11.25.13 Daily News Clips

Tweet of the Morning:

@PEFNC Not sure if you are eligible for NC Opportunity Scholarships? Here is a great tool, the eligibility calculator! http://bit.ly/187gVWx 

American Federation for Children

PARENTS SHOULD CONTROL THEIR CHILD'S EDUCATIONAL OPTIONS, NOT FEDERAL BUREAUCRATS

http://federationforchildren.org/articles/856

The Advocate: Former school voucher foe heads pro-voucher group

http://theadvocate.com/home/7564929-125/former-voucher-foe-heads-pro-voucher

Journal Sentinel: Republican Jessie Rodriguez elected to Assembly for 21st District

http://www.jsonline.com/news/statepolitics/republican-jessie-rodriguez-elected-to-assembly-b99144203z1-232608671.html

  

"Quality schools shouldn't be just for those who have money" -- Ohio State Rep. Coley Explains his Support for Education Choice

The Ohio Legislature recently passed, and Gov. John Kasich signed into law, legislation that would greatly expand educational options for low-income students in the Buckeye State. Receiving strong bipartisan support across the state, the bill showed the state’s commitment to ensuring all students have access to the best education for their needs – whether that be at a traditional public school, charter or through private school choice program. Rep. Bill Coley (R-Liberty Township) drafted an op-ed for the Cincinnati Enquirer on the significance of the passage, and how school choice is helping to level the playing field for low-income and minority students.

This is the time

We previously reported on April 10th School Choice Ohio rally that brought THOUSANDS of engaged Ohio parents, students and education reform activists to the steps of the Ohio Statehouse to show their support for school choice.

We wanted to share with you some fantastic video footage of AFC's Kevin P. Chavous addressing attendees at the rally on the need to stand up for education choice.  "This is the time for parents, students and families to stand up for children," said Chavous to the crowd. "Right now through educational choice, the only way you see change is when you put power in the hands of parents!"

Chavous showed his support for efforts made by Gov. John Kasich and the Ohio legislature to expand educational options.  Chavous said it is important that families have as many quality options as possible today, to adequately educate as many children as possible.

Check out Kevin's speech in its entirety below:

Parents, Students, Lawmakers Rally at Ohio Statehouse in Support of School Choice

No amount of rain could stop nearly 2,000 parents, families, and education reform advocates as they packed the steps of the Ohio Statehouse yesterday in support of expanding education choice in the Buckeye State.  Speakers at the event included, Ohio Governor John Kasich (who announced earlier this year his plan to expand thestate’s existing private school choice program), AFC’s executive Counsel Kevin P. Chavous, Ohio House Speaker William Batchelder, House Speaker Pro Tempore Matt Huffman, State Senator Keith Faber, parents and students.  The event was sponsored by School Choice Ohio.Check out some of the photos below from the event!

Buckeye families pack the steps of the statehouse to show their support for educational options!

Governor John Kasich addressing rally attendees

AFC's Kevin P. Chavous pumping up the crowd

Milwaukee Voucher Program Enrollment Hits New Record

The Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction is reporting that a record-breaking number of students are participating this year in the Milwaukee Parental Choice Program. Nearly 25,000 students are attending the private school of their parents’ choice thanks to the nation’s longest running voucher program.

These enrollment numbers join a host of other school choice programs enrolling more students than ever before:

• Indiana’s Choice Scholarship Program: 9,324
• Florida’s Tax Credit Scholarship: 48,938
• Louisiana’s Student Scholarships for Educational Excellence Program: 4,944
• Ohio’s Jon Peterson Special Needs Scholarship Program: 1,544
• Wisconsin’s Racine Parental Choice Program: 500 (the cap for the program’s second year)
• Wisconsin’s Milwaukee Parental Choice Program: 24,941

Make sure to look for the Alliance for School Choice's 2012-13 Yearbook, to be released in January, which will have all the latest data on each of the 32 publicly-funded private school choice programs around the country.

