I didn’t agree with vouchers or even charter schools when they were first proposed. I still believe they only exist because it’s the extreme right’s way of trying to destroy public schools - weaken the base, take away the dollars and move the young minds into schools they can control. However, they are missing a very unique opportunity.
If their intention was to provide a better education, how come you have never heard once how they can do it better? Have they offered up any new ideas, new ways to deliver information or help kids learn skills? No. They do it the same old, tired ways the rest of us do it. They lecture in classrooms full of rows of desks and test kids on rote information.
Charter schools and private schools could win over everybody, if they were only willing to be adventurous. Set up a new school that uses proven application techniques. Overthrow the current curriculum for one that better prepares kids to be successful in the real world - less talk and theory and a whole lot more of doing. There are examples around. Some outstanding academies have been set up based on occupation interests. These could be used as a spring board.
It is hard to justify the current charter and voucher schools when they don’t have to meet any real standards - including FCAT. Now if they were doing something experimental, maybe we could forgive them that scrutiny - or at least measure their success differently.
What a wonderful opportunity to reinvent education, but it’s been wasted
