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Dear Fellow School Reformer:
Recently a faithful reader of the SRC insiderUpdate voiced a familiar
concern.
"Suppose we attain everything advocates of educational freedom want:
charters,
vouchers, homeschools galore," writes our correspondent. "What
then is to
stop the government from gaining more and more control over these forms
of education in an attempt to restore their coercive education monopoly?
It seems unlikely that the state will ever happily relinquish its
chokehold on education. Laws will be passed to demand more and more
bureaucratically ensured accountability, equality, etc. Eventually we'll
find ourselves back at square one. Well? Reassure me."
It's true enough that the educrats won't give up easily. There are reports
every day of their demands for more and more control over the decisions of
parents and educators. They're nipping at our heels all
right. The concern about persistent government encroachment is legitimate.
But the only answer is: the price of liberty is eternal vigilance.
Fact is, despite all the caterwauling and obstructionism of the educrats,
we _do_ enjoy greater educational freedom in this country than we did even
a decade and a half ago -- in some states, a lot more -- and that's
progress.
The progress may be slow at times, it may be haphazard. There may be many
frustrations to contend with. Many roadblocks and reversals. But there is
no magic wand we can wave that will transport us instantly to a completely
unhampered education market while at the same time causing all the
educrats to graciously shake our hands and concede the moral and practical
superiority of freedom.
All we can do is move in the right direction, the direction of greater
parental control. All we can do is keep coming up with powerful new ideas,
and do our best to implement them, with courage and with wisdom.
The only alternative to fighting for our rights as parents and citizens is
to accept total bureaucratic control over our childrens' educational fate,
and leave it at that. But if that were the only viable option, we would
not have achieved as much as we have already.
This is a battle that we're winning.
Yours for school choice,
David M. Brown
Editor
SchoolReformers.com
http://www.schoolreformers.com
ONLINE DISCUSSIONS AND E-MAIL LISTS:
VaEclecticHomeschool Discussion List
----------
In-depth discussion of issues affecting homeschooling, and for news about
media articles and programs, proposed
legislation, research, conferences and other information of interest to
Virginia homeschoolers.
VaEclecticHomeschool-owner@yahoo
groups.com
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/VaEcle
cticHomeschool
INSTITUTES, ORGANIZATIONS, AND CLUBS:
Virginia Home Education Association (VHEA)
----------
The Old Dominion's only all-volunteer, member-directed, grassroots, fully
inclusive state homeschool organization.
vhea@juno.com
http://www.vhea.org/
NEWS REPORTS:
Bush pushes vouchers, charter schools
----------
President Bush met with supporters of charter schools and voucher programs
and told them the government needs to
give parents more power over their children's education. (04/13/01)
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,
7019,00.html
Tax credit okayed for Florida voucher plan
----------
After a partisan debate that revived the issue of school vouchers, the
Florida Senate yesterday approved giving
$50 million in tax credits to companies that help send low-income children
to private schools. (04/13/01)
http://jacksonville.com/tu-online/stories
/041301/met_5905129.html
Hawaii school year threatens to end in academic disaster
----------
With a teachers union strike shutting down all public schools in Hawaii
and a federal judge threatening to take control of the system, Hawaii's
government-controlled institutions of learning are on the brink of
collapse. (04/18/01)
http://www.cnn.com/2001/US/04/17/haw
aii.teachers.ap/index.html
Despite recent setbacks, Edison charter company gain business
----------
Edison Schools said that it had signed contracts with eight Midwestern
school districts for summer programs and that
its first Detroit charter school had renewed its agreement. (Site requires
registration.) (04/17/01)
http://www.nytimes.com/2001/04/17/bus
iness/17EDIS.html
North Carolina district seeks to oust Edison schools mid-contract
----------
The school board in Wayne County, N.C., voted to cancel its contract with
for-profit Edison Schools to run two Goldsboro schools, two years before
the contract is due to expire. The Goldsboro move is the latest in a
series of blows to Edison. (04/17/01)
http://www.educationnews.org/Edison%
20tossed%20from%20another%20dis
trict.htm
Charter school displays common elements of effective schools
----------
by Diane Weaver Dunne and Ellen R. Delisio The strategies educators at
KIPP Academy Charter School, Mother Hale Academy, and Crossroads School
are using to break the cycle of failure for students living in some of New
York City's most disadvantaged neighborhoods.
