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Newswire – August 7, 2018

August 8, 2018 By

BACK TO SCHOOL WITH TEACHER STRIKES.  The teachers union in Puerto Rico is gearing up for a strike next week. Among their list of demands: no to educational opportunity that would bring desperately needed educational options to families on the island. This strike is yet another indication of why the Janus v. AFSCME case was necessary. Unions continue to do what they want despite what other people want. With Puerto Rico’s latest test scores showing less than 35% of students are proficient in math and only 10% of students in grades 7, 8 and 11 passing standardized tests last year, there is a reason why families are choosing to leave the island in search of better opportunities for their children. Unions’ actions in PR only underscore the importance of the recently-won freedoms for workers in the Supreme Court’s Janus decision. Organized labor could focus on protecting those freedoms, or ensuring that all of the students in Puerto Rico have a qualified educator in front of them who wants to teach in the classroom, instead of walking out on the children who need them most…

MEANWHILE, IN LOS ANGELES.  Unions in the nation’s second largest school district are also reportedly thinking about striking. Let’s be clear – it doesn’t matter the time nor place nor school district a teacher strike occurs, the group that suffers the most are the students. NAEP scores continue to show little to no improvement for students. Only 37 percent of our nation’s 4th graders are reading proficiently, yet teachers are opting to be OUT of the classroom. In which universe does this make sense?

BUT WHAT DO PARENTS WANT?  According to a survey by Democrats for Education Reform, they want meaningful progress that delivers options that are better for their children –reaffirming the ever-growing consensus in most polls by parents and families that educational options of any kind are welcome and needed changes in their communities and lives. These “Education Progressives” as DFER is calling them, are into expanding public school choice and rewarding quality teachers. They seem to understand that funding alone is not the answer – and indicate the continued uptick in the public’s support for choice. Don’t believe us? Read for yourself…

NEW EDUCATION FINANCING TOOLS – LET’S TALK ABOUT IT.  There’s one thing that’s clear – policies that promote opportunities for innovation in education open up endless possibilities to individualize education to fit the needs of the student. ExcelinEd has developed three new resources aimed at helping policymakers understand performance funding better including a framework of the funding model, a tool that models performance funding for a state, and an issue brief that describes early findings from using the tool.

NEW SCHOOLS FOR CRISTO REY NETWORK.  Congratulations to the Cristo Rey Network on the opening of three schools in Oakland, CA and Fort Worth, Texas. Cristo Rey Oklahoma City Catholic High School is their first school located on a university campus at Oklahoma State University. Check out their amazing statistics on their winning education model.

REALITY CHECK WITH JEANNE ALLEN HITS THE ROAD! #SUMMERTIMEWITHCER.  It’s summer and many of us are hitting the road for vacation at the beach or some other place for rest and relaxation. What’s better than having a daily dose of beach-worthy podcasts selected for your listening pleasure? Follow us at @edreform as we release a podcast a day just for you! Don’t want to wait? No problem! You can find a list of all of our podcasts on our website.

Filed Under: Newswire Weekly, Newswire

Newswire – July 31, 2018

July 31, 2018 By

A PERSONALIZED FUTURE. An overview of the Summit Learning Program and four schools that have adopted the approach provides a glimpse into a future of education that could be closer than many think. An excerpt: “Twenty percent of the school day is devoted to what Summit calls Personalized Learning Time, or what students more commonly call PLT. Using their laptops, students log into the Summit Learning Platform and access online playlists related to topics such as the structure of DNA and trigonometric ratios. ‘PLT is my favorite,’ said Ely Villagrana, a 9th-grader. Just as technology facilitates student learning, it also helps teachers connect with students, said Nicholas Kim, who was the school principal from 2013-17. “We have so much clarity about what students know and can do,” he said.

WHITTLE SCHOOL & STUDIOS. Speaking of the future, if you haven’t been following the activities of Chris Whittle (education entrepreneur, reform pioneer, and, we’re honored to say CER board member) over the last couple of years, you’ve missed a lot, namely, the formation of Whittle School & Studios – the world’s first truly global school which will offer a reimagined PreK-12 education for the modern world to provide children with the tools and knowledge they need to succeed in a modern world. . (The first two campuses are slated to open in the fall of 2019 in Washington, D.C. and Shenzhen, China). Also of note, you can nominate a student for the Founding Whittle Scholars program – a highly selective scholarship for exceptional, high-achieving students – offering scholarships that will cover 50%-100% of the cost of attending Whittle School & Studios!  (A WS&S open house – featuring faculty, school and division heads, demonstrations of experiential learning methods, and more – is scheduled for September 30, so mark your calendar.) Read here for more information.

