Dear President-elect Obama,
In your Blueprint for Change education video, you mentioned the need for alternative schools. As an educator with a PhD in the science of thinking and learning, I want to tell you that supporting scientifically-designed choice schools is absolutely the right idea for education. Alternative schools are the ones already teaching with the emphasis you called for on research and problem solving skills, and, like you, they understand that skills are transferable to different areas of expertise. We don’t need to resort to curricular solutions, such as whether one should learn algebra at age 8, 12 or 15, or whether it’s more important to study about Argentina or Zaire, (as some curriculum define) which particular poems to read to become well-rounded!

Any revision of the No Child Left Behind must include supporting choice schools for *all kinds* of learners and families and situations (not just “all children.”) But throwing money at the problem will not help. Putting kids in school earlier will not be a magic solution. Fundamental change means also supporting real choices such as special needs schools, schools for the gifted, and specialty schools for talented artists, technicians, and scientists.

You also mentioned that the government must work with industry to support the schools. My question is, how do private schools fit into this picture? Will the government partner with industries who choose to support private school choices? Can non-religious K-12 private schools partner with public schools to provide supplemental education (such as homeschool, evening, and summer programs?) And don’t forget that many of our world-class universities are private universities. With your early childhood money, will private pre-schools be eligible for support?

Also I must ask about vouchers. Vouchers are a bi-partisan, American issue and there is no need to try to make democrats hate public schools before they will choose a private school. You can encourage public schools to be the best they can be AND support the public’s ability to attend private school. You can also require volunteer service on the part of parents utilizing a voucher– much the same as the $4000 service-after-college program you mentioned.) Private schools enroll 10% of the population– This is a percentage of the American public big enough for the government to support, but small enough to be no overall threat to public education. Even with vouchers available, most people will contine to choose their neighborhood public school if their child is happy and thriving. If private schools are serving as an alternative for 10% of the population (as they have been for over one hundred years), shouldn’t they should receive 10% of the people’s federal education money?

If vouchers (even with criteria) are not in your funding plan, or if the government feels like the president in the show “West Wing,” (“the day we support private schools is the day we’ve given up on American public education”) then one way to support industry so they can in turn support private schools is to subsidize companies and foundations that support excellent alternative education through cash or volunteering– even schools that serve a small number of students.

Thank you for listening. It would be an honor if you would answer my questions. The above opinion is about education, not lobbying or politics– Golden Independent School is a 501c3, non-political educational institution serving children ages 4-1/2-12.

Good luck with your *changing* presidency!

Dr. Erika Sueker
Director, Golden Independent School
1280 Golden Circle
Golden, CO 80401

Peggy Schunk
Ridgeview Classical Schools
Fort Collins, CO 80525
http://www.ridgeviewclassical.com
970-494-4620