to dismiss a 2000 suit backed by the American Civil Liberties Union of Arizona. Carroll's ruling rejected the suit's contention that the tax credit violates the U.S. Constitution's prohibition on government establishment of religion.
The credit is part of a state effort to promote school-choice opportunities in both public and private schools for students and parents from a broad spectrum of groups, Carroll wrote.
Money which would otherwise go to the state can only go to religious schools after being filtered through multiple layers of private choice, Carroll's ruling said."

Sanford panel aims to improve education

2005-03-28T12:48:00.000-08:00

Dateline Alabama: "The governor has charged the panel with examining the state's K-12 education system with the aim of finding ideas to improve student performance on national standardized tests and cutting the high school dropout rate, Sanford's spokesman Will Folks said. Sanford backs a bill that would give tax credits to parents whose children transfer from public schools. But the panel is not charged with studying the effect of school choice on public schools, Folks said."

Competitive bidding needed for schools' health insurance (MI)

2005-03-28T10:56:00.000-08:00

The Oakland Press: Opinions: Competitive bidding needed for schools' health insurance: "Let local districts shop around for health care insurance rather than being forced to buy it from the Michigan Education Special Services Association (MESSA), which is the lucrative insurance arm of the Michigan Education Association - the teachers' labor union."

The National Board Certification For Teachers Is Still a Billion Dollar Hoax

2005-03-28T08:56:00.000-08:00

The National Board Certification: "The difficulty level of content can be used as a measure of the quality of a professional certification. A close scrutiny of the difficulty level of the science content knowledge that teacher candidates for National Board Certification are expected to master, has revealed that it is at best a very mediocre certification2. Teachers who attain this mediocre certification are lavished with benefits in the form of extra pay or salary increases."

Rankings cloud real school indicators

2005-03-28T06:25:00.000-08:00

Rankings cloud real school indicators: "Spending rankings tell policymakers even less about what matters most: student performance. According to the National Center for Education Statistics, Washington, D.C., spends $15,000 per pupil, the most in the nation, but students there come in dead last on the Nation's Report Card. In 2003, 90 percent of fourth- and eighth-graders in D.C. failed reading proficiency. "

Federal judge dismisses challenge to Arizona private school tax credit

2005-03-25T06:21:00.000-08:00

Federal judge dismisses challenge to Arizona private school tax credit: "A federal judge on Thursday rejected a second challenge to Arizona's dollar-for-dollar state income tax break for donations for private school scholarships. "

Making Good On The Promise

2005-03-25T06:18:00.000-08:00

PHXnews.com | Making Good On The Promise: "Public schools improve wherever meaningful competition choice exists. When schools are faced with losing children and the funds their parents command with school choice, they are forced to improve. In Florida, where children in failing public schools can attend private schools using public funds, failing schools have adopted long-overdue reforms and test scores among children at the bottom of the academic ladder have risen significantly statewide."

Plan offers cost-effective hope of progress

2005-03-25T06:09:00.000-08:00

The Sun News | 03/25/2005 | Plan offers cost-effective hope of progress: "How does Put Parents in Charge differ from other school choice plans? Put Parents in Charge would not be a voucher program. It would not use public money, and it would not increase government control over independent schools.
Put Parents in Charge would let parents take credits against their state income taxes to pay for the school of their choice. In this way, Put Parents in Charge is a tax cut that leaves public school budgets untouched while increasing school quality and options for parents."

Court urged to overturn school voucher ban

2005-03-25T06:04:00.000-08:00

Court urged to overturn school voucher ban: "An attorney for the families from Durham, Raymond and Minot said his clients would receive tuition vouchers if they sent their children to any public or non-religious private high school. But because they chose religious schools, they get no support from their towns, which they claim is unfair."

School choice helps kids, public education

2005-03-25T05:59:00.000-08:00

Journal Gazette | 03/25/2005 | School choice helps kids, public education: "The fact that parents want more options is not surprising. Parents know better than anyone that children have unique needs and learn differently, and they know that educational freedom will help them find a learning environment in which their child can thrive. When parents learn about school choice, they understand that it benefits students, taxpayers and communities."