THE UNIONS… Continued It’s like a new reality TV drama. Every week a new episode! This week, the action moves to Utah, where the teachers’ union, the Utah Education Association, has canceled its annual convention for 2018 citing years of declining participation (less than a quarter of its 18,000 members attended the event in 2017). Turns out that the state used to compensate teachers for participating in the conference; now, only a few districts do. The event also was once the only place where educators could fulfill continuing education requirements or get credits to keep a license up to date; for years, however, even better ways exist to do so online. So what other reasons do teachers have to attend the annual labor shindig?  Apparently, none.

THAT DIDN’T TAKE LONG. Anticipating steep membership and funding losses as a result of the Supreme Court’s recent decision in Janus v. AFSCME the education unions, in this case the American Federation of School Administrators, are going on the prowl for new blood. Their target: charter school leaders. As EdWeek reports, “The largely non-unionized charter sector could present ample—albeit rocky—territory for expansion for unions.” Rocky indeed. The likelihood of any of the education unions winning significant support from the charter sector is extremely low, especially given unions’ long-time, on-going opposition to charters and ed reform in general. The last thing most charter school teachers and administrators want is to give up their freedom to support out-of-touch and out-of-step labor bosses.

SO WE’RE ALL IN AGREEMENT. In addressing an issue we’ve been harping on for years, last week the House passed – unanimously – and the President signed this week The Strengthening Career and Technical Education for the 21st Century Act that looks to close a skills gap by helping post-secondary students receive on-the-job training in fields short on skilled workers like manufacturing, health care and cybersecurity. However, what’s now in law isn’t nearly innovative and expansive as it could and should be. Indeed we wonder why CTE legislation isn’t more closely tied to higher ed legislation, something we will be talking more about in the coming days, weeks and months as CER is dedicated to bringing the transformations in education it is known for in the K-12 sector to all facets of higher learning and workplace preparation as well. Schools are thrilled of course that the new CTE bill increases funding for the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Program so more students can participate, and lawmakers are happy that it shifts the authority to local states and community colleges and high schools, something reinforced by Senator Lamar Alexander when his chamber passed the bill last week. But we must do more than send money to local programs – we must actually change the way we do business in educating and training students for their future in dramatic new ways. Anyway, we know most agree. We’ll keep demanding it, too.

A STRONG EDITORIAL POSITION IN RI. The editorial board of the Providence Journal issued a strong statement this week: Rhode Island Needs More Charters, writing, in part: “…the demand for charter schools far outweighs the availability. Last year, the state’s charter schools received more than 15,000 applications for about 1,700 available seats… That is a stunning statement that traditional schools are not serving the needs of large numbers of students — and that the state’s weak and timid educational reforms are not cutting it… Our society pays a steep price for each child who might have gained a first-rate education but does not. Education is the key to opportunity for all. Rhode Island’s failure to do whatever it takes to help poor and minority children thrive is a tragedy that will have lasting implications.

AGAIN WITH THE MAYOR. NYC’s Success Academy CEO Eva Moskowitz wants to put middle school students in the space formerly occupied by her elementary school, which she operated until June, but because she didn’t ask to make the change last February, she’s getting tossed from the space. An appeal to Mayor de Blasio, Moskowitz wrote: “Throughout your political career, you have promised New Yorkers protection from landlords who are egregiously unfair. Yet without urgent action, it will be your own administration that evicts 70 diverse children, plus their teachers and staff, from a nearly-empty school building without cause.”  This is just the latest battle in Moskowitz’s on-going war with de Blasio to free-up space for charters in NYC and it’s time the mayor ends his opposition. (Listen to a conversation with Eva Moskowitz from earlier this year on Reality Check with Jeanne Allen, Episode 18)

REALITY CHECK WITH JEANNE ALLEN, EPISODE 31. Listen in on Jeanne’s conversation with Mike McShane, Director of National Research for EdChoice in Indianapolis, as they discuss educational options and the affects the newest Supreme Court Justice nominee might have on opportunities.

