The Battle For Charter Schools

About the only significant reform to impact public schools, in a positive way, in the last ten years are public charter schools.  Conservatives and Republicans support charter schools that give parents more say about the running of these schools, at the expense of teacher unions, that are often sidelined.  As a result, teacher unions and their more radical Socialist allies HATE charter schools because they diminish union power, since charter schools are run by their own independent boards, not the typical board of education, that is paid for and owned, lock, stock and barrel by the teacher unions. 

Socialist Mayor De Blasio of New York City is trying to shut down many of the successful charter schools in his city, even though they often benefit minority children, as a pay off to the unions.   It is criminal.  Socialist Governor Andrew Cuomo and supposedly even President Pinocchio Obama support charter schools.   Remember, these are still public schools; using public money, but they operate more like tuition free private schools.  Parents in New York City, with kids in those charter schools that De Blasio is trying to close, are furious with the Mayor insisting that he back off.   De Blasio is such a Socialist and maybe even Communist ideologue that he is pushing forward, even though Governor Cuomo is opposed to closure.  So, since state money is probably also involved a show down is looming. 

A recent study in California, that is common of other data around the country, shows that kids in charter schools achieve higher test scores than kids in regular public schools.  In fairness, this probably happens to some degree because the parents of kids in charter schools are more involved in their kid's education.   But so what.  Aside from providing all kids in failing public schools, school vouchers so parents can choose to send their kids to any school they choose, including private schools, which should also be an option, charter schools are the next best thing. 

We need major education reform in the United States, not necessarily more money spent on our schools.  Common Core, which is more federal control, is not the answer.  Kids should be tested in eight grade to determine if they should be college bound, or placed in vocational education to learn a trade.   Some will say this is racist; but again so what.  In a worse case scenario a kid that may be a late bloomer might learn to be an electrician and then decide to go to Community College to begin to get an academic  university degree.  That kid could even work his way through school, with a trade in hand, rather than have to borrow money and incur huge debt.  This would be a good thing for all concerned.   It is time for common sense educational reform.  It will not happen as long as the teacher unions control our public schools and the Socialist politicians they help elect.  While fat cat union leaders get rich, the kids suffer a poor education.  It is just shameful.