Morning Shots

Last week, Georgia Gov. Sonny Perdue signed into law a $50 million corporate and individual tax-credit scholarship program. The new program is part of a growing trend for school choice now showing signs of life in California.

The Georgia scholarship program allows corporations to receive a 100 percent tax credit, up to 75 percent of their total state tax liability, for donations to 501(c)(3), nonprofit charitable Student Scholarship Organizations (SSOs) that award private school scholarships. Individuals can also donate up to $1,000 ($2,500 for married couples) to SSOs and receive a 100 percent credit against their state income taxes. An estimated 10,000 Georgia school children will benefit.

According to Lydia Glaize, a Fairburn, Georgia, parent who supported the legislation, “Children who will receive these scholarships will translate into less kids into juvenile detention, more who will graduate and more who will wind up in the labor force. That’s a better standard of living for the entire Georgia community.”

There are now 23 parental choice programs in 15 states, including Washington, D.C. The number of state legislatures passing parental choice legislation has also nearly tripled in the past five years, from six in 2003 to 16 so far this legislative session. But how does California compare?

Thirty years ago the Golden State was an undisputed national education leader. Today, California students rank 48th in reading and math achievement. Students in West Virginia, a state long associated with Appalachian poverty, outscored California students on three of the four 2007 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) assessments: 4th grade mathematics, 4th grade reading, and 8th grade reading. California tied with West Virginia on 8th grade math achievement.

A decade ago, the Golden State and Sunshine State chose radically different education reform paths. California ratcheted up its rate of school spending, while Florida maintained steady annual increases.

Read More …

In 1997, Chicago International Charter School (CICS) opened its doors as part of a bold new experiment in public education. By allowing principals the freedom to manage, teachers the freedom to teach, and parents the freedom to choose, charter schools like Chicago International sought to end the cycle of failure in Chicago’s public schools.

Eleven years later, charter schools are no longer an experiment. They’re a proven success. Chicago is now home to 29 charter schools with more than 50 campuses, serving more than 10,000 students; and as Chicago Public Schools recently reported, charters are outperforming comparable public schools on four out of five measures of student performance.

The schools have also proven to be incredibly popular with parents. There are more than 12,000 families on waiting lists to enroll their children in one of Chicago’s charter schools, and in a recent poll, 25 percent of Illinois families specifically listed charter schools as their first choice in education.

On the surface, the sky seems to be the limit for the Chicago charter school movement. Unfortunately, charter schools face an arbitrary glass ceiling and will be unable to reach new heights unless state law is changed.

This fall, Amandla, a new charter school, will open on Chicago’s South Side. Unfortunately, due to current restrictions, Amandla will also be Chicago’s last new charter school. State law arbitrarily limits Chicago’s number of charter schools, and Amandla has received Chicago’s 30th and final charter.

For years, advocates of charter schools and parental choice have urged lawmakers to lift this cap. The General Assembly has been slow to act, and it is unlikely that the law will be changed in time for new charter schools to be approved to open in Chicago for the 2009-2010 school year.

In the meantime, however, hope is not completely lost for the

Read More …

As the churn and swirl of media coverage from the Eliot Spitzer scandal fade from memory, people across the nation are making the acquaintance of a new governor who will surely make history. That’s because David Paterson, New York’s new governor, has faced a significant obstacle in his ascent to power.

And no, we’re not talking about that fact that he’ll be only the third African-American governor in American history. We’re not pointing out that he grew up in poverty. We’re not even referring to the fact that the governor is legally blind. No doubt you’ve read all that already.The history-making significant obstacle that Paterson overcame to lead one of our nation’s biggest states has received almost no news coverage or public discussion. Yet it sets him apart from so many others.

More than his race, background or any physical feature, Governor Paterson stands out nationally as a liberal African-American Democrat who strongly supports the rights of parents to choose the best school for their children. That such a specimen exists will surely flummox the leaders of teachers unions and other school choice opponents everywhere, but in the Empire State he doesn’t just exist, he’s about to thrive.

By every account – from Republicans, Democrats and all others in a position to know – Paterson is affable, intelligent and possessed of a knack for bringing people together even when their ideologies clash. These skills will suit him well if he adds his career-long crusade for schoolchildren to his priorities as governor.

As a New York state senator, Paterson was the key elected official ensuring the state lifted its cap on charter schools. In the face of fierce opposition from purveyors of the status quo, Paterson was steadfast in his resolve to bring educational opportunity to New York children.

Although the ranks of Democrats

Read More …