Filed Under: Newswire Weekly, Newswire

Newswire – July 24, 2018

July 24, 2018 By

JUST THE FACTS…OR NOT. A NY Times op-ed, “A Plea for a Fact-Based Debate About Charter Schools,” would appear to make a compelling case for reasoned discussion on charter schools but there are some glaring holes in the piece that make it less reasonable than it seems. For example, there is no mention of the value of charters as drivers of innovation, nor does it point out the options and opportunities charters offer parents and children. Then there’s this blanket, off-base assessment: “[Charter] schools have their downsides…disciplinary policies can be severe…The schools also rely on hard-working, moderately paid young teachers, many of whom can’t make a career of the work.”  We’re all for a fact-based debate, but it first requires that one stick to the facts.

POLITICAL MACHINACTIONS IN AZ. An op-ed, titled “School choice advocates shouldn’t assume a favorable political climate in Arizona. There are some ill winds blowing” provides a valuable assessment of the political goings-on in the Grand Canyon State. The state’s voucher program faces a dilemma as a ballot issue – which has the program losing either way – and a push to get rid of the procurement exemption for charter schools – which is one of the driving forces behind the hugely successful Arizona charter movement – is also in jeopardy. Both are worrisome developments and serve as a cautionary tales for education reformers everywhere.

AND ANOTHER OPINION OF NOTE. The headline from the Las Vegas Review-Journal says it all, or at least most of it: “To attract better teachers to low-performing schools, reform union pay structure.” Another on-point observation from the commentary:  “…once again, the problem can be traced to the one-size-fits-all socialized pay structure that has long dominated teacher compensation thanks to union politics.” As we often say in these cases, “Amen.”

THIS JUST IN. “NEA Budget Cuts Don’t Include Executives’ Salaries.” Need we say more?

HOW TO WRITE A LETTER TO THE EDITOR. A well-crafted, succinct, to-the-point letter to the Seattle Times from local resident Morton Kondrake. “Charter schools: Good for Washington.”

IT JUST NEVER ENDS. Turns out they’re stacking the deck against charter schools in the City of Brotherly Love. Apparently, although not surprisingly, the Philly school district is using its new Charter School Performance Framework to measure charter school quality, while completely ignoring the same standards when assessing the performance of district-operated public schools. Outrageous.

IN A MORE COOPERATIVE VEIN. The House Committee on Education and the Workforce is hosting a bipartisan innovation forum and showcase tomorrow on Capitol Hill. The event will highlight the work of 24 innovators who are running education and workforce development programs in their communities and will reflect a key element of CER’s mission: bringing innovation and opportunity to America’s education system. Tomorrow beginning at 10:00 a.m., 2175 Rayburn House Office Building with the showcase in the Rayburn Foyer.

 

 

INTERN AT CER. Are you ready to transform U.S. education? Do you want to gain knowledge about education policy and put that into practice to create better education opportunities for all children? Do you have a knack for research and strong writing and communication skills? If so you might be a great fit to intern at CER! Learn more and apply here.

Filed Under: Newswire Weekly, Newswire

Newswire – July 17, 2018

July 17, 2018 By

POLITICS AS USUAL. As if on cue to lend credence to the wisdom of the Supreme Court’s Janus v. AFSCME decision (which frees individuals from being forced to fund unions they don’t support) last week’s AFT annual meeting more closely resembled the quadrennial national party conventions than a gathering of teachers devoted to education and learning. Not only was the AFT’s laundry list of resolutions laced with criticism of the current administration, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and current Senators Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders all showed up to rally the troops and lead the charge toward political victory in November and beyond!!! Also joining in the AFT’s pep rally and cheerleading tryouts were noted labor bosses, Lee Saunders (AFSCME), Lily Eskelsen-Garcia, (NEA), and Mary Kay Henry (SEIU). Notably absent – any talk of meaningful reform of schools and everyone whose ideas, opinions, or political leanings don’t conform to the union leaders’ views of America.

THE WRONG RESPONSE. Of course much of the AFT’s focus was on the biggest issue of concern to parents and children across the country: the impact of Janus on the union! Leading the way in the torches-and-pitchforks rally was AFT president Randi Weingarten who was on a tear orating, among other things, about how “They [the infamous and dangerous “they”] have attacked us and perverted and weaponized the First Amendment, the freedom of speech in a way that no one recognizes.”

