Have you wondered why parents who have had minimal involvement in their child’s K-12 education will pour over college catalogs with their high school senior? The reasons should be clear: first, there are choices to be made about cost, and second, there are choices about value. Choices focus our attention like little else. There are also questions about content (curriculum) and faculty influence (prevailing thought). For example, some parents who value civics education and the Bill of Rights might be very concerned with the growing body of research that among college students “diversity” is more highly valued than constitutionally protected free speech.
In Missouri, a number of bills were filed this year in both the Senate and the House of Representatives designed to address such concerns by bringing parents and students choices in education. Everything from charter school expansion and full-time virtual schools to education savings accounts via tax credit scholarships have been filed in the Senate. These proposals often have companion bills in the Missouri House of Representatives. Other reform measures include the elimination of teacher-tenure and the application of plain letter-grade ratings for how well students are being educated in a building or district. Parents need to know how well their school is doing and that the best teachers are retained regardless of how long they have occupied the classroom.
Only one of these measures, (SB 603) has passed the Senate in a very restricted form. It would provide a small improvement in access to online courses, but most of the bills are still bottled up in the Senate Education Committee. Most to date have not had a public committee hearing. It is beginning to look like another legislative session may come and go without providing students and parents any meaningful education choices.
I was interviewed this week by Dr. Ursula Hackett, an author from England, who is writing a book about the politics of education choices. She was inquiring of me and others as to why giving choices to parents have proven to be so difficult in Missouri. That is a good question given that some 30 other states have done it with consistently positive results.
Senate Bill 603 seems to have stalled. After multiple meaningful compromises, the opposition still seems to be winning. Expanding charter schools is another measure that may be stalled. According to Susan Pendergrass, although 14 percent of Missouri parents identified charters as their first choice for their child’s education, only 2 percent of Missouri students attend charters. That may be because of the 500 public school districts in Missouri, only two have charters – St. Louis and Kansas City.
Some Missourians don’t realize that charter schools are public schools and can be sponsored by the local school board of any school district in Missouri. One argument used against charters is that they don’t work in rural districts, but a charter in Walton, Kansas opened with 113 students. Since opening, enrollment has doubled, the school has a waiting list and plans are underway to build a new facility. Wisconsin has authorized charters in 100 local school districts, and Denver Public Schools has 65 charter schools.
There are a multitude of reasons that parents might choose a particular education for their child. We know that every child is different, and traditional public schools do their best to meet each child’s needs. However, that is an impossible task when only one socialized model is available. Parents must be given choices to help address the challenging diversities among students. One of the most revealing indicators of the success of choice program in other states is the level of parental satisfaction. With few exceptions, parents know their children best, and they are the ones to observe and benefit most from student progress. Parents are likely to be more focused on student outcomes than institutional stability.
A frequent argument against education choice programs is that they might fail to educate every child or offer a threat to those who are being well served in the traditional settings. Support for that argument cannot be found in the experiences of the 30 states who offer choices. Neither is it valid if that same standard is leveled against the traditional public school. Not even the most zealous opponent of school choice would contend that the current setting never fails a child. My concern is that too often the opposition is not afraid of program failure but rather of program success and the competition that would foster.
Senate Bill 603 seems to have stalled. After multiple meaningful compromises, the opposition still seems to be winning. Expanding charter schools is another measure that may be stalled. According to Susan Pendergrass, although 14 percent of Missouri parents identified charters as their first choice for their child’s education, only 2 percent of Missouri students attend charters. That may be because of the 500 public school districts in Missouri, only two have charters – St. Louis and Kansas City.
Some Missourians don’t realize that charter schools are public schools and can be sponsored by the local school board of any school district in Missouri. One argument used against charters is that they don’t work in rural districts, but a charter in Walton, Kansas opened with 113 students. Since opening, enrollment has doubled, the school has a waiting list and plans are underway to build a new facility. Wisconsin has authorized charters in 100 local school districts, and Denver Public Schools has 65 charter schools.
There are a multitude of reasons that parents might choose a particular education for their child. We know that every child is different, and traditional public schools do their best to meet each child’s needs. However, that is an impossible task when only one socialized model is available. Parents must be given choices to help address the challenging diversities among students. One of the most revealing indicators of the success of choice program in other states is the level of parental satisfaction. With few exceptions, parents know their children best, and they are the ones to observe and benefit most from student progress. Parents are likely to be more focused on student outcomes than institutional stability.