Introducing Virginia Republican Gov. George Fitch

2005-03-24T09:35:00.000-08:00

Augusta Free Press : Introducing Virginia Republican Gov. George Fitch: "We need to give local governments and school boards more control and authority over education dollars from the state government. We need to reimburse families that choose to send their children to parochial and other private schools or to homeschool their children through tuition tax credits, or for those whose tax liability is insufficient, then a refund through an earned-income tax-credit scheme."

Black minister group expresses support for school choice (SC)

2005-03-24T09:22:00.000-08:00

WIStv.com Columbia, SC: Black minister group expresses support for school choice: "A group of black ministers says school choice could close the achievement gap between black and white students in South Carolina. They have formed a group called CEO, which stands for Clergy for Educational Options."

No Cop-Out Left Behind

2005-03-24T08:29:00.000-08:00

No Cop-Out Left Behind [Mackinac Center for Public Policy]: "And public school 'choice'? Breaking a monopoly requires more than allowing consumers to move to another of the same monopoly's outlets. When the Supreme Court ruled that Microsoft was a monopoly, what would the public have said if the court's remedy was for consumers to simply switch to buying different Microsoft products?"

Charter school review sought

2005-03-24T06:36:00.000-08:00

Beacon Journal | 03/24/2005 | Charter school review sought: "Mark Thimmig, White Hat Ventures president, believes parents, not lawmakers, should determine how many charter schools open or close.``If the schools are full and there is demand for additional charters, the community should be the ultimate arbiter in deciding if their children go to charter schools,'' Thimmig said."

Tattered Tenenbaum Set For Defeat In 2006

2005-03-24T05:48:00.000-08:00

The Common Voice: "Then what is the answer, Ms. Tenenbaum? It amazes me that she can tell the people of South Carolina with a straight face that there is nothing wrong with education in South Carolina and would prefer to leave things just the way they are. While she admits improvements are needed, she has not offered any solutions to counter the incredibly popular school choice options being offered by Gov. Sanford and many courageous Republican lawmakers in Columbia. Instead, she simply wants to throw even more money at the education monster to make things better."

Vouchers pushed for city students

2005-03-23T06:12:00.000-08:00

Vouchers pushed for city students - 2005-03-22: "Baltimore City could save $30 million over 10 years by putting in place a school voucher program for low-income students to attend private schools, according to a study released Monday. "

The Sad State of Education

2005-03-22T10:00:00.000-08:00

The Sad State of Education: "nowhere in the U.S. Constitution is there mention anywhere of citizens' rights, nor legal obligation, to send their children to public school, nor to any school for that matter. There is only a national philosophy regarding education that has solidified over the years regarding this country's need for an organized, comprehensive, public school system. "

Darcy Olsen on School Choice & Arizona

2005-03-22T09:59:00.000-08:00

Darcy Olsen on School Choice & Arizona on National Review Online: "But over the past 15 years, 14 states and cities have enacted as many school-choice programs. There exists now an overwhelming body of research by scholars from such leading universities and research organizations as the Brookings Institution, the National Bureau of Economic Research, Columbia University, Princeton University, and the University of Wisconsin-Madison showing how school choice improves the quality of education. "

The Lexicon of Political Clout

2005-03-18T07:05:00.000-08:00

The Lexicon of Political Clout: "Similarly, I'm for calling the money paid to help parents choose their kids' school a 'scholarship' because 'voucher' trivializes the powerful opportunity the transaction confers on poor families. I'd argue that it's more accurate to call 'school choice' 'parental choice in education.' Considering how such a program equalizes education for rich and poor, the most accurate phrase would be 'equal opportunity in education.' Is that Orwellian? Is that calling war 'peace' or freedom 'slavery'?"