SCHOOLYARD SCUFFLE. There’s never been any love lost between Nevada’s competing teachers unions – Clark County Education Association (CCEA) and the new National Education Association of Southern Nevada (NEA-SN) – but now their relationship has devolved into a playground hair-pulling affair complete with name-calling and fit-throwing. The problem comes down to who’s taking members away from whom and is best explained by an impartial observer who says it’s all about money. “I hate to be so crass to say it that way, but if you lose 10,000 members that’s money that’s gone.”  Offers another observer:  “The only word that comes to my mind is incompetency.”  Oh well. If nothing else, at least the unions’ priorities are nicely aligned with their national counterparts.

A BIG CHANGE IN THE BIG EASY. After hurricane Katrina back in 2005 Louisiana abolished its old, failing, school system in favor of a system of charter schools. So how has it worked out? As The New York Times reports “…academic progress has been remarkable. Performance on every kind of standardized test has surged.”  A caution is in order, however. The Time’s piece was sparked by the state returning schools to “local control” – to the Orleans Parish School Board, for example which has historically opposed giving any power to schools or autonomy to individuals – and threatens to be a step toward a return to the structure, and mindset, that doomed New Orleans students to violent and chronically failing schools before Katrina.

NOW THERE’S A THOUGHT. A well-reasoned piece out of New Mexico where an op-ed – “Bureaucracy stifles innovation at NM schools” – points to the need for an education system that provides “innovative solutions that fit local needs…we should be asking, what does your local community need from its graduates and what experiences will prepare them for the future? Or, how can we give students real-life internship experiences that teach students the skills they need to be prepared in our ever-changing workforce?”  Here, here!

THOSE DARN PARENTS. It won’t come as a shock to learn that as enrollment in charter schools in North Carolina rises, and attendance in the state’s traditional public schools falls – it’s down, for the third straight year, to 81 percent and falling fast – the status quo sees a conspiracy afoot to “dismantle public schools.”  But when you open the gates and people can leave – and they do – it says something about the existing offerings. Advocates of traditional public school shouldn’t complain but figure out how to keep students without calling parents undemocratic or accusing them of trying to dismantle the public schools simply because they their kids educated to their own needs.

Filed Under: Newswire Weekly, Newswire

Newswire – July 10, 2018

July 10, 2018 By

A NEW HOPE FOR RELIGIOUS SCHOOLS’ FREEDOM? The President’s nominee to fill the vacancy that Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy will create is Brett Kavanaugh, whose long history of rulings and opinions on education issues may allow for progress and real change for religious schools and school equity: Does A Justice Kavanaugh Mean That Blaine Amendments Are History?

A SETBACK IN PUERTO RICO. A frustrating turn of events in Puerto Rico where the hopes and plans to increase educational opportunities and innovations are being held up a judge’s ruling that private school scholarships violate Puerto Rico’s Constitution and that only the University of Puerto Rico and Puerto Rico’s municipalities can operate “alianza” (i.e. charter) schools.

Sadly, this is another case of putting children last when it comes to meeting their educational needs and, with hope, will only be a temporary set-back in delivering Gov. Rosselló’s hugely needed, and hugely promising reforms. The good news is that we’ve seen this movie before, and the flawed decisions of courts from Washington state to Florida are usually based on education powers in constitutions not legislative powers, which in most Constitutions take precedence. Check out this review, for example, from former U.S. Solicitor General Paul Clement, about a similar issue claimed but not litigated in Kentucky. We’ll keep you posted.

 

NEA: THE “NOT EDUCATION ASSOCIATION.” Somehow the NEA thought it appropriate to dedicate nearly two-thirds of the resolutions at its annual conference last week to everything BUT education? What are some of the NEA’s priority issues?  Here’s a sample. Ensuring that Banana Republic doesn’t advertise with the union. Creating a toolkit to press for moratoria on charter school authorizations by bodies other than locally elected school boards. Advocating for lower interest rates and affordable housing programs for educators. And planning at least one action to shut down an immigration detention center, a Customs and order Patrol office, or an Immigration and Customs Enforcement office (and recruiting at least 500 educators to participate in the action who are willing to be arrested and not bailed out of jail for a week!).

