A Rare Moderate Shares Her Views on School Choice

Michelle Bernard in 2008 at the Democratic
National Convention in Denver, Colo.

Most of you probably know Michelle Bernard from her appearances on cable news, her leadership at the Bernard Center for Women, Politics & Public Policy, and her propensity to stick by her views even in the face of opposition from audiences in her demographic groups. Even though she sometimes get flack for it, Bernard is truly noteworthy in her ability to stay a true moderate in a time of both political parties moving to the extremes.

So, as we debrief from our time at Education Nation—for which there will be a more elaborate post tomorrow—we thought we'd show you a great video that Bernard did with Reason in the summer, in which she explains the roots of her passion in education reform and school choice, also calling for "a broader coalition of people who are dedicating themselves to school choice and comprehensive education reform."

AFC is at NBC's Education Nation in New York City!

We'll be at NBC's Education Nation event in New York today! We want to make sure you're kept abreast of all the interesting developments and discussions from folks involved in the education reform fight, so we'll be sharing what we see with you! Head on over to their website to learn more about some of the people who will be in attendance, but keep your eyes on our Twitter page throughout the day for news and updates!

- American Federation for Children | Alliance for School Choice, MAG

BREAKING NEWS: Bipartisan Ohio Voucher Plan Passes Out of House Education Committee

We're excited to report some breaking news from the Buckeye State this evening. The Ohio House Education Committee passed House Bill 136—a plan that would create a statewide, means-tested voucher program—by a 12-10 vote on Wednesday night, setting the stage for the full State House to vote on the legislation this fall.

The bill calls for the creation of the Parental Choice and Taxpayer Savings (PACT) Scholarship Program, which would grant low- and middle-income Ohio students scholarships to go to private schools of their parents' choice. If enacted, Ohio would be the first state in the entire country with five school choice programs.

Our friends at School Choice Ohio were instrumental in this, the first step towards expanding educational opportunities to even more kids throughout the Buckeye State. The state is already home to the flagship EdChoice Scholarship Program, as well as three additional voucher programs helping students with autism, special needs, and low-income children in the Cleveland area, respectively.

A Shameful Comparison

There are people on both sides of the school choice divide who care passionately about kids. Some rationally think things are best done one way, while others have a different point of view—all the while, still working towards the ultimate goal of helping children.

And then there are other people, who have lost touch with reality to the detriment of everyone involved.

Folks frequently talk about the souring nature of our political discourse across the country, but this is a new one, even for us. In a recently-published letter by the Northwest Indiana Times, a citizen writes in with the shocking comparison: supporters of vouchers are like terrorists.

Yes, you read that right (and it sadly comes without any twisting of words or hyperbole on our part). Just over a week after commemorating the 10th anniversary of the most tragic terrorist attack in American history—an attack that callously took the lives of nearly 3,000 people—someone had the gall to compare a legitimate side of a policy debate to the murder of innocents for warped despicable political purposes.

Education Reform Hits The Great Plains

Happy Friday! As we head into our weekend, we're reminded that the education reform movement is strong, healthy—and spreading. Now, new reforms are on their way to the Sunflower State. And it is largely thanks to the work around the country, in places that have instituted widespread and heralded reforms, that Kansas begins its education reform discussion with a model as to how to best maximize how the state can help kids.

Fresh off his State of Education speech earlier this week, Indiana Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Bennett spoke about how he's not content with his reforms only helping Hoosier State students:

We have to put our focus on the children and quit focusing on just the dollars. Redesign Kansas education so that kids not achieving can achieve like their peers who are achieving.

Now that states are beginning to see the earlier dividends being paid by new initiatives like the voucher program in Indiana, they're realizing that the status quo no longer has to stand in their way of expanding educational options for low- and middle-income families, either.

Inspiring Stories from Pennsylvania Kids Who Are Ready to Make A Difference

We're often asked why we're involved in the work we do, and while the specific responses may vary, our core belief is simple: we want to help kids. School choice—whether it be via open enrollment, public charter schools, or private school scholarships—is the key to helping thousands of students towards the education they deserve.

The results of those opportunities are apparent throughout our society—from classrooms to boardrooms to the halls of government, including the White House.

Sometimes it gets us thinking: where will the kids who are benefiting from school choice now end up in 20 years? We don't know the answers, but we can already see the seeds being planted for the next great scientist, public servant, executive, teacher, or philanthropist.

It's always interesting to see celebrities before they were famous; we like to think of this as something of a reversal of that. While we don't know exactly how, we know that these kids are going to make an impact on the world.

Applying Lessons Learned Abroad at Home

Earlier this week, local news station NY1 profiled a new charter school in Manhattan that applies the ideals of student-driven learning based on the premise that "every student learns differently." But while many choice schools embrace that notion based upon evidence from their community, or with a varied curriculum that has the freedom to more pointedly teach certain kids, "Innovate Manhattan," as it is called, got its inspiration from somewhere else: Sweden.

That's right—while the school has a curriculum, students develop a work plan and specific goals that allow them to work through that curriculum at their own pace. They have specific teacher mentors, known as "coaches," who meet one-on-one with them daily to ascertain how we'll they're working towards meeting those goals.

An unlike the criticism levied at so many other education reform measures, there's no knocking a Swedish model that has proven highly-successful in multiple European countries. (A model that shares some things in common with England's free schools.)