Morning in Michigan: Legislature Lifts Cap on Charter Schools

 

Is it morning in Michigan again? Education reform advocates hope so.

President Ronald Reagan’s famous 1984 campaign advertisement touted a positive economic turnaround and an upbeat American morale. “[O]ur country is prouder and stronger and better,” narrated the Great Communicator. Given the recent recession and accompanied woes, another national jolt is in order.

In a much-anticipated move, this month the Michigan House of Representatives voted to lift the charter school cap. State Senators had initiated the process through the passage of a similar bill. The two chambers have reconciled the differences; it awaits the approval of Governor Rick Snyder (R-MI).

Incrementally, state-funded universities would have the authority to sponsor and approve more charters. The highlight of the legislative bundle, entitled the “parental empowerment package,” boasts an allowance of up to 300 charter schools in 2012 and an additional 200 the following year. Beginning in 2015, an unlimited amount will be allowed to prosper under state law.

Critics – including the Michigan Education Association, a liberal teachers union – claim that these alternative educational options perform worse than government-run entities and provide an avenue for profit.

But charter schools are held to a higher standard. If they fail to meet a set of stricter-than-average criteria, their charter is not renewed. Public schools can barely scrape by for years without any scrutiny, under-performing teachers are granted tenure, and families fall behind as a result. The statistics speak for themselves, especially for urban areas: charter school students have higher attendance, academic performance, and graduation rates than their public counterparts (2009 Education Report, Mackinac Center for Public Policy). It is as simple as that.

In the opinion of the Michigan Council of Charter School Authorizers, “SB 618 raises academic standards for all charter public schools by strengthening accountability on academic performance; fiscal management; and transparency for schools, operators and authorizers.” They added that “[f]or the first time in state law, this bill will require demonstrated improved academic achievement for all groups of students as the most important factor for charter contract renewal.”

State Representative Tom McMillin (R-MI), Chairman of the House Education Committee, released a statement after the successful effort in Lansing: “Michigan’s children should not have to wait for adults in government to remove limits on their future. By phasing out this arbitrary, outdated cap today, thousands of students currently on charter school waiting lists were given real hope for a better tomorrow” (HuffPost Detroit, 12/14/11).

Senate Bill 618 passed almost entirely along party lines, 20-18 in the originating chamber and 58-49 in the House. Republicans, whom have majorities in both chambers for the first time since 2006, were able to usher in commonsense education reform despite Democrat pushback. Left-wing petty political tactics notwithstanding, status quo reluctance to innovation in the classroom is no more.

Under the new legislative measure, many more students will now have the opportunity to obtain a specialized education. The free-market approach is a proven solution to such complicated and important issues as education.  Successful charter schools that meet tough requirements shall flourish far into the future, while the unsuccessful fade away. By offering a chance for outside-the-box thinking to shine, children receive the attention they deserve.

Is the sun rising on Michigan’s future? Time will tell. A giant step in the right direction, though, makes for a beautiful scene.

National School Choice Week (NSCW), scheduled for January 22-28, is an initiative intended to spark conversation and brainstorm ideas for expanding opportunities for America’s kids. Everyone can make a genuine difference toward our future today. Visit www.SchoolChoiceWeek.com for further information including details on how to get involved.

Nicholas Kowalski writes for NSCW, maintains an active Twitter handle (@NKowalski), and can be reached via NicholasKowalski.com. 

The Reagan-Obama comparison: Liberal media “body snatching”

Presidents Obama and Reagan are strikingly similar, practically carbon copies of one another, according to the lamestream media. But is it an accurate portrayal? A veteran political writer suggested otherwise on national television.

Of late, the Ronnie-Barry comparison is tossed around loosely. But for decades, since his initial involvement in national politics, Reagan and his principles have been bashed thoroughly by the liberal establishment. Longstanding public favorability of the Great Communicator has remained at a constant, steady level. Grudgingly, I’m certain, lefties have had to acknowledge this fact. So goes logic – even a broken clock is right twice a day.

“It’s such blatant and shameless body snatching,” proclaimed Lowry, the dinner keynote speaker. He went on to explain that any attempt to link the two leaders is false. A quick glance at historical data shows that Reagan’s diplomacy significantly aided the end of the Cold War without firing a shot, while Obama’s policy of appeasement and apology to foreign rulers has entrenched a global sentiment of weakness. Lowry argued that liberals are quick to attatch themselves to the man they once dubbed a “dangerous lunatic” because his policies were successful. “We must constantly beat this stuff back.”

The National Review editor added that the left has tried to hijack the legacy of famed journalist William F. Buckley, Jr. Before we know it, he will be labeled a “great liberal figure.” For anyone with any knowledge of the tremendous work of Buckley, this is a flat-out insult to all things conservative.

The entire program aired live on C-SPAN and can be accessed via their online portal. Here’s the Ustream page link:

http://bit.ly/qIGE2W

The NCSC, now in its thirty-third annual year, is hosted by the Young America’s Foundation in Washington, D. C.

 

Nicholas Kowalski blogs for The Other Side. Contact him on Twitter (@NKowalski) and via email. Let your voice be heard!

Freedom Week 2010 at MSU: Out with Communism, In with Democratic Capitalism!

The words of U. S. President Ronald Reagan: “Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!” were indicative of the end of communism in the eastern bloc and around the world. Subsequently, on November 9, 1989, the Berlin Wall fell.

In honor of Freedom Week 2010, an activism project of Young America’s Foundation, the MSU College Republicans – in partnership with the MSU Young Americans for Liberty – distributed pocket copies of the U. S. Constitution and Declaration of Independence and uplifting posters, hosted conservative speakers on the topics of Reagan and freedom, and endorsed the Veterans Day tribute put on by the university’s Army ROTC cadets. The week was acknowledged from November 8-12.

Without a doubt, the pro-freedom message was spread across the college campus in East Lansing, and many others in the U. S., throughout the week.

To learn more about Freedom Week and Young America’s Foundation, travel to the proceeding web address: http://www.yaf.org/eventdetails.aspx?id=4812.