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

Victories for Educational Choice

Across the country, Democrats and Republicans who support expanding educational choices win elections

Voters in the 2012 elections sent a clear message: they were going to support candidates who stand for educational options and strong reforms.

The American Federation for Children and its affiliated organizations endorsed more than 180 candidates who won their elections.  But beyond the Federation’s election work, education reform played a strong role in this year’s elections.

Here are the highlights from the 2012 elections:

• Georgia voters pass Amendment 1 to the state constitution, which will allow a key charter school authorizing committee to allow more charter schools to operate in the state.  Thanks to voters in Washington, the state became the 42^nd state to allow charter schools, beginning the trend toward creating strong educational choice in the Evergreen State.

• Indiana elected Mike Pence—a strong supporter of private school choice—to the Governorship.  While serving in the U.S. House of Representatives, Pence supported the only federally-funded voucher program for students in Washington, D.C.

• All of the 10 candidates running in general elections in Arizona that were endorsed by the American Federation for Children won on Tuesday, including Rep. Kimberly Yee (R) and Rep. Barbara McGuire (D), both of whom won state senate seats.

• In Florida, a strong bipartisan coalition was elected or reelected with a mandate to expand educational options, including Representatives Bruce Antone (D), Cary Pigman (R), and Katie Edwards (D) and Senators Darren Soto (D) and Kelli Stargel (R).

• Tennessee voters elected a bipartisan coalition of members from the across the state, including Rep. John Ragan (R) and Rep. Tim Wirgau (R), as well as Dr. Steve Dickerson (R), who won a state senate seat. 

• In Ohio, House Democrats Bill Patmon and John Barnes were reelected, and in Wisconsin, Senator-Elect Rick Gudex provided a key victory by defeating Sen. Jessica King, who routinely criticized educational choice and Gudex’s support for it in candidate forums, thereby helping to flip the Senate and give a majority to educational choice supporters in the chamber.

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

Meet A’bria

A’bria is excited for her future ahead of her.  Why? Because A’bria has big plans: she wants to become a lawyer or a pediatrician.  As for college, A’bria wants to attend Miami (in Ohio, not Florida) or Harvard.  She loves learning history and algebra, and she is grateful to attend a school with such supportive teachers. A’bria’s mom Sheryl applied for the Cleveland Scholarship and Tutoring Program for A’bria when she was entering kindergarten, and she continues to receive the scholarship today.

Check out A’bria speaking at the 10th Anniversary celebration of the landmark Supreme Court decision that upheld the Cleveland voucher program.

Legislative Update: From the Bayou State to the Granite State

The school choice world was abuzz yesterday with exciting news from our nation’s capital, but D.C. isn’t the only place where school choice news is brewing.  Here’s a legislative and news update on bills all across the nation:

Louisiana

The Board of Elementary and Secondary Education (BESE) approved measures on the framework for the Student Scholarships for Educational Excellence Program, which was expanded statewide earlier this year.  BESE included a new provision, creating a cap on how much private schools can raise tuition as they accept voucher students. The state Department of Education is continuing to develop accountability requirements for the program.

The expanded program is set to begin in the 2012-13 school year with more than 5,000 scholarships spots available in schools statewide.

New Hampshire

Governor John Lynch yesterday vetoed legislation that would create a scholarship tax credit program in the Granite State.  Senate Bill 372 would allow businesses to donate to scholarship organizations that would provide scholarships to children from low- and middle-income families.  The veto comes despite broad support for the legislation in both chambers of the legislature, which passed the bill with a veto-proof majority.  In his veto message, Lynch falsely cited that the bill had no income restrictions, despite the legislation requiring that students come from families with a household income of 300 percent or less.

The legislature is set to convene on June 27, where it can take up the bill and override Governor Lynch’s veto.

