Monday, September 30, 2013

AFC & ASC Honors the Memory of the late-Rep. John Patrick Julien

AFC & ASC Honors the Memory of the late-Rep. John Patrick Julien

The American Federation for Children and the Alliance for School Choice issued the following statement in honor of Rep. John Patrick Julien, who passed away earlier today.

Betsy DeVos, chairman of the American Federation for Children and the Alliance for School Choice:

On behalf of the American Federation for Children and the Alliance for School Choice, our thoughts and prayers are with the family of Rep. John Patrick Julien. The legacy of JPJ, as he was called, will always be that of a leader who put the concern and needs of Florida children first.

Thursday, September 19, 2013

Reign of Error: One book’s defense of the status-quo

By Kevin P. Chavous

In the several reviews of Diane Ravitch's new book, "Reign of Error: The Hoax of the Privatization Movement and the Danger to America’s Public Schools,” many have focused on her obvious obsession with corporate America and it's 'evil' involvement in education reform.  In writing this book, she clearly wants to warn us all "that reformers want to privatize their public schools and divert their taxes to pay profits to investors." And while Ravitch's rabid attacks throughout the book on education reformers is at times irrational and not based on facts, my problem with her approach and her rhetoric is more basic.

Friday, September 6, 2013

Are Politics to Blame in the Attack on Ed Choice in Louisiana?

By Kevin P. Chavous

I have supported President Obama and known U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder for many years and have trusted that their motives are genuine.

But I am now extremely troubled by the motives behind the Dept. of Justice's desegregation lawsuit against the Louisiana scholarship program. In effect, the suit claims that allowing low income Louisiana kids to leave failing public schools in favor of better private schools somehow violates federal desegregation orders issued decades ago.

Since the lawsuit was filed last week, many have speculated as to the motives behind it; why was it filed?