(04/01)
http://www.education-world.com/a_issu
es/issues168.shtml
ONLINE BOOKS AND COLLECTIONS:
Lesson Plans from 'Ideas on Liberty'
----------
Lesson plans to help teachers and homeschooling parents use Ideas on
Liberty (formerly The Freeman) as an
educational source. Check it out.
kboudreaux@fee.org
http://www.fee.org/education/lessons.html
ONLINE RESOURCE DIRECTORIES:
Articles for research from Ideas on Liberty
----------
A collection of the best articles from The Freeman (now Ideas on Liberty)
on various topics. Useful for students, home schoolers, and educators
alike.
http://www.fee.org/education/research.html
AUDIO AND VIDEO:
A school board president speaks out
----------
"Exclusive video shows how Michigan's largest school employee union
squashed common-sense reforms designed to
help the kids of a tiny, one-school district in the Upper Peninsula."
(04/13/01)
http://www.mackinac.org/3397
INSTITUTES, ORGANIZATIONS, AND CLUBS:
Association of Education Practitioners and Providers
----------
An association of enterprising educators providing teaching and learning
services to youth and adults and a wide
array of public and private organizations. (Formerly the Association of
Educators in Private Practice.)
yelichris@aol.com
http://www.aepp.org/
EVENTS:
Edventures 2001
----------
July 28, 2001
Annual conference being held this year at the University of Southern
California (USC), LA on Thursday thorugh
Saturday, July 26-28, 2001. Conference topics include "Growing Your
Education Business," "Assessing the Education Industry" and
"Forming Strategic Alliances." Contact Chris Yelich, Executive
Director, 800-252-3280.
cyelich@aepp.org
http://www.aepp.org/edventures.html
COMMENTARY, OPINION, AND BOOK REVIEWS:
Sell the schools
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by Sheldon Richman
"... [E]ducation is much like religion. It entails deeply held views
about the world and one's children. Most people believe that religion is
too important and personal to let government make decisions about it. Yet
we routinely let government make decisions about education." (04/01)
http://www.fff.org/editorial/ed0401b.htm
School choice strategy
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by Myron Lieberman
Entrepreneur Ted Forstmann, founder of Parents in Charge, is one of the
few leaders of the school choice movement
who understands the importance of competition. But his strategy may not be
the best. Parents need to have
choices without first having to go through interminable political
processes that can, and usually have, ended in defeat. (04/16/01)
http://www.educationpolicy.org/MLcolumn
/MLcolumn-041601.htm
Government schools need competition
----------
At this point, accountability is such an illusion that government schools
need all the competition they can get. The fear and resentment toward
Edison is a sign of how much some real competition is needed. (04/08/01)
http://www.educationnews.org/cgi-bin/we
bbbs/article/article_list.pl?read=5417
Roy Romer wants to ban the use of Saxon Math in LAUSD
----------
Math teachers and supporters who believe strongly in Saxon Math need to be
very concerned about Los Angeles USD
Supt. Roy Romer's efforts to ban the use of Saxon Math in LAUSD. Saxon
Math has demonstrated the most success of any math program in America; and
the success has been tracked over time. (04/18/01)
http://www.educationnews.org/saxon_m
ath__roy_romer.htm
EXPERTS:
KIPP charter school principal talks about challenges and success
----------
"I think the best thing we do is offer a structured approach. We have
a structured approach to planning
lessons and a structured approach to instruction and managing discipline.
It all depends on the people, though. We're blessed with a group of
incredibly
talented people...." (04/01)
http://www.education-world.com/a_admin
/admin218.shtml
For more News Reports see:
http://www.SchoolReformers.com/resour
ces/bycategory/news/
For more Commentary, Opinion, and Book Reviews see:
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ces/bycategory/commentary/
For more Online Books and Collections see:
http://www.SchoolReformers.com/resour
ces/bycategory/e-texts/
For more Online Resource Directories see:
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rces/bycategory/homepages/
For more Events see:
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ces/bycategory/events/
For more Experts see:
http://www.SchoolReformers.com/resou
rces/bycategory/experts/
For more Audio and Video see:
http://www.SchoolReformers.com/resou
rces/bycategory/multi/
For more Institutes, Organizations, and Clubs see:
http://www.SchoolReformers.com/resourc
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For more Online Discussions and E-Mail Lists see:
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=====/ end of SchoolReformers.com insiderUpdate \================
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