Last 24 Hours: Positive Movement for School Choice

2005-03-17T12:28:00.000-08:00

Hawaii Reporter: Hawaii Reporter: "In Missouri, a scholarship tax credit bill passed the House Urban Affairs Committee by a vote of 8 to 4. Of critical importance to note is the fact that the committee is chaired by Democrat Ted Hoskins, St. Louis, who, along with other Democrat members of the black caucus on the committee, is strongly in favor of the school choice bill. "

Maryland Is Hailed For Education Gains

2005-03-17T12:14:00.000-08:00

Maryland Is Hailed For Education Gains (washingtonpost.com): "She also noted one of Maryland's shortcomings, at least from the perspective of school-choice advocates: a shortage of charter schools. Maryland has only one fully operational charter school at present, and school boards have shown some reluctance to grant additional charters. "

Study backs school choice for Paterson

2005-03-16T07:42:00.000-08:00

North Jersey Media Group providing local news, sports & classifieds for Northern New Jersey!: "The Lexington Institute in Arlington, Va., released a report last week recommending that a voucher program be implemented in Paterson to allow parents to pull their children out of deficient schools and send them to parochial or private ones."

Expansion of school choice through vouchers should be approved (AZ)

2005-03-16T07:41:00.000-08:00

East Valley Tribune | Daily Arizona news for Chandler, Gilbert, Tempe, Mesa, Scottsdale: "The above studies and many others have shown the opposite that choice encourages everyone, educators, administrators, parents and students, to do better. Moreover, with vouchers, public schools will continue to receive the same full funding per child entering them that they currently receive. Charter schools per-pupil reimbursements and the vouchers themselves will continue to amount to less than what public schools receive. "

School vouchers’ fate up to governor

2005-03-15T12:04:00.000-08:00

East Valley Tribune | Daily Arizona news for Chandler, Gilbert, Tempe, Mesa, Scottsdale: "The future of vouchers for private and parochial schools is up to Gov. Janet Napolitano. On a 16-12 vote the state Senate gave final approval Monday to legislation that would provide 'parental education choice grants' that could be used to pay tuition and fees at schools outside the public system."

Wrangling between governor, lawmakers may yield good results (AZ)

2005-03-14T09:19:00.000-08:00

East Valley Tribune Daily Arizona news for Chandler, Gilbert, Tempe, Mesa, Scottsdale: "Napolitano, meanwhile, has trotted out the same tired old argument that the teachers unions have used for years to disparage school choice: that funding vouchers can't be justified until the public schools are amply funded. Yet we've never found a teachers union yet, anywhere in the country, that believes its public schools are adequately funded. And it shouldn't be an either-or issue anyway; adequate funding and parental choice are both important. "

GOP official urges local party to keep advancing ideas, fielding candidates

2005-03-14T09:12:00.000-08:00

The Times and Democrat: Archives: "'School choice is a very, very hot issue in the state,' Ragley said. 'There is a lot of disinformation being spread by the Democrats about Put Parents in Charge. You will see us combat that.'"

Bill would benefit low-, middle-income students

2005-03-14T09:00:00.000-08:00

The Sun News | 03/14/2005 | Bill would benefit low-, middle-income students: "[Passage of] South Carolina's Put Parents In Charge Act would be a historic, statewide recognition that parents have the right to seek a school they believe can best serve the educational needs of their child and reflects their family's goals and values, regardless of who happens to manage it."

Test

2005-03-11T18:44:00.000-08:00

Testing 1, 2, 3.

Institute for Justice Applauds Signing Of Nation�s Second School Choice Program for Special Needs Students

2005-03-11T10:07:00.000-08:00

The Free Liberal: Institute for Justice Applauds Signing Of Nation's Second School Choice Program for Special Needs Students: "School choice opponents claim that choice can't help special needs students-but Florida and now Utah are proving them wrong, said Institute for Justice Senior Litigator Richard Komer. Special needs students deserve every opportunity for a quality education, and programs like Carson Smith Scholarships set parents free to choose the best environment to educate their children."

The evidence for school choice

2005-03-11T10:06:00.000-08:00

The State | 03/10/2005 | The evidence for school choice: "Considering the overwhelming evidence in favor of the productive power of free individuals and markets, the only parts of the public debate on school choice tax credits that are just plan wrong are the arguments presented against deregulating what has been called the last public monopoly."