AFT ALSO OUT OF TOUCH. As the AFT gears up for its rollicking annual convention and demagoguery fest we thought we’d brief you on the issues they’d be debating this year…that is until we looked at the list of a whopping 91 resolutions from 13 committees that are more appropriate to a meeting of the U.N. General Assembly than they are to addressing the educational needs of America’s children and families. To be fair, they do have an “Educational Issues Committee” but things go sideways fast when we get to the committees on Healthcare, Human Rights, International Relations, Labor and the Economy, Political Action (“Resolution No. 53 ‘Rev It Up:’ Register, Educate, Vote!”) and Organizing and Collective Bargaining.  Suffice it to say they will be discussing a lot of things, most of which have little or nothing to do with educating children.  If you are so inclined, you can read every word of every resolution here.

NOTE TO UNIONS: You’re supposed to be looking for ways to improve your standing after Janus not get farther away from the mission upon which you were founded.

HEARING IT DIRECTLY FROM MARK JANUS. Along with many of our most respected colleagues, we’ve been glued to the Janus v. AFSCME litigation proceedings since the beginning.  We’ve covered, interviewed and reported on the subject. But nothing compares to hearing it from the horse’s mouth. Here’s Mark Janus explaining his “why” after the historic decision.

TO NBC: NOT TO SAY, ‘WE TOLD YOU SO” BUT… The Grade, by Alexander Russo, offers up a great article over the irresponsibly story alleging charter schools are creating “white flight” from traditional public schools. The contention is absurd, and we said so, but the Grade goes even further. A very brief synopsis of its critique: “…unfortunately, the [NBC/Hechinger] piece fails badly at its larger attempt, which is to assert that this kind of charter school is a significant problem nationally. Despite all efforts to make it seem otherwise, the data presented in the story do not support the claim that segregated white charters are a big problem.” Read the full article here.

COMPETITION. Pennsylvania’s Bensalem school district hired a consultant to tell them why so many families were choosing charter schools over district schools. The consultant’s explanation: with charter schools as an option for families, districts must compete for students, which means they have to improve in areas where they are lacking – be that in performance or programs or in working with parents. “Of course,” the article concludes correctly, “competition is what the charter school law was supposed to produce — because competition drives excellence.”

THE ROAD TO INNOVATION IS PAVED WITH SILVER… This week we are pleased to announce the addition of Arizona State University as a partner in CER’s Silver Anniversary Summit. We’re grateful for the pathbreaking leadership of ASU and it’s visionary president Michael Crow in their myriad endeavors. Start your engines and make your way to Miami on October 26th! Registration opens this week!

Filed Under: Newswire Weekly, Newswire

ASU and GSV Partner with CER on The Road to Innovation for ONE America

July 5, 2018 By

 

(Washington, DC – July 3, 2018) —

The leaders in multi-national education innovation today announced a pathbreaking partnership with CER on the occasion of its 25th Anniversary Summit and Gala Awards ceremony.

Arizona State University (ASU) and Global Silicon Valley (GSV) will bring their breakthrough 10 years of coordinated leadership and entrepreneurial engagement to the events to be held October 25th-26th, 2018 in Miami, Florida at the Mandarin Oriental on Brickell Key.

The co-venture will provide an opportunity to fuse the work of education reformers with innovators from around the globe, ensuring that citizens across all Americas are connected to a super highway to the future through education, the key to a knowledge economy.

“I’m thrilled to have such accomplished leaders joining us to put a pin in 25 years of education reform, to help us all move beyond the now to their goal of making sure everyone has an equal opportunity to participate in the future, particularly as ASU+GSV marks its 10-year collaboration April 8-10, 2019 in San Diego, CA,” said Jeanne Allen, CER’s Founder and CEO.

Arizona State is the Tempe, AZ based public research university ranked #1 for innovation in the U.S., dedicated to accessibility and excellence.

Global Silicon Valley works with entrepreneurs, companies and products to accelerate the most dynamic ideas and promising innovations across America as well as internationally.

Earlier this year CER announced its honorees and co-chairs for the Silver Anniversary celebration. For more information please visit edreform.com.

Filed Under: Press Releases, Uncategorized

Newswire – July 3, 2018

July 3, 2018 By

As we all prepare to enjoy our nation’s annual birthday celebration, we hope you’ll take a few moments between the cookouts, ballgames, parades, and fireworks to truly consider what Independence Day means to us collectively, as a nation, and individually as citizens. Collectively it defines us as a country; it symbolizes our role as a leading light for democracy and freedom around the globe, and as the greatest advocate for and defender of those freedoms that the world has ever known.

