Maybe there's something in the water of the Great Lakes? Crazy education "schemes" disguised as education reform seem to be popping up almost daily.
In Michigan, I've written about the desire of Governor Rick Snyder to lift the cap on charter schools to provide more "choice" for students. "Choice" as I've written multiple times is code for privatize and disinvest in public education. Anyone who argues otherwise hasn't seen what a good public school system looks like, or has been brainwashed by the propaganda machines.
In Ohio, the Thomas B. Fordham Institute has been critical of Governor Kasich's plan to bring more for-profit private enterprise schools to Ohio. They are critical, not because of allowing more "choice," but because unregulated growth in any education reform proves to be bad policy.
Perhaps Governor Rick Snyder should listen to this group, and rethink his quest to "privatize" Detroit's public school system?
Much like Michigan, Ohio has been fed a daily dose of critique of public schools, a constant barrage of misinformation about the state of our education system, and relentless attacks on teachers, education support professionals, and their unions.
So it is (sort of) surprising to see a "reformy" group like the Fordham Institute being critical of charter school reforms (often, groups like Forham are behind the misinformation and attacks on the teaching profession):
From their Flypaper Blog: (Terry Ryan)
Ohio’s charter program risks becoming a laughing stock
Yesterday the Ohio House decided the Buckeye State should go back in time and instead of seeking a balance between choice and accountability, its plan focuses exclusively on how more schools can open, especially those by for-profit companies with less-than -stellar track records of success in the state.
Wouldn't any education reform, including charter schools, make any state a "laughing stock" if it wasn't based on solid research or long-term proven results?
Governors Snyder and Kasich do look quite foolish, at least from my point of view.