Lost supporter syndrome

2005-03-11T10:04:00.000-08:00

Lost supporter syndrome - The Washington Times: Commentary - March 10, 2005: "Polls show 60 percent of African-Americans support school choice vouchers to get their kids out of failing public schools. "

171 apply for voucher program

2005-03-11T10:03:00.000-08:00

JS Online: 171 apply for voucher program: "Susan Mitchell, a leading advocate for the school choice movement, said an increase in the number of schools in the program would dramatically increase the amount of damage that would be done to thousands of families if rationing of seats in schools occurs. Some form of rationing is expected by fall if no agreement is reached on what to do about the cap."

Bill Would Allow Scholarships For Private Schools, Tutoring

2005-03-11T10:02:00.000-08:00

TheKansasCityChannel.com - Politics - Bill Would Allow Scholarships For Private Schools, Tutoring: "James Buford, president of the St. Louis Urban League, said he opposes vouchers but favors this plan because the money comes from private sources. He said it would give students stuck in troubled schools an option.
'These schools are abysmally failing our kids,' Buford told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch."

NYC May Win a Chance to Try Out Vouchers

2005-03-11T10:00:00.000-08:00

NYC May Win a Chance to Try Out Vouchers - March 11, 2005 - The New York Sun: "Under the proposed Choice Incentive Fund program, cities could apply to receive federal funds to pay for tuition vouchers at private and religious schools."

Bill proposes state funds for private-school tuition (AZ)

2005-03-09T08:01:00.000-08:00

Bill proposes state funds for private-school tuition: "Senate Bill 1506 would give parents an annual voucher up to $3,500 that could be used to send their child to a private school for kindergarten through eighth grade and a voucher for up to $4,500 for each year of high school. "

Rockford Parent Upset with (Controlled) School Choice System (IL)

2005-03-08T08:52:00.000-08:00

WTVO.com - Rockford, IL: Rockford Parent Upset with School Choice System: "'People choose to live in a neighborhood for the schools that is a key point for parents,' Stanfa says. 'My taxes are based on the school. I'm paying a much higher tax for where I live and I'm not going to get the school I should.' The school assignments are based on a priority. Students who live within a mile and a half of their chosen schools have a better chance of getting in them. But Stanfa says the system feels more like playing the lottery, with the odds stacked against parents. "

A Quick Guide to the Scholarly Literature on School Choice

2005-03-08T08:34:00.000-08:00

A Quick Guide to the Scholarly Literature on School Choice[Mackinac Center for Public Policy]: "In reality, the vast majority of sound empirical studies comparing competitive education markets to state-run school monopolies give the edge to markets. "

School choice opponent berates capitalism

2005-03-07T11:30:00.000-08:00

The Common Voice: "One of the pillars of Put Parents in Charge is in fact the reliance on free-market competition to inspire public schools to produce the best education possible. "

Parents should be put in charge

2005-03-07T11:28:00.000-08:00

Charlotte Observer | 03/06/2005 | Parents should be put in charge: "The problem is that the system itself has become more interested in preserving the ineffective status quo, a common problem for a government monopoly. As such, the system is beholden to the whims of bureaucrats and special interests rather than the interests of parents and children.
The heart of the problem is simple: a lack of choice. Without a choice, parents have to send their child to a local school whether or not it is currently doing an adequate job."