 

As citizens, it means that we enjoy freedoms that are unrivaled in the history of civilization: the freedom to worship as we choose and not as dictated by the state; the freedom to speak – to agree, to differ, to argue, to quietly debate or to scream from the top of our lungs – in expressing any opinion we hold; the freedom to associate – with anyone we choose and, as importantly, with no one if that is our choice; the freedom to assemble – to meet, gather, march, to unite in celebration or protest; freedom of movement – to travel the nation unhindered; a free press – providing a broad chorus of independent opinion, thought and insight unchecked by censorship; and the freedom to call on our government to act, to call out our government when it fails to act, to support policies and laws or to oppose them.

So tomorrow take a minute to think about those freedoms, and the hundreds of other ways, large and small they manifest themselves in our daily lives. Then take another minute to think of how life would be if any of them were taken away.

Wishing you a safe and blessed 4th.  Stay hydrated.

Happy Independence Day 2018!

P.S. Check out The Bill of Rights Institute, which develops educational resources and programs for a network of more than 50,000 educators and 70,000 students nationwide, and their Documents of Freedom program – a comprehensive digital course on history, government, and economics. The Institute develops educational resources and programs for a network of more than 50,000 educators and 70,000 students nationwide. Great stuff!

P.P.S. And now, to get your holiday week off to a festive start (and because, heck, who doesn’t love a marching band?) take a quick break and watch the Marine Corps Band leading the 2016 July 4th Capitol Hill Neighborhood Parade.

Don’t forget! Meet us in Miami Oct. 25-26 for our Silver Anniversary Summit + Celebration. More info at edreform.com.

Friends, Allies & faithful Newswire Readers: We’ve moved! Our new address is:

​1455 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Suite 250, Washington, DC 20004

Founded in 1993, the Center for Education Reform aims to expand educational opportunities that lead to improved economic outcomes for all Americans — particularly our youth — ensuring that conditions are ripe for innovation, freedom and flexibility throughout U.S. education.

Filed Under: Newswire Weekly, Newswire

Renewed Hope for Teachers, Worker Freedom

June 27, 2018 By

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 27, 2018

CONTACT: Mary Riner
(202) 750-0016 | mary@edreform.com

U.S. Supreme Court Rules in favor of Mark Janus in Janus v. AFSCME

Statement by Jeanne Allen, Founder & CEO

It’s a great day in Washington, DC! The high court’s decision strikes a blow for the freedom guaranteed to individuals under the constitution. No citizen of the United States can be compelled to support speech that he or she does not believe in or endorse, and by upholding that constitutional protection, the court has affirmed a critical principle of freedom.

This is good news for the nation, for thousands of educators who have long been exploited by the teachers unions, and for families whose educational opportunities have been compromised by their political activity. When it comes to education, the most fundamental of all policies that shape our futures, no longer can the union compel people to support activities and positions regardless of principle.

In affirming the position of Mark Janus, the United States Supreme Court finally ends the decades-long assault on worker freedom. While unions, particularly the teachers’ unions, have and will continue to decry the ruling, they would do well to look beyond the revenue-generating dollars-and-cents loss that it will entail and see the opportunity that it presents – the opportunity to secure support for their work based not on coercion, but on voluntary support from those who truly believe in the in the ideas, actions and pronouncements of any association to which they now may truly choose to belong.

Education in America is in the midst of a major transformation, which is struggling to realize its full potential in the face of limiting contractual and oppositional forces. From apathy to lack of knowledge to deliberate impediments created by unions, these obstacles have kept education from advancing into 21st century.

The unions now have a chance to join the movement, and embrace the cause of improving education for parents seeking new opportunities for their children, and for children in need of opportunities for innovative individualized learning options, or they get out of the way entirely. While hope springs eternal, we doubt, sadly, that wither will occur. Thankfully, however, teachers will now be able to exercise their own power in impacting the needs of children and families in the education process and policies supporting it.

Kudos to the Court, to Mark Janus, to Rebecca Friedrichs who began the journey before him, and to all who are engaged in the fight for liberty and justice.

Founded in 1993, the Center for Education Reform aims to expand educational opportunities that lead to improved economic outcomes for all Americans — particularly our youth — ensuring that conditions are ripe for innovation, freedom and flexibility throughout U.S. education.