North Carolina

The Equal Opportunity School Tax Credit, proposed legislation that would provide scholarships for students from low-income families to attend the public or private school of their parents’ choice, has been integrated into a larger education overhaul bill.  The House Education Committee rolled HB 1104 into the Excellent Public Schools Act, which also includes measures to grow public school reading programs, end teacher tenure, and implement merit pay.

School Choice Ohio Celebrates Anniversary of Yesterday's Milestones, Looks Forward to Tomorrow's Victories

Our friends at School Choice Ohio yesterday celebrated the 10-year anniversary landmark U.S. Supreme Court decision that upheld the constitutionality of the Cleveland Scholarship and Tutoring Program in Cleveland, Ohio.

At “Fulfilling the Promise,” hosted by School Choice Ohio and sponsored by a broad coalition of supporters (including the American Federation for Children and the Alliance for School Choice), more than 650 advocates, supporters, scholarship recipients, parents, and legislators came to celebrate the victory 10 years agoand the imminent victories for the families of Cleveland.

At the event, our own Kevin P. Chavous spoke on this landmark decision and its impact on the larger impact it had on the school choice movement.  In 1995, when the Cleveland Program was enacted, there was only one other private school choice program--the Milwaukee Parental Choice Program. 

Thanks in part to vouchers being upheld by the Supreme Court in 2002 and scholarship tax credit programs being upheld by the high court last year, states have enacted private school choice programs in significant numbers around the nation.  In 2012 alone, Louisiana expanded the New Orleans voucher program statewide, Florida expanded its flagship scholarship tax credit program, and Arizona expanded the nation's oldest scholarship tax credit programs as well as its first-of-its-kind Educational Savings Account program.  And Virginia, Louisiana, and Mississippi have created new private school choice programs, bringing the total private school choice programs to 30 programs across 15 states and the District of Columbia.

“Fulfilling the Promise” also focused on the students and families empowered by Ohio’s private school choice programs.  We heard from Walter Woodard, an EdChoice Scholarship recipient and A’Bria Robinson, a Cleveland Scholarship recipient.  The event also featured Tumpa Lewis and Tera Myers, parents whose children receive scholarships thanks to the state’s two private school choice programs for students with special needs.

Ten Year Anniversary of Landmark U.S. Supreme Court Decision

Our friends at School Choice Ohio are planning a big anniversary bash for the 10-year historic anniversary of the U.S. Supreme Court decision upholding the Cleveland School Voucher Program.

Featuring special guest Ken Starr, the event is being held on June 11 in Cleveland Ohio.  RSVP by June 1, at admin@scohio.org.

The Cleveland Scholarship and Tutoring Program is a means-preferenced voucher program serving students living in the Cleveland Metropolitan School District.  Created in 1995, the program today serves 5,603 students. 


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

Ohio Mother Turns Conviction into Into School Choice Advocacy

Last year, citizens all across the country were rightly outraged when an Ohio mother named Kelley Williams-Bolar was jailed and convicted for acting on the most basic of parental desires: wanting to choose a safe school her children.  This year, Williams-Bolar is making her conviction—that is, her conviction that parents have the right to choose the best education for their children—into positive work to ensure that families across the Buckeye State have real educational options.

In January 2011, Williams-Bolar was convicted of a third-degree felony for tampering with records after she enrolled her daughters into a public school outside of her assigned school using her father's address.  In total, she served 10 days in jail for nothing more than wanting a choice when it comes to her daughters’ education.

While Governor Kasich, who last year expanded two of Ohio’s school choice programs and created a voucher program for students with special needs, used his executive powers to grant clemency to Williams-Bolar, a national outcry still spread across the country.

But now, Williams-Bolar is taking her painful story and inspiring change in Ohio.  This weekend, Williams-Bolar, along with long-time school choice activist Michelle Bernard, will rally for educational equality in Cleveland.

Data Snapshot: Ohio

With the release of the Alliance for School Choice's School Choice Yearbook 2011-12 (available for download here), we'll spend the next few days on School Choice Now! highlighting some of the new data and research it contains.