Legislators confront education, funding issues (MT)

2005-03-04T08:33:00.000-08:00

The Leader AdvertiserThe state legislature was ordered by the Montana Supreme Court to provide a "quality" education long-term, and to fund Indian education for all students. Part of the dilemma is defining just what a "quality" education is. "Good education isn't necessarily going to happen because you throw money at it," said Windham. "They do need more money, but I don't know if anyone knows just how much." "I'd rather have the same amount serve as a tuition tax credit, so that the money comes out on the end rather than the front."said Brueggeman

Choosing Choice: The battle for school choice in Utah

2005-03-04T08:14:00.000-08:00

Choosing Choice: The battle for school choice in Utah: "The Tuition Tax Credit bill was one way to help to relieve the burden on public schools and taxpayers. If more children attend private schools, more spaces will become available in public schools, decreasing the demand for new buildings and teachers. Also, the tuition tax credit would have saved the state money because the proposed tax credit was about half of what the state currently pays to educate a child in the public schools. The rest of the money would have been left in the public system, further easing the funding challenges on public schools. According to even the most conservative estimates of the number of children who would enroll in private schools, there is no question that the public schools and the state budget stood to benefit. "

On school choice, the sky is not falling

2005-03-04T08:08:00.000-08:00

The State | 03/04/2005 | On school choice, the sky is not falling: "The simple truth is that the fight over school choice and Put Parents in Charge is about power. Parents want the power to give their children the best education that meets their individual needs. The system wants to keep control over nearly $6.5 billion of tax money and refuses to acknowledge that real reform is needed."

Sunday School, Monday School

2005-03-03T10:11:00.000-08:00

Sunday School, Monday School: "Americans have gradually accepted the idea that parents are not qualified to be in charge of their children's education. We have shifted authentic duties of parents from our house to the state house."

Clinton ally pushes 'transformational education'

2005-03-02T07:36:00.000-08:00

WorldNetDaily: Clinton ally pushes 'transformational education': "'Transformational education is all about changing society, not about educating the student,' she said, referring to a website of the McGraw-Hill textbook company that promotes 'multicultural education' and 'curriculum transformation.' "

David Salisbury on School Choice and Utah

2005-03-02T06:59:00.000-08:00

David Salisbury on School Choice and Utah on National Review Online: "The Tuition Tax Credit bill was one way to help to relieve the burden on public schools and taxpayers. If more children attend private schools, more spaces will become available in public schools, decreasing the demand for new buildings and teachers."

Debate Planned to Address Tuition Tax Credit

2005-03-01T08:14:00.000-08:00

Anderson Independent Mail: News: "The governor's proposal would establish tax credits that parents could apply to private or parochial school tuition for a child, to home-schooling expenses or to tuition associated with having a student attend a public school outside the school district where the child lives. "

Tuition tax credits bill fizzles on House floor

2005-02-28T10:11:00.000-08:00

Tuition tax credits bill fizzles on House floor :: The Daily Herald, Provo Utah: "'There is a large union that is very politically organized, very politically active that scared many representatives,' he said. 'The interests of the union won out over parents and choice.'"

It's an Oscar� not a Nobel!

2005-02-28T10:04:00.000-08:00

HUMAN EVENTS ONLINE :: It's an Oscar, not a Nobel! by Pat Sajak: "I have tried, as much as possible, to keep the politics separated from my TV persona. So you won't find me pausing between spins to endorse a candidate or talk about the virtues of school choice."

The State to launch disinformation campaign

2005-02-28T09:58:00.000-08:00

The Common Voice: "No newspaper, institution or group in South Carolina has been more misleading and downright dishonest about the merits and motivation of school choice legislation than The State, and there's no reason to suspect that Warthen's new effort will be any less shrill and juvenile than some of his rantings in the past."

Value of school vouchers is now clear

2005-02-28T05:39:00.000-08:00

Value of school vouchers is now clear: "The most pressing educational need in the nation is to enable such kids who want to learn, or who have parents who want them to learn, to find the most productive environments in which to learn. And often, that is in private schools rather than traditional government schools."

Archdiocese lists schools facing closure

2005-02-25T10:15:00.000-08:00

Chicago Tribune | Archdiocese lists schools facing closure: "Western governments including Canada, France and Australia provide various types of support to parochial schools, but not the U.S., George said. He asked why public officials here could not similarly support school choice. 'It costs the Archdiocese about $580 million a year to educate the children now in Catholic schools. That cost would be about $1 billion if borne by the taxpayers,' George said.Tuitions paid by parents and totaling $440 million cover the balance, the cardinal said."

