Robin Lake of the Center on Reinventing Public Education has a must-read on how her quest to find an appropriate school for her son changed her views on educational choice.

I'm an education researcher and policy analyst, and before that point I'd been firmly opposed to school vouchers, for all the typical reasons: their track record, concern about government money going to religious schools, equity issues and a sense that private schools weren't accountable to parents in the same way public schools are. The voucher debate has long been cast as one between opponents and supporters of public schools, and I was – and still am – in the latter camp: someone who has always believed that public schools matter, should be funded better and have the potential (and duty) to serve all students well.

But my husband and I started adding up the money being spent on our son, between the various aides, teachers and central office staff. If the district had given us half of what they were spending, we would have been able to afford a good private school that would work well for our son.

This exercise was theoretical – the district wasn't going to give us money, not without a lawsuit. But it made me realize that I could no longer oppose vouchers on principle. If I would have gladly accepted one, how could I oppose others getting the same opportunity?

Lake understands all school choice options must be accountable to the public — and has, at times, pushed voucher advocates on this point. It wouldn't hurt to have more people with that outlook inside the private school choice tent, helping to make voucher programs better.

Becoming 'the man?'

Everyone's take going into the National Charter Schools Conference focused on the difficult political moment.

Education Secretary Betsy DeVos showed up and delivered what may be her best speech since taking the post.

Underrated line: When she called access to a quality education a "basic human right."

Democratic Congressman (and Colorado gubernatorial hopeful) Jared Polis had criticisms for DeVos before her speech. He was a no-show for a panel talking bipartisan support for charters.

(more…)

Education Secretary Betsy DeVos was back on Capitol Hill. She faced more questions on school choice and civil rights.

"Schools receiving federal funds must follow federal laws," was her refrain. Here's what the law says now. Here's another answer she could have given.

She also talked about the link between funding and outcomes.

DeVos was defending the Trump administration's education budget. It includes a $250 million school choice initiative. Her home state of Michigan might miss the boat.

If Congress approves the federal scholarship funding, Michigan’s 47-year-old ban on state money going to private schools means the state couldn’t get a piece of the $250 million.

Choice supporters said they see two ways to remove or get around the prohibition, but they are long shots. The state Constitution would have to be changed or overruled, or Congress have would have to overhaul the federal tax code before Michigan could accept any federal scholarship money.

But mayonnaise ruled the news cycle.

Meanwhile...

We've reported on the changes that might be coming to Florida virtual education law. A mom explains what's at stake. That eligibility expansion is part of a massive education package that looms over a special legislative session in Florida, even though it's not on the agenda. (more…)

A narrative continues to grow that an unprecedented focus on private school options somehow threatens the institution of American public education.

The word derives from the Latin word publicus, meaning “of the people.” This concept — that the government belongs to the people and the government should provide for the good of the people — was foundational to the world’s nascent democracies. Where once citizens paid taxes to the monarchy in the hope that it would serve the public too, in democracies they paid taxes directly for infrastructure and institutions that benefited society as a whole. The tax dollars of ancient Athenians and Romans built roads and aqueducts, but they also provided free meals to widows whose husbands died in war. “Public” stood not just for how something was financed — with the tax dollars of citizens — but for a communal ownership of institutions and for a society that privileged the common good over individual advancement.

Early on, it was this investment in public institutions that set America apart from other countries. Public hospitals ensured that even the indigent received good medical care — health problems for some could turn into epidemics for us all. Public parks gave access to the great outdoors not just to the wealthy who could retreat to their country estates but to the masses in the nation’s cities. Every state invested in public universities. Public schools became widespread in the 1800s, not to provide an advantage for particular individuals but with the understanding that shuffling the wealthy and working class together (though not black Americans and other racial minorities) would create a common sense of citizenship and national identity, that it would tie together the fates of the haves and the have-nots and that doing so benefited the nation. A sense of the public good was a unifying force because it meant that the rich and the poor, the powerful and the meek, shared the spoils — as well as the burdens — of this messy democracy.

There's a case to be made, though, that a pluralistic system that gives all families equal access to all types of schools can strengthen — not weaken — American democracy.

Meanwhile...

A Washington teacher of the year explains how his mom lied to get him into a better school.

ProPublica probes alternative charter schools that help districts game accountability systems. But system-gaming didn't start with them. (more…)

So much pre-confirmation talk about Betsy DeVos focused on her home state of Michigan.

As education secretary, she's pointing to a different state — arguably her second home — as a model for the nation.

"Florida is a good and growing example of what can happen when you have a robust array of choices," DeVos said Wednesday. She noted that 40 percent of the students in Florida go to schools that are different from the one they may be zoned for.

We break down that 40 percent number here.

As she settles into her new role, the new secretary wants to clarify her intentions.

I need to stress that I could not be more supportive of great teachers and great teaching, no matter what kind of delivery vehicle they are teaching through. We have to support great teachers. They just have to be freed-up to do what they do best. I think in many cases they are limited by the top-down, one size fits all approaches, either at the school level, the district level, the state level, or in all too many cases, the federal decree.

DeVos may have made a rhetorical misstep after her widely publicized visit to a D.C. public school. Her critics cast comments intended to suggest education bureaucracy saps teachers' initiative as an affront to teachers themselves.

She's preparing for school visits alongside Randi Weingarten of the American Federation of Teachers. Here's what she wishes she'd said in her confirmation hearing.

And still, the din of hyperbole grows louder.

(more…)

In the wake of the confirmation of Betsy DeVos, and amid the political tensions that remain, a few key points should break through the noise.

Understanding the teachers union politics that drove the Senate confirmation vote.

Three lessons reformers had better learn from the battle. Here's what the new education secretary could actually do. What she doesn't do may matter most.