In 2011, Ohio expanded two of its voucher programs and created a new voucher program for students with special needs, bringing the total number of school choice programs to four.  The Ohio budget, signed by Governor John Kasich, quadrupled the number of students that can participate in the EdChoice Program, increased the size of voucher scholarships in the Cleveland Scholarship and Tutoring Program, and created the Jon Peterson Special Needs Scholarship.

2011 Results

•  Number of School Choice Programs: 4
• Total Number of Students: 23,975
• Total Number of Participating Schools: 594
• Total Expenditures: $122,600,000

Cleveland Scholarship and Tutoring Program

A means-preferenced voucher program that serves students living in the Cleveland Metropolitan School District.  Expansion in 2011 brought the scholarship amounts up to $4,250 for students in grades K-8 and $5,000 for students in grades 9-12.

2011-12 School Year Data Update

• Scholarships Awarded: 5,603
• Schools Participating: 36
• 2011 Expenditures: $21,000,000

    Growth in Student Participation

Autism Scholarship Program

This voucher program for autistic students is now one of two voucher programs in the state tailored to students with special needs.

2011-12 School Year Data Update

• Scholarships Awarded: 2,236
• Schools Participating: 248
• 2011 Expenditures: $42,600,000

    Growth in Student Participation

Educational Choice Scholarship Program

The 2011 expansion to the EdChoice Program, a failing schools voucher, increases the number of scholarships available to 30,000 in the 2011-12 school year and 60,000 in the 2012-13 school year.  In addition, student eligibility was expanded to include a second definition of low-rated schools.

2011-12 School Year Data Update

• Scholarships Awarded: 16,136
• Schools Participating: 310
• 2011 Expenditures: $59,000,000

    Growth in Student Participation

Jon Peterson Special Needs Scholarship Program

Created in 2011 and named after education reform advocate and former Ohio legislator Jon Peterson, this program will allow students with special needs to attend the school of their parents’ choice.  The program is slated to begin in the 2012-12 school year.

2012 Outlook

Ohio will have four active voucher program in 2012 with the Jon Peterson Special Needs Scholarship Program expected to begin in the fall.

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

Ohio Jumps on State of the State Train

Last month, we told you what governors have been saying in their state of the state addresses. And we’re not done!

This week, Ohio Governor John Kasich delivered his address, and in it, school choice played a major role.  In fact, the Governor chose to deliver his speech not at the State Capitol, but at a high-performing elementary school in Steubenville, Ohio.

Here’s what Governor Kasich had to say about choice in education: 

Education reform. Think about this: No mom and dad should have to have their kids in a school where they're not safe and they're not learning. It's a civil right.

This is not an attack on the public school system or public school teachers. We have to honor the ones that are really out there just like we see here in Wells Academy. But, when the schools aren't working and they're underperforming, let our children go. We went in this state from 13,000 vouchers to 30,000 families who can have more choice and more freedom, to next year 60,000 vouchers. I don't know that that exists anywhere in America. And it's going to give our poor people a chance.

We lifted the cap on the number of charter schools. And let me make it clear: if you're an underperforming charter school, we'll be on you. We have to have excellence in every school, and just because it has a name, if it's not working, we're going to have to deal with it. I'll ask the legislature to exercise proper oversight. And let me also—you can applaud for that. I know a lot of people are concerned about that.

If the school continues to fail, parents and teachers have the power to take the school over themselves. I want to give a big shout out to Stan Heffner. He is a man who has decided that he is committed to the fact that we need to let moms and dads know, across this state, how their kids are doing. He has published a report that ranks the schools, and that's how Wells got to be number one. He is traveling the state. We need moms and dads to know how their schools are doing.

Our schools across the state are, frankly, consistent with the Race to the Top, where I give Arne Duncan and the President great credit for what they've done there. We're moving Ohio forward, but we've got a long way to go.