March 2005 Friedman Report Profile: Stephen L. Gilchrist (SC)

2005-02-25T09:26:00.000-08:00

The Heartland Institute - March 2005 Friedman Report Profile: Stephen L. Gilchrist - by Sarah Faulkner: "March 2005 Friedman Report Profile: Stephen L. Gilchrist"
Today, as executive director of SCCGCA, Gilchrist calls this an “interesting time to be in South Carolina.” He is encouraged by the debate on school choice. In particular, he is “encouraged that the debate has shifted from whether or not we need to have school choice to how to make it work.” Gilchrist credits South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford’s Put Parents in Charge Act with opening up that debate, and he is pleased No Child Left Behind (NCLB) has put reform on the national radar screen. Thanks to the testing requirements implemented in NCLB, Gilchrist is able to look at South Carolina and say “on a national scale, we are not performing well.”

Head of the classes (US)

2005-02-25T09:17:00.000-08:00

World Magazine Online: "Conservatives propose 'school choice,' which uses a small share of education dollars to allow poor children to go to private schools. Just like the wealthy do. And yet, school-choice programs are anathema to most Democrats (except for minority families who want their kids to get a good education so they can join the ranks of the well-off)."

What First Class Education?

2005-02-24T19:00:00.000-08:00

Texas Journal: "They only way to assure Texas children will be able to assume the responsibilities of a free people is through education. The best way to assure they're educated is by providing parents with the power of the purse. "

Philanthropists with privatization lesson plans

2005-02-24T18:52:00.000-08:00

Philanthropists with privatization lesson plans: "We have enthusiastically supported the charter movement as well as vouchers and scholarships to private schools because we believe empowering parents to choose among competing schools will catalyze improvement across the entire K-12 education system."

Latter-day Learning

2005-02-24T10:46:00.000-08:00

Salt Lake City Weekly - Latter-day Learning: "Every night Rory Adams prays, and every night the prayer is the same. He prays to Heavenly Father for tuition tax credits. "

Legislatures Hit With Surge in School Choice Plans (US)

2005-02-24T05:51:00.000-08:00

Legislatures Hit With Surge in School Choice Plans: "Mark it down: 2005 may be a banner year for private school choice in state legislatures. "

Top Daniels aide praises Vigo County School Corp.

2005-02-23T09:01:00.000-08:00

Tribstar.com: "When asked about the governor's position on school choice and charter schools, he said the governor has made it clear he supports and intends to continue charter schools.
Shane had no comment on a bill before the Legislature that would allow parents to transfer their children at state expense to other public, private or charter schools if their current public school fails to meet federal standards. The House Education Committee approved the bill by a 6-4 party-line vote Wednesday.
The bill also would give tax credits to parents of children who attend such 'schools of choice.'"

Senate OKs new tax credit

2005-02-23T08:08:00.000-08:00

Senate OKs new tax credit: "PHOENIX School-choice advocates scored a narrow victory today as the Senate voted to give companies a dollar-for-dollar tax break for donations for private school scholarships."

More money doesn't mean better schools (NY)

2005-02-22T06:59:00.000-08:00

Newsday.com - News Columnists: "Private schools are a vital alternative for families, with religious institutions offering important faith-based and moral teachings not available in public schools. Private schools also can boost public education by offering some much-needed competition. But high taxes squash competition. In addition to tax relief, tuition tax credits or school vouchers are needed to expand educational choices for parents at all income levels. That would require state elected officials to go against the all-powerful public school education lobby - led by the unions - but it clearly would be a positive reform. So, what will it be in the end - help the unions or truly help the children? "

Tax-credit backer challenges status quo (SC)

2005-02-21T09:23:00.000-08:00

The State | 02/20/2005 | Tax-credit backer challenges status quo: "Swatzel wants every parent to have the same opportunity to give their children as good an education, he says whether at home or in public or private school.
The bureaucrats in the Columbia education establishment have misrepresented the truth of what Put Parents in Charge would do, Swatzel said.
Public schools likely wouldn't lose many students, he says. Instead, the students who are struggling will leave for schools that can better suit their needs. It will help students and pubic schools improve, he argues."