A frequent argument against education choice programs is that they might fail to educate every child or offer a threat to those who are being well served in the traditional settings. Support for that argument cannot be found in the experiences of the 30 states who offer choices. Neither is it valid if that same standard is leveled against the traditional public school. Not even the most zealous opponent of school choice would contend that the current setting never fails a child. My concern is that too often the opposition is not afraid of program failure but rather of program success and the competition that would foster.
21 comments:
Public schools are cesspools.
Here's a question for you to investigate Randy please...
It's my understanding that home schooled students are not eligible for A+ benefits, therefore aren't able to get the 2 year free tuition to Crowder. Is this true and why.
What's the next thing whackalooon Emery will go after?
SOCIALIST ROADS?
To anonymous 9:30pm
You seem to know a lot about whacksloons?
Perhaps you are one yourself!
Harvey HUTCHINSON
To Randy and anonymous 11:49am
He has an excellent question. I also hope you investigate it further
Harvey Hutchinson
This is a great question. One that, if answered, will not have a logical answer. The families of home schooled kids pay taxes supporting public schools while at the same time not putting more burden on the system by removing their children from it. Since we are always told how over crowded classrooms are and overworked teachers in public schools are, you would think that home schooled students would be commended and rewarded. Instead they are looked at as somewhat of outcasts because they weren't indoctrinated through the school systems. Typical leftist crap. Everyone should be allowed to be different, unless it goes against their agendas.
???
Pretty insulting to his constituents who are professional teachers. Teacher education curriculum is dictated by State of MO requirements and licensing.
There are "choices" for schools in MO - private, parochial, home or public.
What was Emory's point? A batch of legislators have different ideas and couldn't agree on a way to improve the current system.
This jerk is only saying what he is paid to say.
Charter school in this area is code for schools ran by hyper religious people, but paid by the government.
Okay, this whole notion that in order to be a conservative you have to be against public education is completely and utterly ridiculous. Most of the teachers in Southwest Missouri I would guarantee you would be classified as Christian conservatives. However, very few if any would ever agree with this completely messed up Republican platform. I myself am a conservative and I can see past the rhetoric and know nonsense when I see it. And to 4:38, it has nothing to do with religion and has everything to do with money and the upper-class not wanting their kids to be in the same schools with your kids.
And here's your answer:
Several of you are wanting to talk about the A+ program but you have no idea what it is. Kids have to meet criteria such as School attendance, citizenship, grade point average, and tutoring. You can't meet this kind of criteria when you sit at home with Mommy and Daddy all day. The state has to be able to monitor progress towards this criteria and how can you justify home school GPA when the parent is not certified to teach? Who's going to keep track of tutoring hours? He's going to bounce for someone's citizenship? These are some of the criteria that a student has to meet and doing so through the A+ program is not feasible.
This is merely the rich purchasing and using Mr. Ed to push their "keep our rich kids in their upper class society" agenda. We can't have Alphonse in the same class with Billy Bob. What would the neighbors think? Besides, they don't teach yachting, polo, snobbery and the art of purchasing state representatives in public schools. Heathens!
Would you give examples and definition of "hyper religious", please?
I bet you are a Trump supporter too. Typical right wing crap.
Emery may be stupid and jealous and petty, but you have no call to be so mean. WAAAAAAAHHHHHH!
Your inability to understand how message board responses work and who the responses are directed to falls somewhere between funny and nauseating. If a comment is made it very well could be directed at the person in the story. If the comment is a reply to another comment, it is directed at the person who posted the original comment. So, now anyone who reads these posts can not only see examples of pettiness, jealousy and stupidity but they can also see an example of someone who thinks they are clever and witty but aren't. That is a reference to your post, by the way.
I think that 11:49 is trying to push buttons. Either that or they have been left at home alone for too long.
Ima thinking bout home skoolin my keeds. They ain't learnt much in pubic skool. Is it hard to do. Do you got to get the ok from someone.
Name calling? It appears someone has gotten under your skin. But that's OK. If ignorance is bliss, you must be REALLY happy.
Not under my skin at all. And I never called anyone a name. I said the comments sound stupid and petty. But if you can't read a comment and comprehend what was written, you may in fact be stupid.
Clever.
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