We’re happy to see that Governor Kasich—a standout leader in 2011 for expanding two school choice program and creating a special needs voucher program—is still committed to education reform.

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

Jon Peterson Special Needs Scholarship Program One Step Closer to Helping Families in the Buckeye State

The Jon Peterson Special Needs Scholarship Program is one step closer to helping thousands of families across the Buckeye State this week thanks to the State Board of Education, which just approved rules for the program.

The fourth voucher program in the state and Ohio’s second program specifically tailored to students with special needs, the Jon Peterson Special Needs Scholarship Program was created in 2011 has a part of the Ohio budget that also expanded the highly popular Educational Choice Scholarship Program and the Cleveland Scholarship and Tutoring Program.

The program, named after former state legislator Jon Peterson, a champion of education reform and special education services, is slated to begin in the 2012-13 school year.

But first, parents, advocates, and the state have to know how the program will work.  And that information is becoming clearer with this week’s actions from the State Board of Education.

The Joint Committee on Agency Rule Review (JCARR) must approve the program rules before the scholarship program can begin.

But rules and regulations don’t show why special needs school choice programs are important.  The stories of families whose lives have changed because of the program do.

Farewell to A Great School Choice Friend!

On this Friday, we share a bit of bittersweet news from our friends at School Choice Ohio regarding their great executive director, Chad Aldis:

COLUMBUS, Ohio (Nov. 16, 2011) – School Choice Ohio today announced that Executive Director Chad Aldis will be stepping down from his position with the organization to begin a new role with a national education reform organization. 

“School Choice Ohio is grateful for Chad’s leadership and for his steadfast commitment to expanding school choice in the state of Ohio for the past four years,” said School Choice Ohio Board Chair Matt Cox. “He has helped position this organization to become a national leader on school choice, and we look forward to building on this solid groundwork as we continue our work to ensure that every child has access to a quality education.”  

Under Aldis’ leadership, School Choice Ohio has become an established advocate for school choice of all types and a resource for the media, legislators, and business leaders on education reform. The organization also serves  as an information source for thousands of Ohio families who are seeking the best educational environment for their children. 

[...]

“I have enjoyed my time at School Choice Ohio working to help secure school choice for thousands of Ohio families who need it the most,” said Aldis. “It has been rewarding to work with and advocate on behalf of parents who are committed to finding a better educational option for their child.”

In Light of Recent Abuse, It's Time We Stand Up for Our Kids

Yesterday we brought you an unfortunate story of a Chicago teachers union leader making inappropriate and disparaging remarks about Secretary of Education Arne Duncan in front of a crowd (and laughing about it). Pretty bad, right?

Well, it's nothing compared to this.

Rarely does a story bring about such a universal reaction—disgust, anger, sadness—as the one we're about to show you. NBC's Today Show first reported on the story of 14-year-old Cheyanne, a special needs student from an Ohio town about 40 miles southwest of Columbus. It's a story of being bullied, something far too many children encounter every day in schools all across the country. But this time, it's different.

The bullies were the teachers.

That's right—it's not students, but instead a teacher and her aide who proceed to call the girl dumb, a liar, and chastise her for "hav[ing] no friends." They make fun of her appearance, her parents, and even give her an "F" on a test without even bothering to grade it.

It took a secret tape recorder carried by Cheyanne to prove that what she was reporting to her father was actually happening, and even after administrators heard them, only the teaching aide was fired (and not immediately, either). And despite the fact that these sad events took place last school year, the teacher in the case was only put on administrative leave two days ago.

Let that sink in for a second.

"Accountability is the partner of choice"

Sometimes, it's best to let someone else's work speak for itself. This is one of those times.

We've routinely stressed the importance of accountability in creating and implementing strong school choice programs. Some on the other side accuse us of being less than committed to the goal, a charge that couldn't be less far from the truth. In reality, school choice cannot work unless schools and programs are accountable; otherwise, the very parents we seek to empower are left unable to exercise the control over their children's educational futures they deserve.