Voucher plan for schools gaining steam

2005-02-18T09:46:00.000-08:00

Voucher plan for schools gaining steam: "In addition to the voucher provision, the bill would give tax credits to parents who pay private school tuition or pay a fee to send their children to another district. The bill's success so far -- it cleared the House Education Committee this week -- is a boost to the school choice movement, which in recent years was overshadowed by the legislative debate that launched public charter schools."

Put Parents In Charge

2005-02-17T10:37:00.000-08:00

Charlotte Observer | 02/16/2005 | 6 of 7 area politicians oppose tuition tax credit: "Named by its supporters, 'Put Parents in Charge,' the plan would allow families to reduce either their state income taxes or their local property taxes by as much as $4,000 a year to help pay for private school tuition, home schooling, or transferring their children to a different public school. Also, individuals or corporations could receive tax credits for donating to private school scholarships."

Debate hot over tuition tax credit

2005-02-17T09:52:00.000-08:00

CourierPress: News: "'I think that if you look at other communities that have looked at parental choice, the public schools ... perform better,' said Rep. Robert Behning, R-Indianapolis, the bill's author. 'My goal is to provide options and opportunities for everyone.' "

Governor Bush Touts School Choice

2005-02-17T09:32:00.000-08:00

First Coast News | Local News: "'So what is wrong about providing a choice to people who otherwise not have a choice. What is wrong with that. Nothing wrong with that.' Businesses are donating money to scholarship fund that they otherwise would be paying in state income taxes. "

Bill advances to expand school choice IN

2005-02-17T09:17:00.000-08:00

WNDU-TV: Story: Bill advances to expand school choice - February 17, 2005: "The House education committee has advanced a proposal that would let parents transfer their children to public, private or charter schools if their current public school doesn't meet federal standards. Parents would receive tax credits and the money the state would normally pay to a public school to teach that child would instead go to the new school. "

MILWAUKEE AND S.C. PLANS

2005-02-16T07:48:00.000-08:00

The State | 02/16/2005 | MILWAUKEE AND S.C. PLANS: "South Carolina�s proposal is a tax credit, meaning it would reduce the taxes paid by a parent."

Parents rally for tax-credit bill (SC)

2005-02-16T07:39:00.000-08:00

The State | 02/16/2005 | Parents rally for tax-credit bill: "Supporters say that tax credits would allow parents to choose where their children are educated and that competition from private schools would force public schools to improve.
Our economy is the envy of the world because we have competition, Sanford said. This is simply about recognizing that competition has made every product ... better."

Innovative Corporate/University Alliances

2005-02-14T11:23:00.000-08:00

-- Innovative Corporate/University Alliances
: "But given a corporation's increasing commitment to link learning to corporate strategy, the quality of content delivered via e-learning and the captive audience, universities are beginning to see the enormous potential of crafting innovative alliances with corporations. These alliances are taking on a variety of forms, from college accreditation of corporate training programs to jointly developed customized electives for degrees to actually creating a new degree program."

How might Constitution allow religious inclusion? (MN)

2005-02-14T11:15:00.000-08:00

St. Paul Pioneer Press | 02/13/2005 | How might Constitution allow religious inclusion?: Many public school adherents argue that the state cannot be involved with religion, especially in funding education. They prefer to disenfranchise the thousands of American children whose parents have chosen nonpublic schools and still force them to pay school taxes on top of tuition.Many private, parochial and home-school educators fear any government entanglement, and justifiably so. The government's record on religious freedom in tax-supported settings is dismal.State tax dollars should be spent to support people of faith in their educational choices.

