While visiting Fort Bragg this week, U.S. Education Secretary Betsy DeVos said her department will explore the idea of giving military families more options for educating their children. The News & Observer has the story:
During her meeting with parents and teachers at the Kimberly Hampton Primary School, at least one parent told her he would welcome the chance to send his older children to a private high school that matches the quality of the base schools.
The Department of Defense runs eight schools on and near Fort Bragg that enroll 4,044 children from pre-kindergarten to middle school. High school students enroll in public school in surrounding districts.
The local high schools “don’t necessarily work for every child,” said DeVos, an ardent school-choice supporter.
DeVos mentioned a bill filed by U.S. Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina that would start a pilot program to allow children on Department of Defense bases that do not have schools run by the department to use federal vouchers worth up to $8,000 a year for elementary school and $12,000 a year for high school.
“We’ll be looking very closely at supporting policies like that,” DeVos said.
DeVos’ support for school choice is encouraging. What would be even more encouraging would be her support for school choice at the state level, getting the federal government out of education altogether.
SOURCE: The News & Observer
IN THIS ISSUE:
- MINNESOTA: The Minnesota Senate has approved a bill to establish tax-credit scholarships.
- FED ED: Rep. Luke Messer (R-IN) wants the federal government to subsidize schools of choice for low-income families.
- MISSOURI: The Missouri House passed a bill to expand charter schools in the state.
Common Core and Curriculum Watch
- CLIMATE CHANGE: Democrats are all up in arms because The Heartland Institute dared to suggest there might be another side to the climate change debate.
- COMPETENCY: A handful of Chicago Public Schools are piloting a program to test competency-based education.
- KENTUCKY: A bill to amend the Common Core State Standards in Kentucky awaits the governor’s signature.
- OPT-OUT: Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker wants to make paying for some classes and services at Wisconsin public universities optional.
- MARYLAND: If you’re a failing school in Maryland, your governor thinks you deserve extra money.
- GEORGIA: A Georgia kindergarten teacher allegedly brought a loaded gun to her classroom … and might have been drinking before the incident.
- BIRTH CONTROL: An Oklahoma mother says her daughter’s school violated her parental rights by implanting a birth control device in her daughter during a school trip.
- 1984: The Washington Post writes George Orwell’s predictions on the rise of high-stakes testing are coming true.