Postcards from the Past
A new, occasional blog post in commemoration of CER’s 20 years in business and the historical events that have taken place during our history and the history of the education reform movement.
This time last year brought reflections on the major developments in education policy at the state level during 2012, and the need to be ‘uncompromising’ when it comes to the education of our kids.
Now another year has passed, and 2013 unfortunately produced the same sort of compromise seen in previous years. Look no further than Maine and Mississippi, where lawmakers in both states could have significantly improved state charter school laws, but balked at the opportunity.
Unions have taken to the courtrooms to challenge newly implemented reforms such as the voter-approved charter law in Washington State, teacher-based reforms and opportunity scholarships in North Carolina, and the Louisiana Scholarship program remains under attack from the Department of Justice.
These attempts to undermine progress in schools fly in the face of the poll-driven evidence that the public supports proven reforms rooted in choice and accountability.
Meanwhile, reformers will seek to ensure that lawmakers Deliver the Promise so that 2014 is more uncompromising than ever.