Filed Under: Press Releases, News & Analysis, Breaking News, Unions & Establishment

Newswire – June 26, 2018

June 26, 2018 By

AND THE HITS JUST KEEP ON COMIN’. As the unions anxiously await the Supreme Court’s decision on Janus, the lawsuits keep piling up in lower courts around the country, this time in the U.S. District Court in Camden, NJ where a South Jersey teacher who doesn’t want anything to do with the state’s largest teachers’ union has filed suit saying she shouldn’t be forced to “subsidize” the New Jersey Education Association and its activities, arguing that her constitutional rights are being violated by forcing her to pay ‘representation fees’ as a condition of her employment as a public school teacher “even though Ms. Smith refused to join the teachers’ union and does not wish to subsidize the union’s activities.”

Question.: HOW DO YOU REINVIGORATE THE ECONOMY IN RURAL AMERICA? Answer: EDUCATION. When we improve schools, we improve communities. And while multiple efforts exist across the U.S., rural education has been left out of many modern reforms and innovations. CER’s been working on this question for a while now, and have settled on one county on the coastal plain of North Carolina to develop our pilot rural education initiative. Earlier this month, we brought together some of our friends in philanthropy, business, policy and EdTech at UNC to talk about the blue sky of what is possible in Robeson County if we break down the silos between K12, higher ed and career and all work together to leverage our unique talents. The result? A shared vision and a broad plan for implementation.

AND WHILE WE’RE ON THE SUBJECT OF EDUCATION IN RURAL AMERICA… “Schools closed. Forever. What happens to a rural town after it loses its only school?” is a somber NY Times feature on the plight of rural schools and points to the desperate need for solutions to this growing national problem.

OPPORTUNITY ABOUNDS. Florida Governor Rick Scott paid a recent visit to Puerto Rico (his seventh since Hurricane Maria) and told Puerto Rico Governor Ricardo Rosselló the island has “an unbelievable opportunity to change the island for the better.”  At the top of Rosselló’s opportunity agenda: education reform — adding charter schools, better leadership and a school voucher program. And with plans for a modernized energy grid and rebuilt infrastructure you can add innovations in education to the plan.

WHAT DO STUDENTS WANT? According to an annual survey by the Washington-D.C.-based College Savings Foundation the majority of high school students who will be entering college over the next three years would like to see more colleges promote education and skills training rather than only offering majors for future employment: 81 percent would like to see colleges offer skills instead of majors; 70 percent would prefer to go to that school; and 63 percent said their career plans were affecting their school choice. According to the foundation for the past four years, the number of students embracing skills-based education has been growing. This year, 36 percent have their sights set on attending a technical school; 28 percent are headed to community college; and 8 percent will attend a vocational school. “Looking at our survey from 2015 to 2018, the number of students planning on going to community college has increased 9 percent,” said the foundation’s chair.

A MATCH MADE IN HEAVEN. An informative and well-reasoned argument in favor of the president’s proposed merger of the Departments of Education and Labor by the founder and director Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce, Anthony Carnevale.

“[When] the Education Department was created…two-thirds of jobs required no more than a high school education. Remarkably, 30 percent of good jobs were held by high school dropouts. Now, 55 percent of good jobs require at least a bachelor’s degree… There was a time, perhaps, when these departments could stand apart. But no more. At their core, both share the same goal: to create fully functional adults. In a capitalist economy, that means you have to have a job. And in today’s world, to get a good job, you need an education…  With this combined department, we have an opportunity to realize that education and jobs are inextricably linked.”

REALITY CHECK W/JEANNE ALLEN. Many passionate ed reformers and teachers in general come to the profession from other walks of life or different training but Beth Anderson but has been a teacher since 1991 (beginning her career as a Teach for America instructor teaching bilingual kindergartners in LA). Today, she is CEO of the successful and continually innovative Phoenix Charter Academy Network of schools that challenge resilient, disconnected students with rigorous academics and relentless support. Listen in!

Don’t forget! Meet us in Miami Oct. 25-26 for our Silver Anniversary Summit + Celebration. More info at edreform.com.

