Participating groups fight to end school reform and parental choice
July 29,2011
This Saturday’s Save Our Schools rally is holding itself out to be an effort to restore parent and student influence in education, but a rundown of the participating groups raises questions about the authenticity of this goal. Many of the participating groups are strong, vocal opponents of testing, accountability and school choice.
The National Education Association, the American Federation of Teachers and their allies have long advocated for more money, less accountability, no high-stakes testing, and against anything the gives parents more control over their child’s education, such as charter schools and vouchers.
“This coalition is the same coalition of the past 35 years,” said Jeanne Allen, president of The Center for Education Reform. “It advocates for the status quo and reform to them is about money, control, and no high stakes tests or accountability.”
The rally participants have a long track record of opposing public charters schools, opposing school vouchers, opposing merit pay, opposing the closure of failing schools, opposing the freedom of parents to choose where their child goes to school – including home school – and opposing student testing performance as a means to evaluate teachers.
“S.O.S is about deforming education, not reforming it,” said Allen. “They put up the guise that this is for the families and students, but in truth, these groups want to restrict and remove any power parents have in their child’s education.”
Save the Status Quo, March Against Freedom
By now, you’ve likely heard that the anti-reform establishment will be marching the streets of D.C. this weekend in an effort to “Save Our Schools.” The participating groups want to restore parent and student influence in education.
There’s only one problem with that – they don’t.
The National Education Association and the American Federation of Teachers – two unions that have done everything in their power from distorting the truth and lying to intimidation and lawsuits to stop any reform that takes their control and gives it to parents – are driving this rally.
These groups fight charter school openings across the country. For example they are currently stumping against a Mandarin immersion charter in Milburn, New Jersey.
They’ve sued multiple times to stop or delay school choice bills from taking effect. The teachers association now has a lawsuit in Indiana to stop low-income students in failing schools from using a voucher to attend a different school of their parent’s choice.
They are even fighting the “Parent Trigger” law that was passed in California and allows parents to initiate changes to a school, like converting it to a charter, if a majority of parents agree and sign a petition.
It’s the same coalition of the past 35 years that just wants the status quo. Reform to them is about money, control and no high-stakes tests or accountability.
In each case above, and the dozens of ones not mentioned, these groups are eliminating the influence parents and students have, not moving it forward.