Newswire – November 13, 2018

ELECTION RETURNS RATIOCINATION. We wouldn’t blame you if you have had your fill of election related items, but good and important things happened on election night for innovation and opportunity in education. Governor’s races are where the action was, and while  not all the news was good, supporters in both parties of CER’s agenda of  change and new avenues of success for students were victorious across the country.  Read CER’s full rundown of the new Governor’s and read Jeanne Allen’s statement on the election h ere.

HOUSE GOP MAJORITY IGNORED ED REFORM & PAID THE PRICE. Improving outcomes for all students is a most definitely bi-partisan effort. As mentioned above several winners last Tuesday are both Democrats and strong supporters of new thinking and breaking the stranglehold of the education Blob. That said, most folks would think that a Republican majority in the Congress untethered to typical labor constraints would be receptive to CER’s agenda.  The good news is that they WERE receptive. The bad news is that their openness to our ideas did not translate into action.  We think that inaction, on an issue important to most voters but in particular suburban and women voters, cost them their majority.  Jeanne Allen’s Op-Ed, appearing in the Washington Examiner, explains why here.

POOR MARKS FOR TEACHERS ON THE BALLOT. Last add on the election. A persistant pre-election talking point from the Blob was that the success of “non-traditional” schools (i.e. charters, vouchers, virtual, digital, etc, – anything not controlled by the Blob) had prompted record numbers of teachers to run for office and would carry them to victory. Here’s the results, courtesy of U.S. News: “The 2018 midterm election came on the heels of widespread teacher unrest that, in part, prompted thousands of educators to run for office. But as results rolled in Tuesday night, spilling into Wednesday and Thursday, it was clear voters ultimately didn’t propel a wave of teachers into elected positions. “According to an Education Week analysis, not even one-quarter of those currently employed as teachers ended up winning: In total, 42 of the 177 educators who filed to run for state legislative seats won, the analysis showed, just shy of 25 percent.”  Even grading on the curve, the Blob’s candidates gets a failing grade. The full story is here.

PARENT POWER INDEX RELEASED. CER today released its 2018 Parent Power! Index (PPI), an exclusive study of parents’ ability to exercise educational options for their children.  The Index scores each state, including the District of Columbia, from 0-100. It delves into state policy, looking at five “Elements of Power” that determine the extent to which educational choices and information are offered to families. The Parent Power Index gives families an interactive tool to see how their state ranks when it comes providing education choice and opportunity.  This is MUST reading for anyone interested in how their state stacks up against others when it comes to empowering parents to make the best choices for their children’s’ schooling. See the full rankings here.

AMBASSADOR BAXTER AWARD. Great CER friend Ambassador Frank Baxter has paved the way for thousands of students in the City of Angels to dream the American dream, for real. His charitable pursuits put kids first; he founded the city’s largest and most successful charter school network, the Alliance for College-Ready Public Schools.  He received the award for his role in co-founding Los Angeles’. The name of the alliance succinctly sums up the what should be the purpose of ALL schools – making their student’s college ready. Way too many schools are failing at that task, and Ambassador Baxter is rightly lauded and recognized for his determination to do something to correct the situation with the 2018 Savas Award. It is always rewarding to see good things happen to good people.

WHITTLE SCHOOL AND STUDIO HAPPENINGS. CER Board Member Chris Whittle’s Whittle School and Studios hosts the first of the Whittle Talk speaker series in Washington, DC on Thurs. 11/15 at 6 PM, featuring renowned author and educator, Kwame Anthony Appiahand a reading of his new book “The Lies That Bind”. Learn about the world’s first truly global school at www.whittleschool.org/events.

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.