Sweden and Netherlands have school voucher programs and they work. But the teachers unions control the Democratic party and they don't want competition - at most Democratic conventions, teacher union members or their spouses make up at least 25% of the attendees:
Powerful Evidence for School Choice August 22, 2009 by Dan Mitchell
The Mayor of Stockholm gave some brief remarks at the closing dinner of the Mont Pelerin Society meeting and mentioned that the number of students in private schools had skyrocketed after the implementation of Sweden’s school choice program. Intrigued, I emailed the folks at one of the nation’s research organizations to ask for some details.
The figures are impressive. The number of students attending private high schools has jumped from 1.7 percent in 1992 to 19.5 percent in 2008. Not surprisingly, the quality of education is high. Indeed, researchers have looked at the data and concluded that, “Our findings support the hypothesis that school results in public schools improve due to competition.”
danieljmitchell.wordpress.com
Powerful Evidence for School Choice, Part II February 7, 2010 by Dan Mitchell
I was vaguely aware the there was a school choice system in the Netherlands, but I had no idea how good it was. Nearly three-fourths of all schools are privately controlled. Not surprisingly, the Dutch score very highly compared to other nations. Here’s some of the data from a recent study:
One of the key features of the Dutch education system is freedom of education—freedom to establish schools and organize teaching. Almost 70 percent of schools in the Netherlands are administered by private school boards… it is shown that the Dutch system promotes academic performance. The instrumental variables results show that private school attendance is associated with higher test scores. …a significant part of the high achievement of Dutch students in international achievement tests is due to the institutional features associated with school choice. …Money follows students and each school receives for each student enrolled a sum equivalent to the per capita cost of public schooling. …achievement levels are high, while relative costs are low. …Private school size effects in math, reading and science achievement are 0.17, 0.28 and 0.18, all significant. Given PISA’s scaling, this is close to 0.2 of a standard deviation in the case of math and science, and almost 0.3 of a standard deviation in reading. In other words, these are large effect size effects, indicating that school choice contributes to achievement in Netherlands.
danieljmitchell.wordpress.com
What’s More Important, Monopoly Privileges for Union Bosses or Educational Opportunity for Minority Children? July 30, 2012 by Dan Mitchell
I’ve criticized union bosses for fighting school reform, and I’ve condemned the so-called civil rights establishment for opposing school choice.
And here’s a powerful video from Reason TV that combines those themes, noting the unholy alliance of teacher unions and the NAACP.
 The spiritual leader of the teacher unions?
Fortunately, the statists seem to be losing this issue. Louisiana recently adopted school choice legislation that will give poor children an opportunity to escape failing government schools.
But the left isn’t losing gracefully. In a move that would make George Wallace proud, they are threatening schools that will participate in the new program.
Here’s some powerful criticism of their sleazy tactics from today’s Wall Street Journal.
In some parts of the antebellum South, it was illegal to teach blacks how to read. Are teachers unions in Louisiana trying to turn back the clock? Last week, lawyers for the Louisiana Association of Educators, one of the state’s two major teachers unions, threatened private and parochial schools with lawsuits if the schools accept students participating in a new school choice initiative that starts this year. Education reforms signed into law in April by Governor Bobby Jindal include a publicly funded voucher program that allows low-income families to send their children to private or parochial schools. …lawyers representing the unions faxed letters to about 100 of the 119 schools that are participating in the voucher program. “Our clients have directed us to take whatever means necessary,” the letter reads. Unless the school agrees to turn away voucher students, “we will have no alternative other than to institute litigation.” The letter demanded an answer in writing by the next day. Louisiana’s voucher program is adjusted for family income and is intended above all to give a shot at a decent education to underprivileged minorities, who are more likely to be relegated to the worst public schools. …Demand for vouchers has been overwhelming: There were 10,300 applications for 5,600 slots. Despite claims to the contrary by school-choice opponents, low-income parents can and do act rationally when it comes to the education of their children. State officials have rightly slammed the union’s tactics. A spokesman for the Governor said in a statement that union leaders are “stooping to new lows and trying to strong-arm schools to keep our kids from getting a quality education.” State Superintendent John White said it was “shameful” that the unions were “trying to prevent people from doing what’s right for their children.” The unions claim that vouchers don’t benefit students, but we know from school-choice programs in Washington, D.C., and elsewhere that voucher recipients attend safer schools and enjoy higher graduation rates than their peers in public schools.
As I note in this post (featuring a great column by Jeff Jacoby), I’ve always believed that the school choice issue exposes the dividing line between honest liberals and power-hungry liberals.