Terry Ryan, the vice president of Ohio programs and policy at the Thomas B. Fordham Institute, penned a pitch-perfect opinion piece in this past weekend's Columbus Dispatch that highlights the inextricably linked nature of these two issues.

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.

School Safety and Education Go Hand in Hand

The Ohio mother who was jailed earlier this year for falsifying documents in order to send her kids to a different school is back in the headlines today, this time appearing at an Akron Parole Board hearing. The board will make a recommendation to Gov. John Kasich about whether Kelley Williams-Bolar should be granted clemency, as has been advocated by Kasich. The governor ultimately has the final say in whether she is granted clemency.

But the hearing itself is not the news (we’ve known about it for some time). Instead, it’s the characterization of the motives behind her actions, characterizations that suggest she wanted her kids to go to a different school for reasons other than “school choice.” Below is an excerpt from The Columbus Dispatch’s writeup of the hearing:

Gov. John Kasich and others have made the case about school choice, but Kelley Williams-Bolar told the Ohio Parole Board that her daughters’ safety, not their education, was her only concern.
…
Her attorney, David A. Singleton, said the idea she moved her children to another school so they could get a better education came from school-choice advocates and the media.

First, there is an implication by both Williams-Bolar’s attorney and the newspaper that somehow educational quality and feeling safe in school aren’t inextricably linked. Children perform better in environments where they feel safe, and common sense dictates that additional worries related to safety could distract and detract from the quality of education.

And second, they’re suggesting that “school choice” means giving parents’ choices based on singular reasons only. While we certainly advocate for targeted school choice programs (mainly for low-income children and kids with special needs), there are a multitude of reasons why parents exercise their options: safety is often foremost among them, as are things like class size, structure of curriculum, length of school day, geographic location, and extracurricular opportunities, just to name a few. Of course these are all related to education. To suggest that children who attend unsafe schools are not being shortchanged educationally is to misunderstand the nature of the issues facing our schools today.

We very much stand beside Williams-Bolar in her efforts—she, like far too many parents, deserved more choices for her children, and it’s those lack of options that Gov. Kasich had in mind when he signed into law a large expansion of the state’s flagship EdChoice voucher program.

But we hope those in the media will understand that the safety of her children isn’t an issue separate from ours—it’s in fact a fundamental part of the reasons we do what we do. Whether it’s unsafe schools or something else that impairs a child’s education, parents should be able to choose to send their kids somewhere else.

We hope that Kelley Williams-Bolar and thousands of other parents across the country get that chance.

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

It's School Choice Signup Time Around the Country

Things happen fast in Ohio!

The very day after Gov. John Kasich signed into law a state budget that significantly expands school choice options across the Buckeye State, the program was already benefiting from some of the new provisions. Between now and August 15, parents can once again apply to enroll their children in Ohio's EdChoice voucher program—welcome news for families who missed out on receiving a voucher when there were more applicants than available scholarships after the program's original deadline in April.

Not only is the cap on the number of applicants rising, but eligibility requirements have changed to allow more families to apply, too. All parents need to know is that they have an additional month and a half to give their kids a shot at escaping their current, failing schools.

Below is a video from a local news station that details the new application period and how parents can apply:

But while parents have until the middle of next month to apply in Ohio, the clock is ticking even faster in the nation's capital! There are just three more days for families to apply for the newly-reauthorized D.C. Opportunity Scholarship Program, and we're participating in an event on the final day of signup: this Saturday, July 9, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at St. Anthony's School at 12th and Lawrence St. NE in D.C. Please encourage any families looking to help their kids to fill out an application! We'd be happy to help with the process.

There's so much at stake not just for the families involved, but in terms of how this will shape our broader discourse surrounding school choice and how we should all rally to help families once the politics ends. In that spirit, check out this great op-ed from Kevin P. Chavous that ran in yesterday's Washington Times. Right now we should only have one thing on our minds—helping as many families and children get the best education they can!

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