A sharp point from Vox:b

If done with integrity, however, this diversification of primary and secondary education is clearly a threat to the privileged status of public schools. In objecting to Betsy DeVos on the grounds that she is insufficiently committed to the public schools above all other deliveries of education, her opponents are maintaining a narrow and disappointing status quo, whether they realize it or not.

DeVos says all systems are still go for federal school accountability.

Meanwhile...

Charter schools are more diverse than people think.

Simple talking points on segregation don't tell the whole story.

Education savings accounts are on the move in the Virginia Legislature. Will they see a different result than last year? Nevada's state treasurer comes under fire for his handling of ESAs. (more…)

The Senate prepares for a final vote Tuesday to confirm Betsy DeVos as education secretary. It's worth wondering why her nomination — of all the picks in Donald Trump's cabinet — is so controversial. Some real talk.

Charter school leaders from Florida to California triangulate, criticizing DeVos and school vouchers. Derrell Bradford and the Wall Street Journal argue this is a mistake.

Does it really make sense to nationalize the political debate around an issue that will still be decided at the state and local level?

For her part, DeVos is staffing up and telling states they will have the power.

Meanwhile... (more…)

Ahead of this week's expected confirmation vote on Betsy DeVos, more facts are beginning to puncture the myths spawned by problematic media coverage — on her extensive Florida ties and political involvement, on misinformation and bad math that cloud the real state of Detroit's charter schools, on her nuanced record on LGBT rights. Protests and politicking continue, but her confirmation is still seen as likely.

Hope everyone's ready for Catholic Schools Week. We'll have more on that in a few days.

Meanwhile...

Point:  The case for a nationwide tax credit scholarship program.

Counterpoint: The case for keeping the feds out of school choice initiatives.

How can a Trump administration square this circle? Perhaps by tweaking existing policies to make them more choice-friendly — like, for example, making Title I funds portable. (The relationship between federal funding and parental choice could be a hot issue in the coming months, and we'll have more on it soon.)

As we often say, the real action is in the statehouse, where the forecast for education savings accounts is rosy.

The history of black families and school choice. What's that got to do with DeVos? (more…)

It's National School Choice Week, and everyone's celebrating — including 1.6 million Floridians.

Yet the politics of school choice are getting weird. A Senate confirmation hearing for Betsy DeVos spawned countless memes, talk of fake gaffes and questions about her grasp of education policy details. Democrats like Al Franken and Maggie Hassan backed charters while panning vouchers. A committee vote's been delayed one week and Democrats have formally asked for more question time. Some of her policy positions remain unclear, but some observers think her opponents were more interested in political theater than getting substantive answers. Opposition to her nomination may be intensifying among the usual suspects, but key Republicans remain on board. Are Democrats waging a foolish crusade against her? Some progressive education reformers express consternation about collaboration with President Trump's administration. Other reformers argue it's time to seize new opportunities.

The DeVos take you might not have read, but definitely should: The African-American roots of Betsy DeVos' education platform.

Conservatives say they won't abandon their federalist principles to promote school choice. DeVos says she doesn't want to force vouchers on unwilling states. Rep. Luke Messer says congressional Republicans don't, either.

In other words, for all the national political noise, the school choice movement's biggest fights will still be at the state level.

Speaking of which ... how about some good news?

For the first time in nearly 30 months, the nation's largest private school choice program — one of DeVos' favorites — is no longer under legal threat. Parents are overjoyed. And now, a similar policy may be in the works at the federal level.

Still speaking of which ... big things are brewing in Nebraska. And universal tax credit scholarships are in the works in Arkansas.

Meanwhile...

(more…)

The Supreme Court may be poised to raise the educational standard for children with special needs.

Most of the justices appeared to think the “some” benefit standard was less than what Congress envisioned. But they also seemed to be struggling to come up with language for a higher standard that would be grounded in the law and clear enough to be meaningful and enforceable, but flexible enough to apply to children with widely varying levels and types of disabilities.

During the hour-long oral argument, they grappled with the differences between various levels of educational benefit: “some,” “barely more than de minimis,” “significant,” “meaningful,” “appropriate in light of the child’s circumstances.”

This case could ultimately affect millions of children. It has created some strange political bedfellows. And make no mistake: It could have serious implications for parental choice.

Confirmation (for real this time?)

After a slight delay, Betsy DeVos is expected to face an unusually contentious confirmation hearing. The rhetoric around her appointment has fueled a game of telephone conducted by propagandists. Yet there are substantive questions worth asking. (more…)

On Wednesday, a U.S. Senate panel is set to grill Betsy DeVos before deciding whether to confirm her as the country's next education secretary. Democrats have made her a target. Some have already announced their opposition.

For perspective, it's worth remembering the limits of the position:

Given that the federal government contributes approximately 10% of the total spending in the nation’s sprawling, decentralized landscape of 100,000 public K-12 schools, it is neither plausible nor desirable that an Education secretary chase the chimera of a transformational national education policy.

How can the federal government help the school choice cause?

School choice has been among the highest education-reform priorities for conservatives over the last generation, and for 25 years, states have been gradually embracing the concept. There are now scores of state-level charter-school, scholarship, tax-credit and education savings accounts programs. Millions of boys and girls are participating in these programs.

With GOP control of the White House and both chambers of Congress, some see an unprecedented opportunity to go big on school choice. President-elect Donald Trump has even floated the idea of a $20 billion initiative. But if conservatives once again give in to the temptation to federalize a successful, slow-building, state-led reform, school choice could be threatened in the long term. A federal program could be expensive and clunky. It could elevate Washington's priorities over those of states and families. It could end up as just another plodding, technocratic program administered by a distant bureaucracy that frustrates parents and communities.

(more…)