School choice advocates, gathered this week at the Democratic National Convention, said they wanted to keep their movement from getting sucked into partisan politics.

"The politics of education has had a toxic stranglehold on the American psyche," Kevin Chavous, executive counsel of the American Federation for Children, said during a reception Tuesday evening in Philadelphia. A former Democratic member of the Washington D.C. city council, Chavous said supporters should elevate their cause "above the politics of today."

Rather than get bogged down in battles over the particulars of the party platform, he said, they should share the stories of students like scholarship alum Raushaun Williams.

Williams told the gathering that by the time he got to middle school, he was moving from one public school to another in Philadelphia, with languishing grades and discipline issues. He felt like he didn't quite fit in. His trajectory changed when he and his mother found out about they Children's Scholarship Fund of Philadelphia. He received a scholarship through a lottery, allowing him to enroll in a Catholic school — something he said his single mother never could have afforded otherwise.

(more…)

Editor's note: This guest post was written by Jalen Rose, the ESPN analyst, former NBA player, charter school founder and now educational choice ambassador for the American Federation for Children.

It’s that time of year again when basketball and brackets take center stage. This March Madness, we’ll be pulling for our favorite teams and celebrating the players for their hard work and commitment – both on and off the court. And, while we may have differences in our final bracket picks, we know one thing is certain: many of the players we’ll be cheering for are student athletes who were given the opportunity to earn a quality education based on their athletic talents.

Many of these student athletes come from challenged backgrounds – not much different than my own. As many know, I grew up in Detroit, but thankfully, I was both afforded opportunities to attend a great college as a result of my basketball talents.

While a select few are able to capitalize on their individual athletic skills, for far too many students that simply is not an option. Sadly, in the United States, too many children do not have these same opportunities due to gaps in their educational experience that lead to a lack of fundamental knowledge and skills – those same skills that are necessary to be accepted into college and to succeed in life.

That’s why as we focus our attention on March Madness, I  hope to shed a light on the true “madness” in this country – the fact that every 26 seconds a student drops out of school.

Far too many of our minority students are not receiving the education they deserve because for many, the idea of attending a quality school is simply unattainable. I believe that this is unacceptable.

To put it into perspective, an estimated 366,369 kids will drop out of high school while we watch the 63 games throughout the tournament.

This is madness.

Students in our country deserve more educational options. They deserve access to best school for their needs, no matter their family’s income, and no matter their race. I am committed to empowering parents with the ability to choose the very best school for their child. (more…)

Bill Cosby has joined the board of directors of StudentsFirst, the education reform group founded by Michelle Rhee.

In a statement emailed to StudentsFirst supporters a few minutes ago, Cosby, a school choice supporter, wrote: "Enough is enough. I've seen the statistics on where American students rank in the world. I've heard the stories of children being sent off to schools that are nothing more than dropout factories, and our youth end up back out on the street uneducated and unprepared for life. I refuse to sit back and watch this happen. That's why I'm joining the board of StudentsFirst and will be working alongside you and StudentsFirst members across the nation to put children's needs first."

According to Education Week, StudentsFirst named other board members today, including Connie Chung, Joel Klein, Roland Martin and Jalen Rose.

Diane Ravitch called Cosby's move "the worst news of the day."

"This is a coup for her (Michelle Rhee) in her efforts to demean our nation’s teachers and promote the privatization of American public education," she wrote on her blog. "He is clearly uninformed about what she is doing. If you know how to contact him, do so. This is not in character for him."

Choice at the RNC: Mitt Romney drops a line about school choice in his big speech, while Jeb Bush and Condoleezza Rice say more (redefinED). A former voucher student from Florida joins Jeb Bush on stage, saying in an interview later, "Because I had choice in my education, I was granted a better life (redefinED). (Image from minnesota.publicradio.org)

Louisiana: A statewide teachers union accuses the Black Alliance for Educational Options and other school choice groups of supporting a pro-KKK educational curriculum. (Choice Media)

Washington: The political landscape around charter schools has changed as voters get ready to vote on a charter measure for the fourth time. (Seattle Times)

Florida: A powerful lawmaker and school choice supporter is puzzled by charter schools that want to set up in one of the school districts in his legislative district. (St. Augustine Record)

Ohio: Hundreds of special needs students are benefiting from a voucher program. (Cincinnati.com) (more…)

Louisiana: State House passes voucher bill (New Orleans Times Picayune) with bipartisan support. (redefinED)

Michigan: Charter school started by former basketball star Jalen Rose has more applicants than openings. (MLive)

Florida: Parent trigger bill apparently died for reasons other than pros and cons of parent triggers. (Sunshine State News)

New Hampshire: State senate gives preliminary approval to tax credit scholarships, while House is scheduled to vote later this month. (Boston.com)

Kansas: Catholic institutions and Libertarians form alliance to back tax credit scholarship bill. (Topeka Capital-Journal) (more…)