As you might have predicted, I’m a supporter of pretty much anything that gives parents more educational options for their children, including public school choice.  But public school choice isn’t without its flaws:

For Jamahl Stokes of Prince William County, the decision to attend the Thomas Jefferson School for Science and Technology 30 miles away in Fairfax County came down to this quandary Suffer more than two hours of commuting round trip for the privilege of attending one of the nation’s best high schools? Or enroll in the neighborhood school 15 minutes away near Manassas?

Jamahl went with T.J., as it is known, for his freshman year. Then he changed his mind. Too many nights spent awake until 1 a.m. because of football practice, the horrendous commute and piles of homework. Too many days sleeping in class.

"I definitely would have preferred having the school in Prince William," said Jamahl, 15, now a sophomore at Osbourn Park High School. "Some people get discouraged because when they hear about the prestige of T.J., they also hear about the commute, and they don’t necessarily want to go through that."

Public school choice is a good thing.  It gives parents options, and can get kids into better schools.  But as this example illustrates, the practice is inherently limited by logistics.  Adults dislike long commutes for work–who wants to make their 12-year-old do so as well?  By extension, I think the practice limits the critical component of parental involvement: the greater the distance the school, the greater the difficulty on the part of the parent to be engaged with faculty. 

Most parents simply want good schools in their own neighborhoods.  In this respect, the program is making the predictably positive impact: in response to demand from students, Prince William school officials are considering building a version of Thomas Jefferson in the district.  (Regular Edspresso readers will note that this is nothing new.)  But the rate of change and response is agonizingly slow.  Also, consider the type of school it would be: like Thomas Jefferson, an exclusive and extremely competitive magnet school.  It would definitely fill a need, but I think most people would agree this is the sort of school that only serves outliers.  

Which is why we need as many forms of choice as possible.  The kids are all over the bell curve; let’s allow them to go wherever they best fit. 

What happens to Texas high school seniors who don’t pass the TAKS? - Troubles with Texas’s standardized test kept more than 400 Austin seniors from donning a cap and gown in May.

Immigrant Children Shielded From State Tests, but for Whose Protection? - School districts in a number of states have been working to have children from immigrant homes exempted from state tests. 

Horne asks to expand AIMS to higher math, science, social studies - Arizona schools chief Tom Horne wants to expand the state test to include subjects such as American history, chemistry and trigonometry.

More math = more dropouts - In an opinion column, Arizona’s superintendent of public instruction explains his position on strengthening math standards in the state.

Learning for every age - Some Wisconsin schools try combining two grades in one classroom.

Teachers’ Union Dispute Casts Doubt on Detroit Alternative Schools (Edweek.org subscription required) - A continuing dispute between the local teachers’ union and school administrators has some education officials in Detroit worried that several alternative schools that opened in August to lure high school dropouts back to the classroom will be forced to close.

DOE releases charter school 10-year anniversary report - The Florida Department of Education released a report recently commemorating the 10th anniversary of Florida charter schools, which have provided parents an additional public education option.

State to debate No Child’s fate - Whether it’s worth it for Minnesota to keep going with NCLB is up to the Legislature to decide. It will be a key topic when lawmakers convene Wednesday.

Charter school board gets slow start - The creation of a statewide charter school district in South Carolina is off to a slow start as the board waits for the people and money to run it.

Bush was bold with his education plan - Gov. Jeb Bush swept into office in 1998 with a bold platform on education - reading initiative, school-voucher program, testing and accountability - and when he leaves office Jan. 2, much of what was (and was not) accomplished will define his legacy.

The View from Sixth Grade - An interview with Ellen Berg, a sixth-grade language arts teacher in St. Louis, Missouri.

Charter school dollars burden Albany taxpayers - Letter to the editor: I’m a parent of a child in the Albany [New York] City Schools who is frustrated that programs to benefit our public schools are shelved because dollars are siphoned away toward charter schools, which in essence are private schools bankrolled with public dollars.

Check back later for more education news. 

UPDATE: 

L.A. school district focuses on middle school students - Aiming to curb high drop out rates in Los Angeles public high schools, district officials are beginning to focus more on middle school students.

No Child Left Behind renewal faces battle - It has shaken every teacher in every classroom, and when the No Child Left Behind law comes up for renewal next year, it faces a political battle that could last until after the 2008 election.