Black clergy pushes school voucher plan (NJ)

2005-02-11T06:28:00.000-08:00

APP.COM - Black clergy pushes school voucher plan: "The council believes a program allowing parents in poor, urban districts to use state funds to cover the cost of tuition in any private or public school of their choice would integrate schools, reduce overcrowding and spark a healthy competition among educators. The concept of school choice, or voucher programs, is highly controversial, with teachers' unions and most Democrats arguing that they only help a handful of children while diverting necessary resources from the neediest schools.But if state officials don't act, the black ministers plan to file a lawsuit charging that New Jersey has failed to implement the reforms required by the landmark Brown vs. Board of Education desegregation decision."

Taft proposal would affect 6 city schools; $9 million initiative targets 2,600 students in Ohio

2005-02-11T06:25:00.000-08:00

toledoblade.com: "'School choice is not a punitive measure. School choice is about empowering parents to choose the best educational solutions for their children. Vouchers, charters, or any other option for parents should not be linked to state proficiency tests or where a student lives or how others view their school districts,' Mr. Zanotti said."

Parents Should Decide

2005-02-09T08:10:00.000-08:00

Commentary: Parents Should Decide: "Those opposed to educational freedom long to show that parental control is a new and maybe even un-American notion. Some think that freedom of choice has suddenly popped up in recent times. But during a long stretch of our nation's history, educational institutions were voluntary, cooperative endeavors, which involved parents, teachers, religious institutions, charitable organizations, and, sometimes, local government. The American public school grew in the wake of the wave of immigration that swept across the nation in the nineteenth century. It was then thought by politicians that government control of education was the tool to assimilate the immigrants children, as well as to dodge conflicts over any state subsidization of religious schools. "

David Hann: Education access grants would help Minnesota

2005-02-08T10:49:00.000-08:00

David Hann: Education access grants would help Minnesota: "Our proposal is very simple. It allows lower-income families an opportunity to get a grant good for education at any accredited elementary or secondary school suited to their child's needs; the grant's amount is either the actual cost of tuition and fees at the new school or the basic education formula allowance ($4,601 in current law), whichever is less. (Current average annual per pupil spending in Minneapolis and St. Paul is more than $10,000 for operating costs alone.)"

Rodel reforms are old wine

2005-02-08T10:44:00.000-08:00

Rodel reforms are old wine: "The Rodel report largely ignored the most promising reform: school choice. For example, in Milwaukee, where low-income students are eligible for vouchers to attend private schools, public schools improved their fourth-grade math scores by 7 percentile points per year. School choice gives parents the opportunity to send their kids to the schools that best meet their education needs. It also means that schools must attract students, a powerful incentive for public schools to improve."

House clears dozens of bills (VA)

2005-02-08T10:38:00.000-08:00

TimesDispatch.com | House clears dozens of bills: "The students would be able to use the scholarships to attend a private school or a different public school. 'School choice is a win-win,' said Del. Christopher B. Saxman, R-Staunton. 'This bill allows kids to go a different school of their choice.'"

School choice, yes; vouchers, no (MN)

2005-02-08T10:30:00.000-08:00

St. Paul Pioneer Press | 02/08/2005 | School choice, yes; vouchers, no: "If private schools are to get public aid, should they not have to comply with the same laws about access, discipline and measurement via No Child Left Behind that public schools do? What does the concept of competition really mean in the context of improving school performance with a market approach?In the context of all these serious education considerations for Minnesota's future, vouchers are heat, not light." Editor's note: Universal Tuition Tax credits would offset a portion of private or public school tuition and would be claimed against state tax liabilities. In addition to improving education, the UTTC would save the state hundreds of millions of dollars per year. The UTTC would help needy families with low state tax liabilities by encouraging the creation of corporate or private scholarships to offset tuition costs not covered by the UTTC. The per-student credit could be claimed against state tax liability of any person or corporation. Unlike vouchers, the UTTC would not allow state funds to support religious schools, would not drain funds from the public schools, and would not spawn new entitlements or overregulation of private schools.

What Is The Deal With The Black Knights?

2005-02-07T10:39:00.000-08:00

What Is The Deal With The Black Knights? - Jan Larson: "Reid called for Americans to have a world class education but it is his party that opposes school choice that could, through competition, actually make American public education competitive, although unless current trends are reversed, world class is but a pipedream."