Redstate

Posted at 8:10am on Jun. 24, 2008 When wearing a "D" means defending failure

By RightMichigan.com

Cross-posted on Right Michigan at www.RightMichigan.com.

Ivory Tower columnist Rochelle Reilly has a new piece in the fish wrap this morning making a pretty compelling case for school choice.  She'd better look out, the governor might revoke her lefty press credentials.  She's sick to her stomach over the way no one seems to care about the chronic failure of the Detroit Public Schools.  To Ms. Reilly I'd like extend a formal "welcome to the club."  Some of us have been complaining for years about the way the school district fails the kids who need them.  Heck, I remember back during the last gubernatorial cycle there was this pesky little illegal teachers strike.  They walked off the job and left the kids out in the street.  And did I mention it was illegal.

Posted in Breaking News | budget deficit | Charter Schools | corrections | Detroit Public Schools | Michigan | School Choice — Comments (2) / Email this page » / Read More »

Posted at 9:36am on May 6, 2008 Why Won't Sonny Perdue Sign H.B. 881? This really is for the children and not in a socialist anti-freedom way.

By Erick

Georgia House Bill 881 is legislation in Georgia to help improve the conditions in which charter schools grow. Given the mess in Clayton County, Georgia, the first school district in the nation to lose its accreditation in over a decade, and the kids who are stuck down there, I am really surprised Governor Sonny Perdue hasn't signed this legislation -- it's just common sense reform to prevent local school boards like Clayton County from shutting down charter schools without cause and the legislation provides adequate funding and freedom for charter schools.

Right now Georgia has 71 charter schools with about 30,000 students across the socio-economic spectrum. These schools are currently out performing state averages on standardized tests despite receiving about 30% less than typical public schools. And charter schools don't even get facilities funding.

Under H.B. 881, funding will following children. If a child goes to charter school, the money goes with the child there. If the child goes back to public school, the money goes with the child back. It forces public and charter schools to compete, and competition improves schooling.

Twenty-six Georgia school systems have failed to meet federal and state standards. Clayton County is losing its accreditation. Charter schools are a great alternative.

H.B. 881 is a common sense reform to help foster charter schools. Too often local school districts try to make things extreme difficult for charter schools, while ignoring the need to actually improve local public schools.

It's time for the Governor to sign off on H.B. 881.

Please join me in calling Governor Perdue at (404) 656-1776. Ask him to sign H.B. 881. If you don't want to call, you can contact him via the web by going here.

Posted in Charter Schools | Georgia | School Choice | Sonny Perdue | State Politics — Comments (0)/ Email this page » / Read More »