A Victory for Choice
Saturday 29 May 2010 - Filed under Education
Today New York legislators approved a bill that will more than double the number of charter schools, schools that are run privately using public funds, to the chagrin of the teachers unions. Barbara Martinez of The Wall Street Journal:
New York would more than double the number of charter schools allowed to operate in the state under sweeping legislation passed Friday after a bitter battle between the teachers unions and Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s administration.
Bitter battle? Why would the teachers union be locked in a “bitter battle” over the state trying to open more charter schools which have been shown to be more beneficial for students, parents and teachers? Jennifer Medina via The New York Times:
Teachers’ unions around the country and their allies in state legislatures have fought the growth of charter schools — whose teachers generally are not unionized — saying they take resources from traditional public schools without improving students’ education.
I’ll tell ya; there’s nothing more annoying than a teacher shrieking “It’s For The Children™!” in their objection to alternative schools, only to show that their biggest problem with opening new charter schools is that unionized teachers cannot teach in them. In the end, the only thing teachers unions are afraid of is parents choosing to send their kids somewhere NOT a traditional public school. They’d rather the status quo reign supreme.
2010-05-29 » madlibertarianguy
30 May 2010 @ 8:29 am
I can tell you, as a child growing up in the public school system, I would have given close to anything to be allowed into a charter school, or private prep school. Vouchers and charter schools do take public funding away from public schools… but money is a great motivator. It’s been found that in districts that offer vouchers and charter school alternatives, the public schools have actually shown improvement when it comes to test scores as well. Long live competition.