NEA funds host of left-wing causes - Opinion: The nation’s largest teacher union, the NEA, is a self-proclaimed champion for "the cause of public education." But this year, once again, the NEA has spent member dues on all kinds of causes that have nothing to do with education.

Money politics - Editorial: Schwarzenegger is hardly the first politician to blur the line between government and campaign business, or to lean heavily on private contributors to bridge the interaction between the two.  But Villaraigosa’s political career will likely rise or fall depending on what he does with LAUSD — meaning he may very well owe his political life to those who bankrolled his efforts, all of whom have their own motives for their generosity.

Reality has set in.  Texas schools are trailing much of the United States, and United States schools are trailing the rest of the world.  Over the years, the “solution” offered for ailing schools has been an infusion of new resources.  Unfortunately, these “reforms” have done nothing to increase outcomes, and generations of students have suffered in the meantime.  We must find a true solution now.

More “Why We Need School Choice (Jamie Story)”

USA Today has put together a snapshot of education stories from 2006.  Of course the Florida ruling was mentioned, along with Spellings’s new focus on higher ed.  But I’m a bit surprised that more wasn’t said about NCLB.  Eduwonk suggests the big NCLB story this year is that no major assaults on the law have materialized in spite of plenty of threats from the NEA and assorted states.  It’s also worth pointing out that in spite of the Democratic takeover; now that Ted Kennedy will be back in charge, it’s just a question of what the law will look like after reauthorization, not whether it will be dismantled.  I’m also puzzled as to why the Skills Commission report wasn’t at least mentioned; to my mind, that really helped 2006 go out with a bang. 

As a side note, I had wondered why the report would be released right in the middle of December; are they trying to bury it?  But truthfully, while the circumstances might not be ideal, it was probably the optimal time to release it.  Next spring all eyes will be on Washington to see what the Dems are up to in Congress.  Besides, in mid-December education reporters tend to have a bit more time on their hands, making it more likely this sort of thing will get more attention in the media. 

Governor, Legislature Lift Enrollment Cap on Voucher Program (Edweek.org subscription required) - An end-of-year recap on school choice legislation in Wisconsin.

TEA survey shows Rhea Co. teachers underpaid - The Tennessee Education Association recently released a ranking of teacher salaries across the state.

Report: Let Teachers Own and Run Schools - A new report on restructuring the national education system recommends that school boards contract with third parties to run schools.

Bitch Slapped - A look at how Los Angeles mayor Antonio Villaraigosa’s attempt to take over LAUSD lost in court.

Hispanic Pastors Gather to Support School Choice - Press release: Christian leaders and presidents of pastors associations, representing more than 200 Hispanic Christian Churches and an estimated 20,000 members in the Valley of Texas gathered in McAllen to address the demand for solutions to the crisis that exists in Latino educational outcomes in the state.

No child left behind: the football version - Letter to the editor: a spoof of NCLB.

Let the Money Follow the Student - Opinion: Washington D.C. Mayor-elect Adrian Fenty has promised to provide "qualified teachers for all children." If he is serious about that, he should put parents, not bureaucrats beholden to the American Federation of Teachers, in charge of choosing schools for them.

Blunt pulls state education nominee - Missouri Gov. Matt Blunt on Wednesday pulled his nomination of a former private school administrator to the state Board of Education, hours after state Sen.-elect Jeff Smith objected to the choice.

Reading and writing only get better with practice in every grade - Editorial: Schools have and need reading specialists. But practice in real-life situations using varied material is the way to stretch students, and show why reading and writing really matters.

Don’t forget the arts - Opinion: Massachusetts Governor-elect Deval Patrick should reinvigorate the role of the arts in public education.

Check back later for more education news. 

UPDATE: 

Moran sees hope for education reform - When voters returned control of both houses of Congress to Democrats, they may have improved the chances of a piece of legislation written by a Republican from one of the reddest of the red states.

Local schools foot the bill for cyber students, but lack oversight - A look at increasing friction over cyber charter schools in Pennsylvania. 

The teachers are all right - Are Maine teachers overpaid or not? 

Reading, writing & wrangling - A look back at the bigger education stories of 2006.

UPDATE:

Challenge goes on against NCLB law - Editorial: Undaunted, efforts to correct the errors of the No Child Left Behind law continue, being carried on in three states and by the National Education Association.  We hope the matter goes to the U.S. Supreme Court. Once again: the one-size-fits-all approach does not fit.

Small Rural Schools Closing Their Doors - Many rural schools are ending up as empty buildings.