 

Friends, Allies & faithful Newswire Readers: We’ve moved! Our new address is:

​1455 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Suite 250, Washington, DC 20004

Filed Under: Newswire Weekly, Newswire

Newswire – June 19, 2018

June 19, 2018 By

COUNTDOWN TO CER’S 25TH ANNIVERSARY SUMMIT… it may seem early, but October will be here before you know it, so make your plans now to join CER on October 25-26 in Miami for its Silver Anniversary Summit & Celebration “The Road to Innovation for ONE America.” One of the features of the gathering will be our honoring of some of the pioneers of the education reform movement who will be on hand for the event, including Tommy Thompson. As Wisconsin’s governor (from 1987-2001) Thompson was one of first high-profile champions of education reform pushing for the creation of the country’s first parental school-choice program, which provided Milwaukee families with a voucher to send children to the private or public school of their choice. He did other great things as governor, too (e.g. welfare reform), and went on to build a remarkable career of public service, including a stint as Secretary of Health and Human Services under George W. Bush, but he’ll always be tops in our book for his commitment to, and success in, achieving substantive education reform.

MEANWHILE BACK AT THE RANCH… Last Sunday night NBC News aired a charter school story that argues charters are increasingly geared to support “white flight.” If the claims weren’t so outlandish and unfounded, it would be laughable. The producer, who was incredibly open to receiving information countering these allegations, based his report on an analysis performed by the Hechinger Report. In one of the documents CER supplied, we demonstrated Hechinger’s bias against charter schools, as well as the folly of the argument. Read more…

A DOUBLE DOSE OF REALITY… This week Jeanne Allen Erica Komisar, author of “Being There: Why Prioritizing Motherhood in the First Three Years Matters.” Based on more than two decades of clinical work and breakthrough neurobiological research on caregiving, attachment and brain development, her book challenges established concepts (and myths) of infant resiliency, ‘having it all’ and even the definition of feminism. One thing this book is not about is quitting your job. “It’s not about working vs. not working – it’s really a book about more is more.” Also on Reality Check, an attorney for Mark Janus from the Liberty Justice Center shares his thoughts on the likely outcome of the high court’s pending decision.

Find the podcasts at edreform.com/realitycheck and on National Review.

WHEN IT RAINS IT POURS… Just as the AFT and NEA are bracing for the ruling from SCOTUS in the Janus v. AFSCME case, teachers in New York state have filed a class-action suit claiming (correctly, we might add) that they are being illegally forced to cough up union dues even if they’re not union members. This is in response to NY’s new law, signed by Gov. Andrew Cuomo last April, mandating that all teachers pay a New York State United Teachers “agency fee” regardless of their membership status. Supporters say all teachers benefit from pay hikes and perks secured by the union and should subsidize those efforts. In a suit filed Thursday the two teachers who brought the case say (correctly, we might add) that they oppose “NYSUT’s political advocacy and collective bargaining activities” and shouldn’t have to fund them. Yep.

In Other News…

MORE THAN REASONABLE… The Reason Foundation has put out a great piece on school funding. Although titled “Five Recommendations to Solve LAUSD’s Looming Fiscal Crisis” its applicable, in parts or in whole, to school funding crises around the country and is worth the read.

SUNSHINE STATE SUCCESS… Former Florida Senate Education Chairman, John Legg, recently summed up Florida’s great, new K-12 scholarship program. “… [it] is conceptually reminiscent of the free tutoring programs developed by bipartisan education advocates under the federal No Child Left Behind Act. This scholarship is driven by the educational principle that children must learn to read so they can then read to learn.”  Notably the program doesn’t try to simply thread more money into district elementary reading budgets but instead provides a reading scholarship, which gives parents the decision on how to spend it. And why is that a better approach, Legg was asked: “The parent is the most influential person in the child’s life.”

A PROGRESSIVE POINT OF VIEW… Also of note this week, a passionate op-ed on educational opportunity for all, titled “Progressive, affluent parents who send their kids to good schools shouldn’t deny others that right.” An excerpt: “Simply put, I’m a progressive. So it troubles me deeply to hear self-styled progressives attack educational options that other parents choose for their children. Worse, these attacks on the educational choices that lower-income parents and parents of children with special needs make almost always come from progressives of higher means. We have a recommendation for that: Check your privilege. I support educational choice for all. Educational options have existed for the wealthy for as long as anyone can remember. What’s controversial is when we suggest that those same options should be open to everyone.” Amen. 

Filed Under: Newswire Weekly, Newswire
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