Regardless of ideology, any decent person will favor reforms that enable poor kids to escape horrible government schools. Lots of liberals are decent people. The ones who oppose school choice, by contrast, are…well, you can fill in the blank.
P.S. Here’s some wisdom on the issue of school choice from a former University of Georgia quarterback.
P.P.S. Not surprisingly, Thomas Sowell nails the issue, as does Walter Williams, with both criticizing the President for sacrificing the interests of minority children to protect the monopoly privileges of teacher unions.
P.P.P.S. Chile has reformed its education system with vouchers, as have Sweden and the Netherlands, and all those nations are getting good results.
Where, Oh Where, Has the Old NAACP Gone?
There's not much worse than watching an institution that has so frequently been on the right side of history so clearly lose its way. Unfortunately, the NAACP has done just that, and the outcry has been—rightly—loud and clear.
The group's New York chapter has been in the news after it joined a lawsuit with the United Federation of Teachers to stop the closure of almost a half-dozen failing public schools and prevent charter schools from operating in buildings used by traditional public schools.
In sum, they've chosen to protect a status quo that hurts low-income children, instead of fighting against it, as they usually do.
Our own Kevin P. Chavous very eloquently questions the logic of the civil rights organization, and he's not alone—not by a long shot. In addition to his recent op-ed piece, there's been a deluge of articles written by education reformers across the political, geographical, and ideological education reform spectrum, all asking one simple question: why is the NAACP fighting against those it has for decades worked so hard to protect?
Take a look at just a smattering of the pieces written on the subject in recent days.
(Updated June 7 to reflect additional stories)
The NAACP vs. Black Schoolchildren: Apparently, the teachers come first - William McGurn, The Wall Street Journal, June 7
In New York, the NAACP Fails Again: The NAACP is usually a great organization, but sometimes it really misses the mark - Cord Jefferson, BET.com, June 7
Standing on the wrong side of empowerment - Doug Tuthill, RedefinED, June 7
When The NAACP Writes a Press Release About School Reform... - RiShawn Biddle, Dropout Nation, June 6
The NAACP enters an unholy alliance: It's fight charter schools rather than supporting them - Stanley Crouch, The New York Daily News, June 6
The NAACP sells out - The New York Post Editorial Board, June 6
NAACP vs. Black Parents: Standing in the doorway to protect failed schools - The Wall Street Journal Editorial Board, June 4
Why is the NAACP fighting African Americans? - Kevin P. Chavous, The Washington Post, June 3
On the Wrong Side of History - RiShawn Biddle, The American Spectator, June 3
NAACP, why do you oppose charter schools? - Tod Robberson, The Dallas Morning News, June 3
The NAACP's mystifying decision to side with a union over students - The Washington Post Editorial Board, June 2
For shame, NAACP: A betrayal on education - Rafiq R. Kalam Id-Din II, The New York Post, June 2
The NAACP's clout is a terrible thing to waste: Black rights group is wrong to sign onto UFT lawsuit - Michael Lomax and Michelle Rhee, The New York Daily News, June 2
- American Federation for Children | Alliance for School Choice, MAG
federationforchildren.blogspot.com
Inner city parents protest NAACP, teachers’ union
National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) and the United Federation of Teachers (UFT): you are hurting our children.
In New York Monday, charter school parents staged another of several rallies to voice opposition to a lawsuit brought by the UFT and NAACP against the New York City Department of Education. If the organizations are successful with their suit, it would prevent enrollment or re-enrollment in 17 charter schools and stop the closure of 22 public schools.
The UFT and NAACP’s decision to sue has roiled inner city parents who depend on charter schools to ensure their children get a good education.
On Monday a slew of parents appeared before UFT headquarters to protest. Nearly a month earlier the NAACP felt their wrath when another estimated 3,000 people showed up at State Administrative Building in Harlem, carrying signs reading “NAACP don’t divide unite,” to protest the NAACP’s involvement.
“I am the product of the public school system that allows 70 percent or more of its black men to not graduate from high school,” said Candido Brown, a charter school teacher at May’s rally. “I could barely believe my ears when I found out that the NAACP was trying to shut down some of the most successful schools serving black and brown children in our city. NAACP, do not take away this awesome education from our children.”
At the UFT, parents could barely keep their voices steady. (NY gay marriage vote not a surprise to those on the inside)
“You have money for lawyers you have money for hats, you can’t buy my daughter’s education. I’m just keeping it real,” shouted one unidentified charter school mother. “I support unions, but I cannot support you condemning my little girl to failure tomorrow.”
Read more: http://dailycaller.com/2011/06/30/inner-city-parents-protest-naacp-teachers-union/#ixzz22IkNUtSZ |
